The Architect’s Role in Policy and Practice

The American dream of homeownership feels increasingly distant for many. With the median age of a first-time homebuyer now at a historic high of 38, the nation’s housing market is signaling a clear and urgent crisis. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) convened the 2025 Housing Summit in Washington, D.C., on October 21, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and architects to forge solutions and confront this challenge head on. The summit underscored a stark reality: a complex web of economic pressures, regulatory hurdles and funding shortfalls is making safe and affordable housing unattainable for millions. Housing is one of the most critical issues facing our communities, and we must focus on actionable strategies. 

The core of the housing crisis is a simple matter of supply and demand. The United States faces a housing shortfall of roughly 4.7 million homes, a deficit created over a decade of underbuilding following the Great Recession. This scarcity has been intensified by soaring mortgage rates and skyrocketing rents, creating an environment where the dream of owning a home is slipping away.

During the summit, speakers detailed the numerous barriers that stifle new construction and maintain high costs. Restrictive zoning laws and land-use policies in many communities prevent the development of diverse and dense housing options. Lengthy and outdated permitting processes add significant delays and costs to projects, discouraging developers.

“The time is now to move on all these things,” urged Congressman Mike Quigley of Illinois in his address. He acknowledged the immense pressure on families, first-time buyers, and those experiencing homelessness, stating,”The American dream is just outside their grasp.” 

While the housing crisis is a national issue, many innovative solutions are emerging at the local level. Matthew Murphy of NYU’s Furman Center, in his keynote address, pointed to cities like Portland and Minneapolis that have successfully implemented policies like upzoning, legalizing “gentle density” such as duplexes and triplexes in single-family neighborhoods and streamlining regulations for infill housing.

Murphy stressed that architects are uniquely positioned to drive these changes. With their expertise in design, community planning and construction feasibility, architects can serve as credible and powerful advocates for policy reform. “When architects enter this conversation… I think there’s a lot of power there and a lot of synergy,” he noted. By creating feasible housing models that respond to both community needs and market realities, architects can demonstrate what is possible and help guide cities toward more equitable and sustainable housing production.

The affordability crunch is no longer confined to coastal cities. As Murphy explained, “Every community is having this conversation,” making the need for professional advocacy more critical than ever.

A significant hurdle discussed at the summit was the challenging federal funding landscape. Dave Gatton of the U.S. Conference of Mayors highlighted a “four-decade-long underfunding of the nation’s housing programs,” noting that federal support has been insufficient since the Carter administration. With budget cuts impacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development, stakeholders acknowledged that significant financial help from the federal government is unlikely in the near future.

This federal retreat places more pressure on the private sector. While programs like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit provide essential incentives, experts at the summit agreed that more regulatory relief and financial tools are needed to encourage the construction of both market-rate and affordable housing. As Peter Bell, CEO of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association, pointed out, “Any supply is good for reducing rents overall.”

Despite the challenges, the AIA Housing Summit cultivated a sense of shared purpose and identified a clear path forward. A key legislative priority is the bipartisan Revitalizing Older and Underserved Downtowns to Resilient and Vibrant Essential Neighborhoods (ROAD to Housing) Bill. This legislation aims to create flexible grants that empower communities to increase their housing supply, upgrade infrastructure, and revitalize downtown areas.

“It’s the most comprehensive federal housing legislation we’ve seen in decades,” said Alexander Cochran, AIA ’s chief government affairs officer. “We need to build more housing now, correctly and quickly. ROAD moves that goal forward.”

The summit concluded with a powerful call for collaboration. The consensus was that no single entity can solve this crisis alone. Architects, developers, policymakers and community advocates must work together to dismantle barriers and build a future where safe, affordable and sustainable housing is a right, not a privilege. This is the moment to turn around a housing crisis into an opportunity for all Americans. 

By Evelyn Lee FAIA, NOMA. She is the 2025 AIA President. She can be contacted at boardofdirectors@aia.org.

This column also appears in the December issue of Builder and Developer, read the print version here.