Real estate group launches national campaign as California housing crisis worsens

Rival real estate firms, developers and housing advocates have joined forces to launch a national campaign to bring housing supply and affordability to the forefront of the upcoming elections in November.The “Let America Build” campaign is urging voters and candidates across all political parties to tackle the nation’s severe housing shortage by dismantling local regulatory barriers that stifle new construction.According to industry leaders, the national housing supply gap has widened dramatically over the last three years — growing from a deficit of 2.5 million homes in 2023 to 3.8 million in 2024, and reaching 4.03 million homes in 2025. The campaign coalition brings together 14 prominent organizations across the housing ecosystem including listing portals Realtor.com and Zillow alongside major brokerages including eXp Realty, NextHome and HomeServices of America. “Building more homes to solve America’s housing undersupply is fundamental to fixing one of the biggest challenges facing this country,” Damian Eales, CEO of Realtor.com, told The California Post.The campaign builds on legislative momentum from earlier this summer, when a supermajority of Republicans and Democrats passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

The landmark law unlocked new financing mechanisms, authorized a $200 million innovation fund, and tied federal housing incentives directly to local zoning reforms. “When the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law, it opened the doors to local and state governments to prioritize policies that increase housing supply.Local leaders can and should use the ROADs Act as a blueprint,” said Eales.

Data from the National Association of Home Builders reveals that regulatory compliance, delayed permitting, and restrictive land-use rules add nearly $132,000 to the cost of a typical $500,000 home build. Eales said that “red and green tape is the biggest hindrance to building more homes,” adding that “sure interests are high, bu...