The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing, Housing Roadblocks: Paving a New Way to Address Affordability, held on March 12, broadly reviewed differing perspectives on the causes and solutions to address the nation’s severe lack of housing affordability and showcased senators’ legislative proposals to move the needle on housing preservation and production.

The hearing was also an opportunity for a letter, joined by LeadingAge and 1,572 organizations, to Senate and House leadership opposing “efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Secretary Scott Turner to terminate at least half of all employees at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).” “This is a catastrophic staffing cut to an agency that has struggled with a severe staffing shortage for many years,” the letter says, urging Congress to intervene in HUD’s plans.

Discussion during the hearing on how to solve America’s housing affordability gap included proponents of free market approaches that, combined with local zoning changes and decreased federal regulations around environmental reviews and changing the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements, would unleash housing development for all and, thus, ultimately bring down the cost of housing for all.

Others at the hearing pushed for more government support for affordable housing. Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), on how to increase housing supply, said “The federal government can be a good partner and can help boost the housing supply.” Renee Willis, Interim President and CEO National Low Income Housing Coalition, testified that insufficient federal resources are one reason for the lack of affordable housing in the United States.

Read the sign on letter about HUD staffing and field office here.

Watch the hearing here.