Affordability For All: It's Time To Rescue The American Dream

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League
 

“The economic struggles of typical U.S. families deserve serious solutions, not political buzzwords. Unfortunately, the policies the Trump administration has undertaken are making Americans’ economic struggles harder, not easier.”   – Economic Policy Institute Chief Economist Josh Bivens

The current affordability crisis has not come about by accident. It is the predictable result of political choices that have made life easier for those at the top while leaving working families struggling to keep up with the rising costs of housing, healthcare, education, child care, groceries, and transportation.

The solution requires a different set of choices that put working people first.

For generations, Americans believed that if they worked hard, played by the rules, and contributed to their communities, they could build a stable and secure life. Today, that promise feels increasingly out of reach.

Across the country, families are working longer hours yet finding it harder to afford the basics. Rent consumes ever-larger shares of household budgets. Homeownership remains beyond the reach of millions. Healthcare costs continue to strain family finances. Student debt limits opportunity. Even internet access, now essential for work, education, healthcare, and civic participation, remains unaffordable for too many households.

Americans are asking for an economy that rewards work, not merely wealth.

Unfortunately, Washington's priorities have too often moved in the opposite direction. Instead of making life more affordable for working families, policymakers have devoted enormous resources to tax advantages for the wealthy, political battles that divide communities, and policies that increase costs without improving economic security. The result is an affordability crisis that threatens the very foundation of the American Dream.

The National Urban League's Affordability for All Agenda offers a different path forward, one focused on practical solutions that reduce costs, increase opportunity, and strengthen economic mobility for millions of Americans.

First, America needs a national living wage. No one who works full-time should live in poverty. Yet millions of workers continue to earn wages that have failed to keep pace with rising costs. Raising the federal minimum wage and indexing it to inflation would help ensure that wages grow alongside the cost of living, allowing workers and their families to maintain economic stability rather than continually falling behind.

Second, Congress must repeal and replace the "Big Ugly Bill." Restoring investments in healthcare, education, student aid, nutrition assistance, and other family-supporting programs that help families succeed would provide critical support for Americans striving to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

Third, housing affordability must become a national priority. Housing costs represent the single largest expense for most families, yet millions remain burdened by rents they cannot afford or locked out of homeownership opportunities. Universal housing vouchers would ensure that eligible families receive assistance, just as they do through programs like SNAP or Medicaid. At the same time, the nation must dramatically increase the supply of affordable housing through a robust national Housing Trust Fund dedicated to financing and preserving affordable and workforce housing.

Fourth, affordable broadband must be recognized as essential infrastructure. In today's economy, internet access is no longer a luxury. It is a prerequisite for employment, education, healthcare access, and economic advancement. Reestablishing and strengthening the Affordable Connectivity Program would help ensure that every family can participate fully in modern society regardless of income or geography.

Finally, we must end inflationary tariffs that increase the price of everyday goods and place additional burdens on working families already navigating tight budgets. Americans should not be forced to bear unnecessary costs that make basic necessities more expensive. Trade policies should strengthen American competitiveness while protecting household purchasing power.

The affordability debate is ultimately about more than dollars and cents. It is about dignity. It is about whether hard work still provides a pathway to stability. It is about whether young people can imagine owning a home, raising a family, and building wealth. It is about whether seniors can retire with security and whether workers can achieve economic mobility without constantly worrying about the next bill.

The American Dream does not need to be reinvented. It needs to be restored.

That restoration begins with policies that make life more affordable for the people who keep this country running every day. By raising wages, expanding housing opportunity, preserving essential family supports, restoring affordable internet access, and reducing unnecessary costs, the Affordability for All Agenda offers a roadmap toward an economy that works for everyone, not just for those already at the top.

 
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