Affordable Housing: A Foundation for the Common Good

 

by CAPP-USA

 

Affordable housing is a human right deeply rooted in core principles of Catholic Social Teaching (human dignity and solidarity) as well as the universal destination of goods—that all creation is meant to serve the good of every human being — and is a requirement for the common good.

The Church’s vision of housing goes far beyond economics. It is a moral and social good that reflects the Creator’s design for the human person and is a requirement for the flourishing of the family.

The Church “openly and strongly defends…the right to housing suitable for living family life in a proper way.” (Pope St. John Paul II, 46)

What is Affordable Housing?

For the Church, “affordable” doesn’t mean merely low-cost—it must also be worthy of the human person, meeting the demands of human dignity.

Also, the family, as the “fundamental cell of society,” (Pope Francis, 66) must be the priority when it comes to housing. It “has the right to decent housing, fitting for family life and commensurate to the number of members, in a physical environment that provides the basic services for the life of the family and the community.” (Pope Francis, 44)

Housing must not just satisfy bodily needs for proper shelter and safety, it must also be suitable as a foundation to build a home, for “every home is a lampstand”. (Pope Francis, 8)

Quality of life does not stop with four walls and a roof. Affordable housing must mean an affordable home. 

We Can’t Build a Home without Housing

To understand why affordable housing matters so deeply, we must first understand the irreplaceable relationship between housing and home.

“Families and homes are inseparable, as the home is where the family, the ‘fundamental cell of society,’ flourishes.” (Pope Francis, 44)

In fact, when we speak of the family, we speak of the home: it “is the place in which life — the gift of God — can be properly welcomed”. (Pope St. John Paul II, 39)

The home is where human life takes root, and where society’s moral and cultural renewal must begin. “Having a home has much to do with a sense of personal dignity”. (Pope Francis, 44)

A family’s home “is a kind of school of deeper humanity”. (Gaudium et Spes, 52) It “constitutes…a community of love and solidarity, which is uniquely suited to teach and transmit cultural, ethical, social, spiritual and religious values”. (Preamble, E., Charter of the Rights of the Family)

Without a true home, individuals and societies lose their capacity for communion and hope. If the family is the answer to society’s crisis because of its irreplaceable purpose, (The Family) the home is also the answer, for a family needs a home.

Is there a Housing Crisis?

In the United States, home prices and interest rates have risen faster than incomes.

A 2025 Harvard study reports record numbers of renters spending over 30% of their income on housing. HUD found more than 8.5 million very-low-income families in “worst-case” housing situations. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, households earning $75,000 can afford barely one in five listings.

See The State of the Nation’s Housing 2025, Worst Case Housing Needs 2023 Report to Congress, America’s Housing Affordability Gap Persists and Five Takeaways from Harvard’s Report.

While this document focuses on the U.S. context, housing insecurity is a universal crisis affecting both developed and developing nations: “Lack of housing is a grave problem in many parts of the world, both in rural areas and in large cities”. (Pope Francis, 152)

“The lack of housing is being experienced universally” and “should be seen as a sign and summing-up of a whole series of shortcomings: economic, social, cultural or simply human in nature.” (Pope St. John Paul II, 17)

“Families and homes are inseparable, as the home is where the family, the ‘fundamental cell of society,’ flourishes.” (Pope Francis, 44)

When Housing Fails, Human Flourishing Suffers

The Church has consistently recognized that housing is fundamental to human dignity and social stability and that neglecting this duty undermines not only economic stability but the moral order itself.

Pope Pius XI, in 1931, decried the “shameful housing conditions” caused by industrialization. (Quadragesimo Anno, 135) While Pope Leo XIV has already called the housing crisis a “grave emergency.” (Address to the Clergy of the Diocese of Rome)

Housing insecurity strikes at the heart of human development and family life.

As Pope St. John Paul II taught, authentic development enables persons to “be more” rather than merely “have more”. (Centesimus Annus, 36) Stable housing is not merely a material good but a foundation for this integral human development—it enables families to build the relationships, pursue the education, and engage in the community life that allows human persons to flourish fully.

THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Research confirms what the Church has long understood: housing instability inflicts devastating harm on the most vulnerable. Children experiencing housing instability face developmental delays, chronic illness, and reduced educational achievement.

The stress and uncertainty of unstable housing disrupts the family’s ability to provide the nurturing environment children need to thrive. (Worst Case Housing Needs, 2023 Report to Congress)

This reality contradicts the Church’s teaching that the family home should be “a kind of school of deeper humanity”. (Gaudium et Spes, 52)

THE EROSION OF CIVIC LIFE

Housing insecurity also undermines participation and solidarity, which is essential to a healthy society. As Pope Benedict XVI taught, authentic development requires not only material transactions but “gratuitousness as an expression of fraternity”. (Caritas in Veritate, 36)

When families experience housing instability, their ability to engage in this fraternity is severely compromised. Studies demonstrate that housing instability correlates with reduced civic engagement, lower educational outcomes for children, and weakened community ties. (See Matthew Desmond, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City [2016]; and Urban Institute research on housing stability and community participation.)

The Church recognizes that living together and in community is not optional—it is an essential dimension of human life. (Pope Francis, 87)

Families struggling with housing insecurity cannot fully participate in schools, parishes, and civic organizations—the very institutions that build solidarity and serve the common good.

This erosion of social bonds weakens not only individual families but the fabric of society itself, preventing the formation of the communities of belonging that the Church envisions.

A MORAL AND SOCIAL FAILURE

The lack of adequate housing is therefore not merely an economic issue but a moral and social failure—one that wounds human dignity, fractures families, and undermines the common good.

What Is the State’s Role?

 

“The political community has a duty to honor the family, to assist it, and to ensure especially…the right to private property… to obtain housing”. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2211)

So, “If it is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies and to invest in the family…”, (Pope Leo XIV) then the state’s responsibility extends to ensuring affordable housing where families can build homes.

And “[t]he first and most fundamental principle, therefore, if one would undertake to alleviate the condition of the masses, must be the inviolability of private property.” (Pope Leo XIII, 15)

The Church upholds the right to private property as “a natural right which the State cannot suppress” (Pope St. John XXIII, 9) and has “always defended” it as essential to human dignity. (Pope St. John Paul II, 30) 

So how the State fulfills this duty is critical. Guided by the principle of subsidiarity, the state’s responsibility is to ensure the conditions in which families can secure decent housing—while respecting and supporting local, private, faith-based, and voluntary initiatives.

The State must respect the CST principle of subsidiarity because “No actual or established power has the right to deprive peoples of the full exercise of their sovereignty.” (Pope Francis) Indeed, “[e]xperience has shown that where personal initiative is lacking, political tyranny ensues.” (Pope St. John XXIII, 57) 

The State must always remember that “Individuals and groups have the right to go their own way, even though they may sometimes make mistakes. In full respect for that freedom, civil society is called to help each person and social organization to take up its specific role and thus contribute to the common good.” (Pope Francis)

Yet, this right is inseparable from the universal destination of goods, ensuring that private ownership serves the common good by facilitating, not hindering, access to affordable housing for all, enabling families to build homes where human life and community can flourish.

In practice, this balance requires that property owners recognize their stewardship role. As the Catechism teaches, “The right to private property, acquired by work or received from others by inheritance or gift, does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2403)

This means that while property rights must be protected, land use regulations, inclusionary zoning, and voluntary dedication of land for affordable housing can all serve the common good without violating property rights—indeed, they fulfill the social function of property that the Church has long upheld.

“The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2404)

Learn About the Right to Private Property and the Universal Destination of Goods.

What Must We Do?

“The family is a good which society cannot do without”. (Pope Francis, 44)

“It is therefore indispensable and urgent that every person of good will should endeavor to save and foster the values and requirements of the family.” (Pope St. John Paul II, 86)

By extension, this means promoting property rights and ensuring the right to affordable housing.

Governments, businesses, and communities must work together—creatively and in solidarity—to provide quality housing and to foster the conditions for dignified work, which enables individuals and families to sustain a flourishing home.

BUSINESS AND NONPROFIT ENGAGEMENT

Businesses can invest in affordable housing projects through public-private partnerships, while nonprofits and faith communities can provide direct support, such as building homes or advocating for policy changes.

INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION

Individuals can contribute by volunteering, donating, or advocating for zoning reforms that prioritize affordable housing.

GOVERNMENT ACTION

Governments can consider:

• Zoning reform (examples: allowing ADUs, reducing minimum lot sizes)
• Tax incentives for affordable housing development
• Community Land Trusts as a model
• Inclusionary zoning policies

COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY

Communities must also examine their conscience regarding resistance to affordable housing in their neighborhoods. The principle of solidarity demands that we overcome ‘every type of discrimination,’ including those based on economic status or housing circumstances. “Solidarity…means combatting the structural causes of poverty, inequality, the lack of work, land and housing”. (Pope Francis, 116)

When communities use zoning, permitting delays, or local opposition to exclude affordable housing, they can contradict the universal destination of goods and deny their neighbors’ dignity.

Moving Forward

As Christians, our preference for the poor, commitment to human dignity, and pursuit of the common good compel us to reform social structures so that housing is available to all.

Ultimately, affordable housing is not only about structures, but about communities of belonging—places where human life can take root in security, solidarity, and hope.

The Church calls every sector—government, business, and believer—to cooperate in making the right to housing a lived reality. In doing so, we build not only houses but homes of humanity, where charity, justice, and peace may dwell.