Major American Portals Unite in Housebuilding Push

"If we don't build it, we'll lose it," says the homepage of Let America Build, a new national public awareness campaign grounded on a simple premise: America needs to build more homes.

Founding participants, including Realtor.com, Zillow, eXP Realty, Home Services of America, and the National Association of Home Builders, have all joined forces to lobby for urgent action on America's lack of housing supply, with nearly four million homes required to meet demand.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, government regulation, taxes, fees and other costs add more than 26% to the price of an average new single-family home. At the same time, Zillow research found that building one home on the more than 300,000 small vacant lots listed for sale could reduce the nation’s housing deficit by 6.3%. America faces a housing supply gap of 4.03 million homes, according to Realtor.com housing supply gap research.

The organisation's website urges Americans to support political candidates who want to permit more homes, fill empty spaces, and cut red tape surrounding house purchases.

Damian Eales, CEO at Realtor.com, said:

“If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far, go together, and with a problem as big as America’s home shortage, it is time we go together. Earlier this year, I challenged the industry to come together and unify. Let America Build is a result of that call. Now after the 21st Century ROAD to Housing bill has become law, elected officials have the opportunity to make housing supply a visible community priority. This campaign aims to help Americans engage in real conversations about how their communities can create more housing opportunities.”

Jeremy Wacksman, CEO at Zillow, said:

"America's housing shortage is pricing renters and buyers out of the communities they love. We know what's driving it and we know what will fix it: streamlining permitting, modernizing zoning and unlocking land that's already there. The ROAD to Housing Act is a real commitment to getting this right, and Zillow is proud to stand with these partners through Let America Build to meet the moment and help more people get home."

The full statement on LetAmericaBuild.org says:

In 2026, the housing crisis in America is the one issue that politicians from every party agree on. Simply put, we need to build more houses, about 4 million of them, and we all know it.

We've made some progress. In June, a supermajority of Republicans and Democrats came together to pass The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, creating a framework to support housing production. The law unlocks new financing mechanisms, encourages new housing types, and authorizes a $200 million innovation fund aimed at helping communities remove barriers to construction.

It's more than a first step. This new law throws the gates wide open — and now we're off to the races. The communities that act first will win.

So this November, in elections all over the country, up and down the ballot, we're calling on candidates of every party to make housing supply and affordability central to their platforms.

Because before a house can be built, the regulations that add nearly $132,000 to the cost of a new home must be changed.* The red tape that keeps projects waiting months for permits and approvals must be cut. Local zoning requirements must be fixed to allow for more, and more dense, residential development. Local policymakers hold the power to drive these initiatives, so it’s up to you to make sure they know how you feel.

That's why we've joined together as colleagues and competitors from across our industry: to make sure everyone knows how to do their part where they live.

We know what needs to be done. But it’s up to us—all of us—to Let America Build.