During a January 29, 2026 Cabinet meeting, President Trump stated he wants to make housing more expensive to benefit existing homeowners, saying 'we're going to keep those prices up“ and prevent homes from becoming affordable so 'somebody that didn't work very hard can buy a home.” This directly contradicts his campaign promise to cut housing costs in half and comes amid a historic housing affordability crisis.
His tariffs on building materials are projected to add $17,500 to new home costs and result in 450,000 fewer homes being built through 2030.