Advocating for Affordable Homeownership

Our advocacy efforts support policies that increase the supply of and promote broader access to safe, affordable and decent homes. From our deep understanding of housing and its central role in providing opportunities for families, we work to reform laws in a non-confrontational, nonpartisan way. Advocating for sustainable and inclusive policies and systems that promote access to decent housing is critical to achieving our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Join Habitat for Humanity by calling on your policymakers to invest in affordable homeownership now.

A record shortage of starter homes across the U.S. is driving up housing costs — causing many families to face extremely difficult choices between housing and other basic needs — and pushing the dream of homeownership out of reach for hard-working families and first-time homebuyers nationwide. No investment is as beneficial as homeownership for wealth building.

Please join Habitat for Humanity in ensuring everyone has an affordable place to call home by adding your voice and asking your friends and family to do the same.

Damian cuts the ribbon on his family's new home

Current Asks of Our Legislators

Finalize the fiscal year 2025 appropriations process as soon as possible, providing robust funding for vital housing and community development programs.

Support the following programs in the FY2026 budget:
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD bill):
  - Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program
  - HOME Investment Partnerships Program
- Department of Agriculture (Ag-Rural Development bill):
  - USDA Section 502 Direct Loan Program

2. Support the Homeownership Supply Accelerator, Habitat’s innovative federal policy concept to make homeownership a reality for hard-working families nationwide. As envisioned, the accelerator would be a new source of financial assistance to spur the construction of starter homes across the U.S.

3. Ensure that any tax package includes provisions that increase the supply of starter homes and protects the tax status of nonprofit housing providers.

How Do We Advocate?

Habitat on the Hill

Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity participates in Habitat on the Hill, Habitat for Humanity's annual legislative conference in Washington, D.C.

In February 2025, Karla Probert, executive assistant to the CEO/affiliate advocacy ambassador, joined 475 other Habitat representatives, who visited 300 legislators -- including Colorado Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, as well as Congressman Crank -- to ask them to support policies that promote affordable homeownership.

Karla also presented a poster about our 2024 interfaith dialogue, "Who Is Your Neighbor?," which featured officials from the City of Colorado Springs. See the poster (PDF).

She also shared a flyer about our work with veterans (PDF).

The Colorado contingent at Habitat on the Hill, 2025

Colorado Springs Mayoral Candidate Forum

On Affordable Homeownership

On Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity and KRDO NewsRadio hosted a forum for the 12 Colorado Springs mayoral candidates to discuss their ideas and answer questions about affordable homeownership.

Proposition 123

Pikes Peak Habitat joined other Colorado Habitat affiliates in supporting Proposition 123, a ballot measure approved by Colorado voters in November 2022. This initiative allocates one-tenth of 1% of state income tax revenue to fund affordable housing. At a conservative estimate, Pikes Peak Habitat will double the number of homes we build and repair in El Paso County each year because of Prop 123.

Cost of Home

We are participating in Habitat for Humanity International's #CostOfHome campaign. This five-year campaign is finding solutions and helping create policies that will allow access to affordable homes for 10 million individuals.

A home shouldn't cost anywhere near half of your paycheck.

Learn More

Why Home Matters

Through a series of evidence briefs, Habitat is sharing research on the impact that affordable housing has on individuals and families in the U.S. and beyond.