By Shawn the Realtor Guy | Portland, Oregon | Published: September 9, 2025
Are you caught in the Renting American Dream? With home prices skyrocketing and affordability at an all-time low, the housing emergency may be declared by the Trump administration feels more like a wake-up call than a solution. If you’re tired of renting forever while investors snatch up homes, you need to downsize, but it doesn’t make sense to sell now? You’re not alone. As a Portland Oregon realtor, I’ve seen firsthand how the housing crisis is turning the American Dream into a nightmare of endless leases, stuck in your house and missed opportunities.
In this post, we’ll dive deep into why the administration’s ideas—like standardizing building codes/zonings, decreasing closing costs and cutting tariffs on building materials—won’t fix the “Housing Emergency.” I’ll also expose the two elephants in the room they will probably ignore, and share my 10 ways to solve the housing crisis (if the White House implemented).
The Housing Emergency: Trump’s Surface-Level Fixes Won’t End the Renting American Dream
The housing emergency is real. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced about a week ago that the Trump administration is eyeing a declaration to tackle low home affordability and the economic stress it’s causing American families. Their current plan? Standardize local zoning and building codes to speed up construction/reduce building costs, lowering closing costs for buyers, and exempt building materials from tariffs. Sounds promising, right?
But here’s the truth: These are band-aid fixes for a deeper wound. Saving American Dream isn’t just about supply and demand—it’s about who controls the homes. Building more won’t magically drop prices because new homes are prices are set by the resale market price. If resale homes in your neighborhood sell for $500,000, builders will price comparable size homes near 650-700k range. Does it really improve the supply and demand and affordability? More supply could mean saturating the new home market that will force lower new home prices. Would home builders do that voluntarily?
And that 25% of costs blamed on building codes/zoning “red tape” (according to the National Association of Home Builders). If standardizing/deregulation saves builders 25% of building cost, they’ll just boost profits, not pass savings to you. The feds might open federal lands for development, creating jobs but handing wins to big builders—without addressing why prices and monthly payments stay high. This housing emergency demands more than just surface fixes.
The Two Elephants in the Room: Why Are We Here?
No discussion of the housing emergency is complete without tackling the ignored giants: investor dominance and policy-driven inflation. These are fueling the Renting American Dream, Housing Emergency, yet the administration won’t touch them.
Elephant #1: Hedge Funds and Investors Hoarding Homes
Big players like hedge funds are buying up thousands of single-family homes, turning them into rentals. They outbid first-time buyers every time—even if you can scrape together a down payment. Mom-and-pop cash investors with a few properties? Same story. This directly shrinks supply for regular folks, making the Renting American Dream the new normal. Why no caps? Follow the money.
Elephant #2: Pandemic Money Printing Inflated Prices
From 2020-2022, loose monetary policy and cheap loans jacked up home prices far beyond the usual 4-5% yearly bump. Borrowing was a steal, so prices exploded.
Deregulation in the Housing Emergency: Will It Help End the Renting American Dream?
Federal overreach on local zoning? It’s a tough sell—local governments won’t roll over easily. I predict it’ll fizzle into just unlocking federal land for builders, without mandates for affordable, investor-proof homes. If you’re dreaming of owning in this housing crisis, don’t hold your breath for miracles here.
My 10 Housing Emergency Solutions: End the Renting American Dream
Enough talk—here are 10 ways to fix the housing crisis. These housing emergency solutions focus on affordability, supply, and demand, with a theme: Squeeze investors, empower owners. If the White House implements more than 4 of 10, we may actually make progress in solving housing crisis.
3 Ways to Boost Home Affordability and Supply and Demand: Practical Fixes for the Renting American Dream
- Let the market correct itself
Just let it adjust by itself. It’s happening—prices cooling naturally. No buyer credits like in 2009-2010. Now, the market’s correcting: Sellers struggle, buyers wait for crashes (already happening with 10-20% drops in previous hot areas), and affordability inches back. Let this natural reset happen. - Cut Rates + Cap Investor Buys
Lower borrowing costs, but limit investors to drop demand. Less competition = stable or slow price growth. - Make All Mortgages Assumable
Buyers take over sellers’ low rates (e.g., 3%), unlocking “frozen” inventory. Sellers cash in equity, more homes flow—vital for housing emergency supply.
3 Additional Ways to Improve Home Affordability More
- Deduct Mortgage Principal (Not Just Interest) for Primary Homes
Use tariff revenue for this radical win: Deduct principal payments on primaries only. Bigger tax breaks mean more buying power, tilting against investors in the housing crisis. - Standardize Mortgage Rates via Banking Regulations
Mortgage rates should be standardized, not bank whims. Last year, Fed cuts raised mortgage rates—insane! Uniform base rates let you shop fees fairly, cutting costs and improving home affordability. - Standardize Property Taxes, Insurance, HOAs, and Utilities
Wild spikes in taxes (even neighbor-to-neighbor differences, I’d welcome no property taxes!), insurance cancellation (hello, drone roof checks), HOA fines for trash cans, and utility hikes (Comcast’s 50% jumps) crush affordability. Standardize property tax rates county-wide, cap increases, and enforce antitrust on homeowners insurance and HOAs.
4 Additional Ways to Improve Supply and Demand Even More
- New Builds for Primary Owners Only (3-Year Stay)
Extend residency rules for primary loans, tax-break builders for small, HOA-free homes on federal land. Blocks mortgage fraud and investors, promoting real ownership. - Transparent LLCs to Track Investors
Expose shell companies hiding hedge fund empires. Data drives regulation—know thy offenders in the housing crisis. - Front-End Taxes on Foreign Investors (FIRPTA Upgrade)
Tax at purchase, not just at sale, to curb cash waves from abroad outbidding locals. Seen it in Portland: End the foreign-fueled sales. - Double Capital Gains Exemption to $500K Per Person
The $250K cap (fine in the ’90s) traps long-term owners. Raise it to free up supply—more listings mean more choices in the housing emergency.
Final Thoughts: Time to End the Renting American Dream, Housing Emergency
Trump’s plan scratches the surface, but my 10 housing emergency solutions could restore the American Dream. Prioritize families, regulate investors, and watch affordability soar. Investors might rage, but tough—affordable homes for all who can afford.
Keywords: renting American Dream, housing emergency, housing crisis solutions, home affordability crisis, Trump housing plan, end renting American Dream, housing emergency solutions