WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his administration is moving to block Wall Street firms and large investment companies from purchasing single-family homes, a move he says is aimed at lowering housing costs and protecting what he called the “American Dream.”
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he is taking immediate steps to implement the ban and will also urge Congress to codify it into federal law. The president did not outline specific regulatory actions or a timeline for how the ban would be enforced.
“For a very long time, buying and owning a home was considered the pinnacle of the American Dream,” Trump wrote. “Inflation has put that dream out of reach for many Americans. People live in homes, not corporations.”
The proposal would mark a significant shift in Republican policy and place Trump’s administration closer to long-standing Democratic criticisms of corporate homeownership. For years, Democrats have argued that institutional investors buying up large numbers of homes has driven up prices and reduced housing availability, though past efforts to curb the practice have stalled in Congress.
Since the 2008 financial crisis, large investment firms such as Blackstone, American Homes 4 Rent, and Progress Residential have purchased thousands of single-family homes, often converting them into rental properties. According to a 2024 Government Accountability Office study, institutional investors owned roughly 450,000 single-family rental homes nationwide by June 2022, representing about 3% of the market.
Trump’s remarks come amid growing voter concern over the cost of living and housing affordability ahead of this year’s congressional midterm elections. The comments also rattled markets, with homebuilder stocks and companies tied to large-scale rental portfolios facing pressure following the announcement.
While supporters say limiting corporate homebuying could ease competition for individual buyers, critics have questioned whether such a ban would meaningfully lower prices without broader housing supply reforms. Additional details on the administration’s plan are expected as policymakers and industry groups react to the proposal.
