A 21st Century Homestead Act
Homes People Can Actually Afford. Ownership People Can Actually Reach.
America doesn’t have a housing shortage problem—we have an ownership problem.
For most of our history, we understood that stable homeownership was the foundation of economic freedom. The original Homestead Act helped build the American middle class by turning land into opportunity. Today, we need to do the same—at modern scale, in modern cities, for modern families.
That’s why I’m calling for a 21st Century Homestead Act: a comprehensive housing plan built around one simple idea—
Owning a home should be within reach of ALL Americans.
This plan does three things.
1. Build Homes—At Scale, Where People Live
We cannot solve affordability without increasing supply. The federal government must become a serious partner in building again.
The 21st Century Homestead Act will:
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Provide tax credits for homebuilders and developers who build affordable and middle-income housing
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Issue block grants to states and cities to accelerate local housing construction and cut red tape
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Lease underused federal land to developers for housing projects—lowering land costs and speeding delivery
This approach lowers construction costs, respects local control, and gets homes built faster—without federal micromanagement.
2. Introduce H.O.M.E. Loans—A New Path to Ownership
Not everyone can afford 20% down. Many can’t afford 100% of a home—but they can afford most of it.
That’s why this plan introduces a new financing option:
H.O.M.E. Loans — Housing Ownership with Majority Equity
Under a H.O.M.E. loan:
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A buyer purchases 51% or more of a home
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The remaining minority stake is held by:
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The previous owner
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A bank
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Or a public housing finance agency
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The buyer lives in the home, builds equity, and controls the property
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When the home is sold, the minority stakeholder receives a proportional payout
This model:
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Lowers upfront costs
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Expands access to ownership
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Allows wealth to grow without locking families into crushing debt
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Creates flexibility without turning housing into a speculative casino
It’s ownership—not rent with a different name.
3. Make Homeownership Affordable with 0% Interest Loans
For millions of families, the biggest barrier to homeownership isn’t the price—it’s the financing.
We’ve normalized 30 years of interest payments that can double the cost of a home.
The 21st Century Homestead Act will create 0% interest home loans for qualifying primary residences, allowing families to:
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Pay down principal instead of interest
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Build equity immediately
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Keep monthly payments affordable
If we can finance wars, bailouts, and tax cuts at low cost, we can finance American homeownership—for Americans.
A New American Promise
The 21st Century Homestead Act is about more than housing. It’s about restoring a basic promise:
In America, the future should be something you can build—starting with a place to live.
We don’t need to choose between markets and government. We need smart public policy that unlocks private action and puts families first.
That’s how we build homes.
That’s how we build equity.
That’s how we rebuild the American middle class.
