January 15, 2026

New Dems Host Stakeholder Roundtable on Affordable Housing Solutions

Housing Roundtable

This week, New Dem Members hosted a roundtable with housing policy experts and industry representatives for a robust conversation about what Congress can do to help build more homes and address the national housing affordability crisis. New Dem Vice Chair for Outreach Salud Carbajal (CA-24) hosted the roundtable alongside Housing, Infrastructure, & Transportation Working Group Chair Norma Torres (CA-35), and Housing Task Force Chair Emilia Sykes (OH-13), and were joined by a dozen additional New Dem Members and nine stakeholders for the discussion.

This roundtable is part of the Coalition’s ongoing efforts to develop and advance commonsense affordable housing solutions and follows the release of the New Dem Housing Affordability Agenda in 2025, which endorsed fourteen bills led by New Dem members to lower housing costs.

“Americans have faced soaring housing costs for far too long,” said Rep. Salud Carbajal. “As Vice Chair of Outreach for New Dems, I was proud to bring together leaders from across the housing sector to discuss commonsense solutions that could expand affordability and access. These conversations are only the beginning, and I’m looking forward to turning them into real action.”

“Housing costs are squeezing families in communities across the Inland Empire and throughout the country, and Congress has a responsibility to act,” said Rep. Norma Torres. “This roundtable brought together the experts we need at the table to cut red tape, increase housing supply, and invest in proven solutions that lower costs and expand access to safe, affordable housing. Addressing the housing crisis requires urgency, partnership, and a commitment to deliver real results for working families, not excuses.”

“I was proud to join my colleagues on the New Dems Housing Task Force and housing policy experts for a comprehensive discussion about tackling the housing shortage and affordability crisis that is pricing too many hardworking Americans out of home ownership,” said Rep. Emilia Sykes. “We discussed policy solutions to bring down the cost of housing, allowing more Americans to live the American Dream. I will continue fighting to pass commonsense policies that lower costs, cut red tape, and expand affordable housing.”

During the roundtable, participants discussed a number of potential solutions to build more homes and make housing more attainable for everyday Americans. The conversation covered policies to incentivize more affordable housing production like cutting red tape, reforming zoning laws, and funding tax incentives for developers to build more low-cost housing and preserve existing affordable units.

Participants also discussed the importance of programs like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, supporting the homebuilding workforce and lowering the cost of inputs for builders, and potential reforms to stable housing supports like the Housing Choice Voucher program and the Section 811 Supportive Housing program.

Roundtable guests included:

  • Lake Coulson, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Chief Lobbyist, National Association of Home Builders

  • Owen Caine, Assistant Vice President of Federal Legislative Affairs, National Apartment Association

  • Michael Mini, Executive Vice President, Chicagoland Apartment Association

  • Mike Kingsella, Chief Executive Officer, Up for Growth

  • Andrew Justus, Housing Analyst, Niskanen Center

  • Sharon Wilson Geno, President, National Multifamily Housing Council

  • Kim Johnson, Senior Director of Policy, National Low Income Housing Coalition

  • Eric Oberdorfer, Director of Policy & Legislative Affairs, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment

  • Brittany Webb, Senior Research Director, National Housing Conference

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