Republicans get serious on housing crisis with high-profile conservative influencer leading the charge

FIRST ON FOX: Conservative influencer Benny Johnson is leading a new initiative to "Make Housing Great Again" amid concerns that Millennials and Gen Z are being pushed out of homeownership by rising costs, stagnant wages and regulatory burdens.

The new initiative, which is being announced Friday, will be led by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) with help from Johnson, who will be the initiative's co-chair and national spokesperson, serving as the voice of the initiative. Johnson will help lead one of AFPI's advisory councils related to making housing more affordable as well, and he has tapped former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson and developer Michael Burkentine as the initiative's first two board members.

"Benny has 4 million followers. He is, you know, so influential. He's been talking about this a lot on his own social media platforms, and so he is the perfect person to help deliver the policies," Ashley Hayek, AFPI’s executive vice president and co-chair of the initiative, told Fox News Digital. "He has young children. I have young children. And for us, we are both very fired up about this issue."

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Hayek pointed out that advocating for policy is, at least in part, a messaging war, and Johnson's ability to articulate himself well will help with that. Additionally, he has the attention of many young people, who Hayek noted often aren't aware of the tools out there to help them buy a home. 

Greg Sindelar, AFPI's interim president, said that the current culture in the United States "too often diminishes traditional aspirations," like homeownership and building a family, which has taken a toll on younger generations.

Even Democrats tend to agree. Former Democrat congressman and ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in August explaining how the increased difficulty of homeownership is depressing young men, particularly due to the fact that buying a home is often seen as such a pivotal part of achieving the American Dream.

"Rising costs, stagnant wages, regulatory burdens, and a culture that too often diminishes traditional aspirations have left millions feeling directionless and forgotten," Sindelar said. "AFPI is committed to reversing this trend by advancing meaningful, actionable policy solutions rooted in the principles of the America First movement."

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The new initiative, announced Friday, laid out a list of policy proposals it plans to advance across government of all levels.

Among those proposals is a push to eliminate capital gains taxes on first home sales as long as they reinvest in another home within the following five years. This proposal is aimed at mirroring the spirit of President Donald Trump's "Opportunity Zones" aimed at accelerating wealth and economic development for low-income communities. 

"The average first-time homebuyer in America is now 40-years-old. 40. years. Old. That is far beyond the optimal age to get married and start a family,"  Johnson told Fox News Digital. "The fight for homeownership is a fight for the survival of our culture and civilization. Young Americans cannot build families without homes, and a nation without families cannot survive. The American Dream is dying before our eyes. This is a generational betrayal, and we must reverse it for our children and for their future. This was the final policy priority of Charlie Kirk. We will deliver and save the American Dream."

Another proposal includes a push for the creation of "Home Savings Accounts" similar to a Health Savings Account (HSA) that allows individuals to contribute pre-tax dollars to pay for their healthcare needs.

One proposal also includes a plan to reduce regulations and increase incentives across states and localities that have restricted the development of new housing supply. One example they point to is "green building standards," which the initiative says bloats costs for builders. By getting rid of these regulations, they say that it will dramatically reduce the cost for builders, who will then in turn be able to increase supply.

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Other proposals include measures to stop predatory lending to young people, while promoting innovative housing like tiny homes. 

Tax-focused proposals are in the mix as well, such as a "Family Formation Mortgage Credit," aimed at making family formation and homeownership financially synergistic. It will give families that marry and have a child within five years a $10,000 reduction on their mortgage through a refundable tax credit. The initiative will also push to double the child-tax credit for households filing their taxes jointly and own a home, or are planning to own one.

"Home ownership is unlocking the American dream," Burkentine said. "We need deregulation and implementation of meaningful policies to help young Americans reach this dream. I’m proud to partner with AFPI to make housing great again."

Fox News Digital added following publication that Johnson tapped former HUD Secretary under Trump Ben Carson and housing developer Michael Burkentine as the initiative's first two board members. A quote from Burkentine was also added after publication.