This article marks the second of three Guest Member Notes written by NHC’s 2025 Housing Visionary Award recipients.
Homeownership has always been at the core of the American dream—and it’s been at the heart of my own American story. When my family arrived in this country as Cuban exiles, our journey was one of struggle and resilience. Ultimately, it gave us the opportunity to own a home that brought us stability, pride, and a sense of belonging. That personal experience deeply shaped my commitment to making homeownership and housing opportunity available to more Americans.
In Cuba, politics was a zero-sum proposition. There were only absolute winners and losers. Here in the United States, I personally experienced how bipartisan cooperation can unlock real and lasting progress. In an era where political divisions often dominate the headlines, I can say with confidence: housing policy has long been—and must remain—a space where unity can flourish.
One of the proudest achievements of my tenure as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was building on the bipartisan work of two of my predecessors, HUD Secretaries Jack Kemp and Henry Cisneros. One was a conservative Republican from upstate New York, the other a liberal Democrat from San Antonio, Texas. Yet they both believed passionately that the American Dream should be available to everyone. Rather than discarding what had come before, we chose to expand upon it. Taken together, our work led to desperately needed reform of our public housing, and the expansion of homeownership opportunities to mortgage ready homebuyers of every race.
Our goal was to ensure that the American dream of homeownership wasn’t only accessible to the majority, but also extended to communities who had historically been left behind. The gains we made in minority homeownership during that time were significant—and they didn’t happen in a vacuum or overnight. They happened because leaders on both sides of the aisle agreed that this was a goal worth working together to achieve.
Bipartisanship also played a critical role in the years following the financial crisis, when I had the privilege of co-chairing the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission alongside Senator George Mitchell. Senator Mitchell, a deeply respected statesman, brought with him a wealth of experience. Widely regarded as the “father of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)”, Senator Mitchell had worked with President Ronald Reagan to create one of the most effective tools we have for creating affordable rental housing. I share his admiration for the program. It works. It brings together federal incentives and private sector capital to build homes for those who need them most. And if something works, we ought to do more of it.
That’s why I’ve long advocated for expanding the LIHTC. The need for affordable housing is growing. Working families across America are struggling to keep up with rent. Let’s increase the reach of a program we know is effective. The good news? There’s strong bipartisan support for doing just that. It’s one of the rare policy areas where lawmakers continue to find common ground—and that should give us hope. Just last month, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act was introduced in Congress with 131 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 34 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate.
I’ve also seen the power of consensus-building firsthand. During our work at the Bipartisan Policy Center, George and I sat down—sometimes in contentious settings—with individuals from across the ideological spectrum. There were strong disagreements. But eventually, we locked ourselves in a room and said, “Let’s find what we can agree on.” And we did. We created a roadmap for housing finance reform that continues to influence policymakers today. That kind of thoughtful, pragmatic collaboration is what our system was designed for. Congress doesn’t work when one side tries to do it all alone. It works when people come together, coalesce around ideas, and move forward with mutual respect.
Of course, no conversation about housing is complete without discussing homelessness. During my time at HUD, we reactivated the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to better coordinate federal efforts. I was fortunate to work with Philip Mangano, a relentless advocate from Boston whose leadership helped shift the conversation from temporary shelters to long-term solutions. Homelessness is a complex issue, and unfortunately, those experiencing it don’t form a voting bloc. But that’s all the more reason for public officials to prioritize it. The federal government has a role to play—especially in supporting local solutions for both episodic and chronic homelessness.
And let’s not forget programs like Section 8. While not without its challenges, the housing voucher program is an essential support for low-income families. But we must do better. The goal should be more than simply housing people—it should be about creating communities where individuals and families can thrive. That means encouraging mixed-income developments, as we did through initiatives like HOPE VI. People deserve to live in neighborhoods that are aspirational, where kids can look around and see role models going to work, where the cycle of poverty can be broken—not reinforced.
As we consider the future of housing finance—whether it’s reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac or preserving the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage—we must tread carefully. These institutions are foundational to the stability of our housing market. Any changes must be thoughtful, inclusive, and grounded in what’s best for American families, not just political ideology.
To those working on these issues today—nonprofits, advocacy organizations, local governments, and federal leaders—I commend you. Continue doing the hard work of convening stakeholders from all sides. Continue bringing well-vetted, consensus-driven solutions to the table. That’s how we’ll make progress.
At the end of the day, housing isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a people issue. And when we focus on people—on helping them find stability, opportunity, and dignity through housing—we find common purpose. That’s how we build not just homes, but stronger communities, and a stronger nation.