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by CAPP-USA<\/span><\/h5>\n <\/p>\n
Affordable housing is a human right <\/strong>deeply rooted in core principles of Catholic Social Teaching (human dignity<\/a> and solidarity<\/a>) as well as the universal destination of goods<\/a>\u2014that all creation is meant to serve the good of every human being \u2014 and is a requirement for the common good<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\nThe Church\u2019s vision of housing goes far beyond economics. It is a moral and social good that reflects the Creator\u2019s design for the human person and is a requirement for the flourishing of the family.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Church \u201copenly and strongly defends…the right to housing suitable for living family life in a proper way.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 46)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat is Affordable Housing?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
For the Church, \u201caffordable\u201d doesn\u2019t mean merely low-cost\u2014it must also be worthy of the human person, meeting the demands of human dignity.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n![\"Affordable](\"https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/An-aerial-view-of-a-neighborhood-and-a-single-story-house.jpg\")
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Affordable housing is indispensable to thriving families, homes, and the common good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Also, the family, as the \u201cfundamental cell of society,\u201d (Pope Francis, 66)<\/a> must be the priority when it comes to housing. It \u201chas 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.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Francis, 44)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nHousing must not just satisfy bodily needs for proper shelter and safety, it must also be suitable as a foundation to build a home, for \u201cevery home is a lampstand\u201d. (Pope Francis, 8)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nQuality of life does not stop with four walls and a roof. Affordable housing must mean an affordable home<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWe Can’t Build a Home without Housing<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
To understand why affordable housing matters so deeply, we must first understand the irreplaceable relationship between housing and home.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cFamilies and homes are inseparable, as the home is where the family, the \u2018fundamental cell of society,\u2019 flourishes.\u201d (Pope Francis, 44)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIn fact, when we speak of the family, we speak of the home: it \u201cis the place in which life \u2014 the gift of God \u2014 can be properly welcomed\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 39)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe home is where human life takes root, and where society\u2019s moral and cultural renewal must begin. <\/span><\/span>\u201cHaving a home has much to do with a sense of personal dignity\u201d. (Pope Francis, 44)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nA family\u2019s home \u201cis a kind of school of deeper humanity\u201d. (Gaudium et Spes, 52)<\/a> It \u201cconstitutes\u2026a community of love and solidarity, which is uniquely suited to teach and transmit cultural, ethical, social, spiritual and religious values\u201d. (Preamble, E., Charter of the Rights of the Family)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWithout a true home, individuals and societies lose their capacity for communion and hope. If the family is the answer to society\u2019s crisis because of its irreplaceable purpose, (The Family)<\/a> the\u00a0home is also the answer, for a family needs a home.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIs there a Housing Crisis?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
In the United States, home prices and interest rates have risen faster than incomes.<\/span><\/p>\nA 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 \u201cworst-case\u201d housing situations. According to the National Association of REALTORS\u00ae, households earning $75,000 can afford barely one in five listings. <\/span><\/p>\nSee The State of the Nation’s Housing 2025<\/a>, Worst Case Housing Needs 2023 Report to Congress<\/a>, America’s Housing Affordability Gap Persists<\/a> and Five Takeaways from Harvard’s Report<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nWhile this document focuses on the U.S. context, housing insecurity is a universal crisis affecting both developed and developing nations: \u201cLack of housing is a grave problem in many parts of the world, both in rural areas and in large cities\u201d. (Pope Francis, 152)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe lack of housing is being experienced universally\u201d and \u201cshould be seen as a sign and summing-up of a whole series of shortcomings: economic, social, cultural or simply human in nature.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 17)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\u201cFamilies and homes are inseparable, as the home is where the family, the \u2018fundamental cell of society,\u2019 flourishes.\u201d (Pope Francis, 44)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nWhen Housing Fails, Human Flourishing Suffers<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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.<\/span><\/p>\nPope Pius XI, in 1931, decried the \u201cshameful housing conditions\u201d caused by industrialization. (Quadragesimo Anno, 135)<\/a> While Pope Leo XIV has already called the housing crisis a \u201cgrave emergency.\u201d (Address to the Clergy of the Diocese of Rome)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nHousing insecurity strikes at the heart of human development and family life. <\/span><\/p>\nAs Pope St. John Paul II taught, authentic development enables persons to “be more” rather than merely “have more”. (Centesimus Annus, 36)<\/a> Stable housing is not merely a material good but a foundation for this integral human development\u2014it enables families to build the relationships, pursue the education, and engage in the community life that allows human persons to flourish fully.<\/span><\/p>\nTHE IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nResearch 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.<\/span><\/p>\nThe 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)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThis reality contradicts the Church’s teaching that the family home should be “a kind of school of deeper humanity”. (Gaudium et Spes, 52)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nTHE EROSION OF CIVIC LIFE<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nHousing 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)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nWhen 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. (<\/span>See Matthew Desmond, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City<\/em> [2016]; and Urban Institute research on housing stability and community participation<\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\nThe Church recognizes that living together and in community is not optional\u2014it is an essential dimension of human life. (Pope Francis, 87)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nFamilies struggling with housing insecurity cannot fully participate in schools, parishes, and civic organizations\u2014the very institutions that build solidarity and serve the common good.<\/span><\/p>\nThis 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.<\/span><\/p>\nA MORAL AND SOCIAL FAILURE<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nThe lack of adequate housing is therefore not merely an economic issue but a moral and social failure\u2014one that wounds human dignity, fractures families, and undermines the common good.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat Is the State’s Role?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe political community has a duty to honor the family, to assist it, and to ensure especially…the right to private property… to obtain housing\u201d. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2211)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSo, “If it is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies and to invest in the family…\u201d, (Pope Leo XIV)<\/a> then the state’s responsibility extends to ensuring affordable housing where families can build homes.<\/span><\/p>\nAnd \u201c[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.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Leo XIII, 15)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe Church upholds the right to private property as \u201ca natural right which the State cannot suppress\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(Pope St. John XXIII, 9)<\/a> and has \u201calways defended\u201d it as essential to human dignity. (Pope St. John Paul II, 30)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nSo how the State fulfills this duty is critical. Guided by the principle of subsidiarity<\/a>, the state\u2019s responsibility is to ensure the conditions in which families can secure decent housing\u2014while respecting and supporting local, private, faith-based, and voluntary initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\nThe State must respect the CST principle of subsidiarity because \u201cNo actual or established power has the right to deprive peoples of the full exercise of their sovereignty.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> Indeed, \u201c[e]xperience has shown that where personal initiative is lacking, political tyranny ensues.\u201d (Pope St. John XXIII, 57)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe State must always remember that \u201cIndividuals 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.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nYet, 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.<\/span><\/p>\nIn practice, this balance requires that property owners recognize their stewardship role. As the Catechism teaches, \u201cThe 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.\u201d (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2403)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nThis 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\u2014indeed, they fulfill the social function of property that the Church has long upheld.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others.\u201d (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2404)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nLearn About the Right to Private Property<\/a> and the Universal Destination of Goods<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat Must We Do?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/span>\u201cThe family is a good which society cannot do without\u201d. (Pope Francis, 44)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt is therefore indispensable and urgent that every person of good will should endeavor to save and foster the values and requirements of the family.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 86)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nBy extension, this means promoting property rights and ensuring the right to affordable housing.<\/span><\/p>\nGovernments, businesses, and communities must work together\u2014creatively and in solidarity\u2014to provide quality housing and to foster the conditions for dignified work, which enables individuals and families to sustain a flourishing home.<\/span><\/p>\nBUSINESS AND NONPROFIT ENGAGEMENT<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nBusinesses 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.<\/span><\/p>\nINDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nIndividuals can contribute by volunteering, donating, or advocating for zoning reforms that prioritize affordable housing.<\/span><\/p>\nGOVERNMENT ACTION<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nGovernments can consider:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Zoning reform (examples: allowing ADUs, reducing minimum lot sizes)<\/span><\/li>\n
- Tax incentives for affordable housing development<\/span><\/li>\n
- Community Land Trusts as a model<\/span><\/li>\n
- Inclusionary zoning policies<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nCommunities must also examine their conscience regarding resistance to affordable housing in their neighborhoods. The principle of solidarity demands that we overcome \u2018every type of discrimination,\u2019 including those based on economic status or housing circumstances. \u201cSolidarity\u2026means combatting the structural causes of poverty, inequality, the lack of work, land and housing\u201d. (Pope Francis, 116)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhen 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.<\/span><\/p>\nMoving Forward<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/span>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.<\/span><\/p>\nUltimately, affordable housing is not only about structures, but about communities of belonging\u2014places where human life can take root in security, solidarity, and hope.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Church calls every sector\u2014government, business, and believer\u2014to 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.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Often Misunderstood Right to Private Property<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nTop 10 Pope Leo XIII Quotes on Private Property<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nKarl Marx and Catholic Social Teaching<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe Rise of Shoplifting<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”\/right-to-private-property\/” button_text=”Learn More About Private Property Rights” button_alignment=”center” module_class=”hover-btn-border” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”30px” button_text_color=”#054368″ button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”|600||on|||||” button_icon=”5||divi||400″ 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Catholic social teaching is built on three foundational principles –\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity<\/strong>,\u00a0Solidarity\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Subsidiarity.\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity, embodied in a correct understanding of the human person, is the greatest. The others flow from it. Good governments and good economic systems find ways of fostering the three principles.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Human Dignity” button_link=”\/human-dignity\/” image=”https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Human-Dignity.png” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”4.19.0″ header_font=”||||||||” background_color=”#ffffff” button_on_hover=”on” link_option_url=”\/human-dignity\/” custom_css_slide_image=”width: 200px !important;||margin: 0 auto !important;” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n
This means a correct understanding of the human person and of each person\u2019s unique value. All Catholic social teaching flows from this: the inherent dignity of every person that comes from being made in God\u2019s image.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Solidarity” button_link=”\/solidarity\/” image=”https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Solidarity.png” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”4.19.0″ header_font=”||||||||” background_color=”#ffffff” button_on_hover=”on” link_option_url=”\/solidarity\/” custom_css_slide_image=”width: 200px !important;||margin: 0 auto !important;” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n
Solidarity is not \u201ca feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of others. It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a> Love of God and love of neighbor are, in fact, linked and form one, single commandment.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Subsidiarity” button_link=”\/subsidiarity\/” image=”https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Subsidiarity.png” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”4.19.0″ header_font=”||||||||” background_color=”#ffffff” button_on_hover=”on” link_option_url=”\/subsidiarity\/” custom_css_slide_image=”width: 200px !important;||margin: 0 auto !important;” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n
Subsidiarity \u201cis a fundamental principle of social philosophy, fixed and unchangeable, that one should not withdraw from individuals and commit to the community what they can accomplish by their own enterprise and industry. So, too, it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and a disturbance of right order to transfer to the larger and higher collectivity functions which can be performed and provided for by the lesser and subordinate bodies\u201d. (Pope Pius XI)<\/a><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_slide][\/et_pb_slider][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” admin_label=”Image & Text” module_id=”newsletter” module_class=”mosaic_width” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_color=”#eb7525″ z_index=”950″ display_conditions=”W3siaWQiOiI2MmUwMjk2ZS1lYmY5LTQwYWYtYmM0Mi0zZmEzYzUyNGNlYTEiLCJjb25kaXRpb24iOiJwYWdlIiwiY29uZGl0aW9uU2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiZGlzcGxheVJ1bGUiOiJpc05vdCIsImR5bmFtaWNQb3N0cyI6W3sibGFiZWwiOiJDYXJpdGFzIGluIFZlcml0YXRlIiwidmFsdWUiOiI0NzIxNCJ9XSwicG9zdFR5cGVMYWJlbCI6IlBhZ2VzIiwiYWRtaW5MYWJlbCI6IlBhZ2VzIiwiZW5hYmxlQ29uZGl0aW9uIjoib24ifSwib3BlcmF0b3IiOiJPUiJ9XQ==” custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”0px||0px||false|false” animation_direction=”left” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_module=”45073″ saved_tabs=”all” locked=”off” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ make_equal=”on” module_class=”mosaic_width” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” animation_style=”fade” animation_delay=”200ms” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ module_class=”ds-vertical-align” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”Playfair Display||||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#eb7525″ header_2_text_color=”#ffffff” header_3_text_color=”#ffffff” header_3_font_size=”30px” header_4_font=”Playfair Display|700|||||||” header_4_text_color=”#ffffff” header_4_font_size=”32px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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The Church\u2019s vision of housing goes far beyond economics. It is a moral and social good that reflects the Creator\u2019s design for the human person and is a requirement for the flourishing of the family.<\/span><\/p>\n The Church \u201copenly and strongly defends…the right to housing suitable for living family life in a proper way.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 46)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Affordable housing is indispensable to thriving families, homes, and the common good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Also, the family, as the \u201cfundamental cell of society,\u201d (Pope Francis, 66)<\/a> must be the priority when it comes to housing. It \u201chas 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.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Francis, 44)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n 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 \u201cevery home is a lampstand\u201d. (Pope Francis, 8)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Quality of life does not stop with four walls and a roof. Affordable housing must mean an affordable home<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFamilies and homes are inseparable, as the home is where the family, the \u2018fundamental cell of society,\u2019 flourishes.\u201d (Pope Francis, 44)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In fact, when we speak of the family, we speak of the home: it \u201cis the place in which life \u2014 the gift of God \u2014 can be properly welcomed\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 39)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The home is where human life takes root, and where society\u2019s moral and cultural renewal must begin. <\/span><\/span>\u201cHaving a home has much to do with a sense of personal dignity\u201d. (Pope Francis, 44)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n A family\u2019s home \u201cis a kind of school of deeper humanity\u201d. (Gaudium et Spes, 52)<\/a> It \u201cconstitutes\u2026a community of love and solidarity, which is uniquely suited to teach and transmit cultural, ethical, social, spiritual and religious values\u201d. (Preamble, E., Charter of the Rights of the Family)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Without a true home, individuals and societies lose their capacity for communion and hope. If the family is the answer to society\u2019s crisis because of its irreplaceable purpose, (The Family)<\/a> the\u00a0home is also the answer, for a family needs a home.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 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 \u201cworst-case\u201d housing situations. According to the National Association of REALTORS\u00ae, households earning $75,000 can afford barely one in five listings. <\/span><\/p>\n See The State of the Nation’s Housing 2025<\/a>, Worst Case Housing Needs 2023 Report to Congress<\/a>, America’s Housing Affordability Gap Persists<\/a> and Five Takeaways from Harvard’s Report<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n While this document focuses on the U.S. context, housing insecurity is a universal crisis affecting both developed and developing nations: \u201cLack of housing is a grave problem in many parts of the world, both in rural areas and in large cities\u201d. (Pope Francis, 152)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe lack of housing is being experienced universally\u201d and \u201cshould be seen as a sign and summing-up of a whole series of shortcomings: economic, social, cultural or simply human in nature.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 17)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFamilies and homes are inseparable, as the home is where the family, the \u2018fundamental cell of society,\u2019 flourishes.\u201d (Pope Francis, 44)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Pope Pius XI, in 1931, decried the \u201cshameful housing conditions\u201d caused by industrialization. (Quadragesimo Anno, 135)<\/a> While Pope Leo XIV has already called the housing crisis a \u201cgrave emergency.\u201d (Address to the Clergy of the Diocese of Rome)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n Housing insecurity strikes at the heart of human development and family life. <\/span><\/p>\n As Pope St. John Paul II taught, authentic development enables persons to “be more” rather than merely “have more”. (Centesimus Annus, 36)<\/a> Stable housing is not merely a material good but a foundation for this integral human development\u2014it enables families to build the relationships, pursue the education, and engage in the community life that allows human persons to flourish fully.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n This reality contradicts the Church’s teaching that the family home should be “a kind of school of deeper humanity”. (Gaudium et Spes, 52)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n 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)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n 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. (<\/span>See Matthew Desmond, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City<\/em> [2016]; and Urban Institute research on housing stability and community participation<\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n The Church recognizes that living together and in community is not optional\u2014it is an essential dimension of human life. (Pope Francis, 87)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Families struggling with housing insecurity cannot fully participate in schools, parishes, and civic organizations\u2014the very institutions that build solidarity and serve the common good.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n The lack of adequate housing is therefore not merely an economic issue but a moral and social failure\u2014one that wounds human dignity, fractures families, and undermines the common good.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe political community has a duty to honor the family, to assist it, and to ensure especially…the right to private property… to obtain housing\u201d. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2211)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n So, “If it is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies and to invest in the family…\u201d, (Pope Leo XIV)<\/a> then the state’s responsibility extends to ensuring affordable housing where families can build homes.<\/span><\/p>\n And \u201c[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.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Leo XIII, 15)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Church upholds the right to private property as \u201ca natural right which the State cannot suppress\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(Pope St. John XXIII, 9)<\/a> and has \u201calways defended\u201d it as essential to human dignity. (Pope St. John Paul II, 30)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So how the State fulfills this duty is critical. Guided by the principle of subsidiarity<\/a>, the state\u2019s responsibility is to ensure the conditions in which families can secure decent housing\u2014while respecting and supporting local, private, faith-based, and voluntary initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n The State must respect the CST principle of subsidiarity because \u201cNo actual or established power has the right to deprive peoples of the full exercise of their sovereignty.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> Indeed, \u201c[e]xperience has shown that where personal initiative is lacking, political tyranny ensues.\u201d (Pope St. John XXIII, 57)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The State must always remember that \u201cIndividuals 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.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n In practice, this balance requires that property owners recognize their stewardship role. As the Catechism teaches, \u201cThe 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.\u201d (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2403)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2014indeed, they fulfill the social function of property that the Church has long upheld.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others.\u201d (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2404)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Learn About the Right to Private Property<\/a> and the Universal Destination of Goods<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt is therefore indispensable and urgent that every person of good will should endeavor to save and foster the values and requirements of the family.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 86)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n By extension, this means promoting property rights and ensuring the right to affordable housing.<\/span><\/p>\n Governments, businesses, and communities must work together\u2014creatively and in solidarity\u2014to provide quality housing and to foster the conditions for dignified work, which enables individuals and families to sustain a flourishing home.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Individuals can contribute by volunteering, donating, or advocating for zoning reforms that prioritize affordable housing.<\/span><\/p>\n Governments can consider:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Communities must also examine their conscience regarding resistance to affordable housing in their neighborhoods. The principle of solidarity demands that we overcome \u2018every type of discrimination,\u2019 including those based on economic status or housing circumstances. \u201cSolidarity\u2026means combatting the structural causes of poverty, inequality, the lack of work, land and housing\u201d. (Pope Francis, 116)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Ultimately, affordable housing is not only about structures, but about communities of belonging\u2014places where human life can take root in security, solidarity, and hope.<\/span><\/p>\n The Church calls every sector\u2014government, business, and believer\u2014to 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.<\/span><\/p>\n The Often Misunderstood Right to Private Property<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Top 10 Pope Leo XIII Quotes on Private Property<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Karl Marx and Catholic Social Teaching<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Rise of Shoplifting<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”\/right-to-private-property\/” button_text=”Learn More About Private Property Rights” button_alignment=”center” module_class=”hover-btn-border” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”30px” button_text_color=”#054368″ button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”|600||on|||||” button_icon=”5||divi||400″ 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da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,3_5,1_5″ use_custom_gutter=”on” module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”4.13.0″ width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”100%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100% !important;” make_fullwidth=”on” global_module=”31023″ saved_tabs=”all” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_slider show_image_video_mobile=”on” module_class=”three-principles” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ header_font=”Open Sans|700|||||||” header_text_color=”#084369″ header_font_size=”24px” header_line_height=”1.5em” body_text_color=”#084369″ width=”100%” width_last_edited=”off|desktop” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”|||” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_slide_image_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_slide_image_phone=”width: auto;||margin: 0 auto !important;”][et_pb_slide heading=”Three Key Principles” button_link=”https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/catholic-social-teaching-principles\/” image=”https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Three-Principles.png” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” image_alt=”Three circles containing symbols of the three principles of catholic social teaching: human dignity, subsidiarity, and solidarity.” image_tablet=”” image_phone=”https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/3-Key-principle-icons-resized.png” image_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ header_font=”||||||||” background_color=”#ffffff” button_on_hover=”on” z_index=”0″ overflow-x=”hidden” overflow-y=”hidden” link_option_url=”https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/catholic-social-teaching-principles\/” custom_css_slide_image=”width: 300px !important;||margin: 0 auto !important;” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n Catholic social teaching is built on three foundational principles –\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity<\/strong>,\u00a0Solidarity\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Subsidiarity.\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity, embodied in a correct understanding of the human person, is the greatest. The others flow from it. Good governments and good economic systems find ways of fostering the three principles.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Human Dignity” button_link=”\/human-dignity\/” image=”https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Human-Dignity.png” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”4.19.0″ header_font=”||||||||” background_color=”#ffffff” button_on_hover=”on” link_option_url=”\/human-dignity\/” custom_css_slide_image=”width: 200px !important;||margin: 0 auto !important;” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n This means a correct understanding of the human person and of each person\u2019s unique value. All Catholic social teaching flows from this: the inherent dignity of every person that comes from being made in God\u2019s image.\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Solidarity” button_link=”\/solidarity\/” image=”https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Solidarity.png” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”4.19.0″ header_font=”||||||||” background_color=”#ffffff” button_on_hover=”on” link_option_url=”\/solidarity\/” custom_css_slide_image=”width: 200px !important;||margin: 0 auto !important;” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n Solidarity is not \u201ca feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of others. It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a> Love of God and love of neighbor are, in fact, linked and form one, single commandment.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Subsidiarity” button_link=”\/subsidiarity\/” image=”https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Subsidiarity.png” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”4.19.0″ header_font=”||||||||” background_color=”#ffffff” button_on_hover=”on” link_option_url=”\/subsidiarity\/” custom_css_slide_image=”width: 200px !important;||margin: 0 auto !important;” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n Subsidiarity \u201cis a fundamental principle of social philosophy, fixed and unchangeable, that one should not withdraw from individuals and commit to the community what they can accomplish by their own enterprise and industry. So, too, it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and a disturbance of right order to transfer to the larger and higher collectivity functions which can be performed and provided for by the lesser and subordinate bodies\u201d. (Pope Pius XI)<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_slide][\/et_pb_slider][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” admin_label=”Image & Text” module_id=”newsletter” module_class=”mosaic_width” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_color=”#eb7525″ z_index=”950″ display_conditions=”W3siaWQiOiI2MmUwMjk2ZS1lYmY5LTQwYWYtYmM0Mi0zZmEzYzUyNGNlYTEiLCJjb25kaXRpb24iOiJwYWdlIiwiY29uZGl0aW9uU2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiZGlzcGxheVJ1bGUiOiJpc05vdCIsImR5bmFtaWNQb3N0cyI6W3sibGFiZWwiOiJDYXJpdGFzIGluIFZlcml0YXRlIiwidmFsdWUiOiI0NzIxNCJ9XSwicG9zdFR5cGVMYWJlbCI6IlBhZ2VzIiwiYWRtaW5MYWJlbCI6IlBhZ2VzIiwiZW5hYmxlQ29uZGl0aW9uIjoib24ifSwib3BlcmF0b3IiOiJPUiJ9XQ==” custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”0px||0px||false|false” animation_direction=”left” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_module=”45073″ saved_tabs=”all” locked=”off” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ make_equal=”on” module_class=”mosaic_width” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” animation_style=”fade” animation_delay=”200ms” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ module_class=”ds-vertical-align” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”Playfair Display||||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#eb7525″ header_2_text_color=”#ffffff” header_3_text_color=”#ffffff” header_3_font_size=”30px” header_4_font=”Playfair Display|700|||||||” header_4_text_color=”#ffffff” header_4_font_size=”32px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ module_class=”ds-vertical-align” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]What is Affordable Housing?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
For the Church, \u201caffordable\u201d doesn\u2019t mean merely low-cost\u2014it must also be worthy of the human person, meeting the demands of human dignity.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\nWe Can’t Build a Home without Housing<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
To understand why affordable housing matters so deeply, we must first understand the irreplaceable relationship between housing and home.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIs there a Housing Crisis?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
In the United States, home prices and interest rates have risen faster than incomes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
When Housing Fails, Human Flourishing Suffers<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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.<\/span><\/p>\nTHE IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE EROSION OF CIVIC LIFE<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
A MORAL AND SOCIAL FAILURE<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
What Is the State’s Role?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
What Must We Do?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/span>\u201cThe family is a good which society cannot do without\u201d. (Pope Francis, 44)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nBUSINESS AND NONPROFIT ENGAGEMENT<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
GOVERNMENT ACTION<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Moving Forward<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/span>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.<\/span><\/p>\nSign Up For Our Newsletter:<\/h4>\n