Throughout February, Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter joined advocacy efforts at both the federal and state levels to ensure families in our community have access to safe, affordable homes. From Washington, D.C., to Tallahassee, FL, our team met with representatives to share the challenges families face and to ask policymakers to take action.

Affordable homeownership is more than a roof over one’s head. It provides stability, strengthens families, and creates opportunities for generational wealth. Yet across the U.S., the shortage of starter homes is driving prices higher and making homeownership unattainable for many hard-working families. This shortage impacts rural, urban, and suburban communities alike, limits access to jobs, and contributes to the growing wealth gap.

In D.C., we focused on three key federal priorities:

1. Pass Bipartisan Housing Legislation

We urged Congress to pass a final bipartisan housing package that addresses the shortage of starter homes and strengthens programs that help families achieve homeownership.

2. Fund Proven Federal Housing Programs

We advocated for funding critical programs that make it possible for nonprofits like Habitat to build, preserve, and finance affordable housing, including:

• $20 million for the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP)

• $1.5 billion for the Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME)

• $1.25 billion for the USDA Section 502 Direct Loan Program

3.Support the Homeownership Supply Accelerator

This proposed federal initiative would provide financial support for acquiring land, building new homes, and rehabilitating existing properties — helping expand homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income families nationwide.

In Tallahassee, our advocacy focused on state-level support for programs that directly impact our community:

1. Youth Construction Academy

We asked lawmakers to support Habitat Lake-Sumter’s appropriation request (Form 1368), sponsored by Rep. Yarkosky and Senator Truenow. This program provides construction education, workforce development, and creates affordable homeownership opportunities for young people in our area.

2. Veterans Housing Initiative

We requested support for Form 2145, sponsored by Rep. Cobb and Senator Truenow, which helps low-income veterans access critical home repairs and homeownership opportunities.

By advocating at both the federal and state levels, we are helping ensure that families in Lake and Sumter counties have a clear path to homeownership, even amid rising land costs, labor shortages, and supply chain challenges.

We left February inspired and energized, ready to continue this work. With strong leadership from lawmakers and ongoing support from our local community, we can make the dream of owning a home a reality for more families in Lake-Sumter and across the country.