Wichita Habitat for Humanity calls on Kansas congressional members to take action to increase stock of affordable starter homes in the U.S.

WICHITA, KS (February 5, 2026)— Wichita Habitat for Humanity will join hundreds of local Habitat organizations and affordable housing advocates on Capitol Hill in Washington. D.C. to amplify the growing demand that Congress take action to expand the supply of affordable starter homes to address the national housing crisis. 

During Habitat on the Hill, the three-day, D.C. based event, advocates from 48 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico will travel to meet with Congressional leaders. Affordability remains a top issue facing Americans, and rural, urban, and suburban communities nationwide are experiencing this historic loss of affordable homeownership opportunities, which is driving the overall crisis.

The shortage of starter homes impedes workers’ access to job markets with economic opportunities, holds back local economies, exacerbates the wealth gap, and keeps millions of would-be homebuyers in the rental market. 

But there is hope. For the first time in recent decades, there is growing momentum in Congress to tackle the issue.

Both the House and Senate have taken important steps in advancing bipartisan housing legislation – the Senate through the ROAD to Housing Act (S. 2651) and the House through the Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644). Congress must keep this momentum going, work to combine these two packages and pass a bipartisan housing package as soon as possible that will take meaningful action to help address our nation’s housing crisis and increase supply. 

Wichita Habitat for Humanity will meet with the offices of Representative Ron Estes, Senator Jerry Moran, and Senator Roger Marshall to urge their support.

“Wichita has always been a city of neighbors, but to keep it that way, we have to tackle our housing shortage head-on,” said Danielle Johnson, executive director of Wichita Habitat for Humanity. “The solution starts with building more affordable starter homes so families can truly plant roots here. We are ready to roll up our sleeves and work alongside any lawmaker who believes that every Wichitan, from the Air Capital to the suburbs, deserves a safe, decent place to live.”

In addition to the legislative priorities above, advocates will urge representatives to:

• Fund the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) at no less than $20 million in the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill.
• Fund the Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) at no less than $1.5 billion in the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill.
• Fund the USDA Section 502 Direct Loan Program at no less than $1.25 billion in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration appropriations bill. 

This year, advocates will also call on elected officials to act and champion Habitat’s legislative priority, the Homeownership Supply Accelerator, a plan designed to rapidly increase construction of affordable homes in the United States.

The Homeownership Supply Accelerator aims to create a source of flexible financial assistance that supports property acquisition, new home construction and rehabilitation, and other financial barriers faced by for-profit and non-profit developers serving modest-income homebuyers.

“As our Habitat network pushes for housing solutions nationwide, we remain committed to sparking that change locally, starting at home.” Johnson continued. “You can see this in action today: we are currently revitalizing areas that have been boarded up and neglected for years, turning them into vibrant, safe communities for our neighbors.”

This year brings a convergence of milestones: the 20th annual Habitat on the Hill, Habitat for Humanity’s 50th global anniversary, and Wichita Habitat’s 40th year of service. In that time, Habitat has empowered more than 65 million people worldwide to build or improve their homes. Here in Wichita, we are proud to have helped more than 1,200 neighbors achieve safe, affordable housing.