Washington, DC | January 9, 2026
President Donald Trump has proposed banning large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes, arguing that Wall Street firms are crowding out American families and worsening the nation’s housing affordability crisis.
Speaking on housing policy, Trump said corporate ownership of family homes has placed excessive strain on first-time buyers and middle-class households, as major investment firms increasingly convert owner-occupied properties into rental units.
Over the past several years, companies such as Blackstone, JPMorgan Chase, and other banks and private equity-backed firms have expanded their presence in the single-family housing market. Critics say this trend has contributed to rising home prices and reduced availability for individual buyers.
Housing affordability has deteriorated sharply across the United States. According to the National Association of Home Builders, nationwide home prices rose nearly 55% between early 2020 and the third quarter of 2025, driven by historically low housing inventory and mortgage rates that have climbed above 6%.
Institutional ownership has become especially concentrated in high-growth states such as California and Texas, where investors account for more than 20% of single-family home purchases in some metro areas. Analysts say this concentration has reshaped local housing markets and rental dynamics.
Housing Secretary Ben Carson expressed support for the proposal, saying it could help restore balance in the housing market and prioritize homeownership for families rather than large financial entities.
However, economists and housing policy experts caution that a ban may have limited impact on overall housing supply. Some warn that restricting institutional investment could disrupt rental markets, particularly in areas where investor-owned homes provide a significant share of rental housing.
While details of how such a ban would be implemented remain unclear, the proposal underscores growing political pressure to address housing affordability as homeownership becomes increasingly out of reach for many Americans.
