OpenCampaign

Housing-Shortage

Housing affordability

Housing costs rank among the most urgent national crises in youth and general polling for 2026. High rents and home prices affect Indiana communities as they do elsewhere, influencing local development, zoning, and state-level housing policy debates tied to the midterms.

What approach should Indiana take on housing costs and availability?

How important is this to you?

Sources

Harvard Institute of Politics — https://iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/52nd-edition-spring-2026
Rising prices and inflation (46%) and the cost of housing (40%) are the only issues that large shares of young Americans consider urgent national crises, far outpacing other issues tested.
Harvard Institute of Politics — https://iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/52nd-edition-spring-2026
Roughly half of young Americans say that they are personally affected “a lot” by inflation (50%) and rising housing prices (41%)
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Major public investment in affordable housing and stronger tenant protections
  2. Expand subsidies and incentives for affordable units while easing some zoning
  3. Mix of public incentives and private development with local zoning flexibility
  4. Reduce regulations and zoning barriers to spur private housing supply
  5. Minimize government housing programs and rely almost entirely on free-market building