NAHRO Releases 2026 Secure Homes, Strong Communities Report Highlighting the Impact of Federal Housing and Community Development Programs

July 21, 2026 — NAHRO is pleased to announce the release of the fourth edition of its flagship report, Secure Homes, Strong Communities: A 360 Degree View of America’s Housing and Community Development Programs. As part of NAHRO’s nationally recognized, award-winning advocacy program, this report provides a comprehensive, data-driven look at the nation’s federally assisted housing and community development programs. It highlights their impact on families, local economies, and communities while examining the challenges that threaten their long-term success. 

Drawing on federal and industry data, the report explores the performance and outcomes of major housing and community development programs, including Public Housing, the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), and federal homelessness assistance programs. 

The report underscores that these programs serve millions of households nationwide while producing measurable economic and social benefits. Stable, affordable housing improves health, educational attainment, and employment outcomes, reduces homelessness and housing instability, and strengthens local economies through construction, rehabilitation, and neighborhood revitalization. 

At the same time, the report finds that demand for affordable housing continues to outpace available resources. Rising construction and insurance costs, aging public housing infrastructure, increasing rents, and years of insufficient federal investment have placed growing pressure on housing providers and the families they serve. Public housing agencies continue to face significant capital repair needs, voucher programs are experiencing higher costs in tight rental markets, and community development programs are working to meet increasing demand with limited resources. 

Among the report’s key findings: 

• Public housing remains an essential source of deeply affordable housing, but decades of underfunding have created substantial capital repair needs that threaten the long-term preservation of these homes. 
• Housing Choice Vouchers continue to help millions of households access housing in the private market, though rising rents and limited landlord participation have made it increasingly difficult for families to successfully use their vouchers and have increased program costs. 
• Community development programs such as CDBG and HOME remain critical investments in affordable housing, infrastructure, and neighborhood revitalization, but funding has not kept pace with growing community needs. New federal requirements, including Build America, Buy America, also present implementation challenges that may increase project costs and delay development. 
• The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit remains the nation’s primary tool for affordable housing production, yet demand for credits remains high even as the program expands.  
• Homelessness continues remains high nationwide, increasing pressure on local housing systems and reinforcing the importance of evidence-based solutions such as permanent supportive housing and coordinated federal investments.  

The report also highlights the essential role Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and redevelopment authorities play in administering these programs. Despite chronic funding shortfalls and growing administrative responsibilities, these local agencies continue to provide stable housing for millions of low-income families, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and children while leveraging federal resources to strengthen neighborhoods and support economic development. 

As Congress and the Administration continue to debate housing policy, the report emphasizes that addressing the nation’s housing affordability crisis will require sustained federal investment, preservation of existing affordable housing, expanded housing production, and policies that make it easier for local agencies to deliver housing efficiently. 

“Affordable housing and community development programs remain among the federal government’s most effective investments,” the report concludes. “Strengthening these programs through sustained, predictable funding and practical policy reforms is essential to preserving affordable housing, reducing homelessness, expanding opportunity, and building stronger communities.” 

Secure Homes, Strong Communities: A 360 Degree View of America’s Housing and Community Development Programs is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers, housing professionals, stakeholders, and advocates seeking to better understand the impact of federal housing investments and the policy choices that will shape the future of affordable housing in America.