Habitat on the Hill 2026: Advocacy in Action
February marked the return of the 20th annual Habitat on the Hill conference — an opportunity for advocates and Habitat leaders from 48 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico to meet with their local congressional leadership in Washington, D.C. to educate them on issues impacting affordable homeownership.
Candis, current Habitat Homeowner in Process and Advocacy Ambassador, joined Board of Directors Vice Chair Jason Rutherford and Habitat Staff members Shannon Green, Bex Oring, and Faith Triggs to represent our affiliate, meeting with elected officials representing Gaston, Iredell, and Mecklenburg Counties. We’re especially proud to have had Candis join us to share her personal story and help elevate the urgent need for more affordable housing options across our region.
This conference is more than a chance to spotlight the challenges families face as they work toward homeownership and the urgent national need to increase the supply of affordable housing. It’s also a powerful moment to reshape how our team and community understand affordable housing—and to help attendees carry those insights back into their workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. “It [was] incredible being up [there] listening to the passion, the voices, and the experience being here with one of our homeowners in Charlotte – [and to see the] broader partnership across all of the Habitat [affiliate]s here in D.C.,” shared Jason Rutherford, Board of Directors Vice Chair
The timing of this conference was opportune, when the House of Representatives had just passed the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act: the most significant housing bill the House has passed in over a decade. Habitat leaders sought to build on this momentum and encouraged Congressional leaders to quickly pass a final housing affordability package through both chambers to help address our nation’s housing affordability challenges. In a climate where in North Carolina, the income needed to purchase a median-priced home is $123,000 per year, and the median renter income is $49,000 per year, urgent action is needed to help bring affordable homeownership within reach of more American families.
While advancing the national affordable housing agenda is critical, meaningful change also happens at the local level—where each and every one of us possesses the power to create real change. Commit to staying engaged in local elections (like the upcoming 2026 Primary Election!) and get involved as a Habitat Advocacy Ambassador to help drive policies that make affordable homeownership possible in our community. Learn how you can support our local advocacy work.
Federal Fiscal Year 2027 Priorities
Shared with our elected representatives, included the following:
- Bipartisan Housing Legislation: Both the House and Senate have taken important steps in advancing bipartisan housing legislation – the Senate through the ROAD to Housing Act (S. 2651) and the House through the Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644). Congress must keep this momentum going, work to combine these two packages and pass a bipartisan housing package as soon as possible that will take meaningful action to help address our nation’s housing crisis and increase supply.
- Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP): the only HUD grant program that provides funding exclusively for homeownership projects serving low-income families. Requested support of $20 million for FY 2027.
- HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME): provides formula grants to states and localities that communities use in partnership with local nonprofit groups, including Habitat affiliates, to fund a wide range of affordable housing activities, such as: Repair and rehabilitate housing, reconstruct owner-occupied housing, fund new construction, demolition, and land acquisition, and offer downpayment assistance to homebuyers. Requested funding for no less than $1.5 million in the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill.
- USDA Section 502 Direct Loan Program: designed to assist low- and very-low-income individuals and families in obtaining decent, safe, and sanitary housing in eligible rural areas. This program offers payment assistance to help increase an applicant’s ability to repay the loan, making homeownership more accessible for those who might otherwise struggle to afford it. Requested funding for no less than $1.25 billion in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration appropriations bill.
- Homeownership supply accelerator: Calling to establish a Homeownership Supply Accelerator to overcome key financial barriers to scale up the construction and rehabilitation of attainable starter homes in every community that needs them. Establish a new source of flexible low-cost financing solely dedicated to the development of homes for ownership for low- and moderate-income homebuyers. Support activities such as new home construction, rehabilitation and property acquisition, and assist in closing the gap between the home price and what a low-income homebuyer could afford.