COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND (July 23, 2026) — While Democrats and Republicans in Congress recently came together to pass legislation addressing the cost of housing, new surveys in Iowa’s most competitive congressional districts — the first, second, and third — shows that majorities of both Democrats and Republicans favor policies that go substantially further.
The recently-enacted law provides more tax incentives to build or repair affordable housing, which large bipartisan majorities favor, but they also favor the government investing tens of billions of dollars to help build more housing affordable to low- and middle-income households.
Large bipartisan majorities also favor the government providing an additional $24 billion in rental assistance for the very low-income, elderly and disabled. The new law does not include an increase in spending on rental assistance.
Under the new law, corporations are prohibited from owning more than 350 single-family homes, but bipartisan majorities favor a more restrictive policy of prohibiting large corporations from owning any single-family homes.
The policy questions included in the survey were derived from federal legislative proposals.
Steven Kull, Director of the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation (PPC) noted, “While many of the proposals in the bipartisan legislation that just passed are consistent with the public’s goals for housing, large majorities of Democrats and Republicans Iowa favor the government going much further in both investment and regulation.”
Common Ground in the Battlegrounds? Survey Series
This release is the second in the Common Ground in the Battlegrounds? survey series being conducted by PPC in eleven competitive states and 28 competitive US House districts in advance of the midterm elections.
Surveys on fifteen topics will be released on a rolling basis, covering over 100 specific policy questions.
The policies — most of which are pending legislative proposals in Congress — have elicited bipartisan agreement nationally. PPC is exploring whether the same bipartisan common ground found at the national level exists in the battlegrounds. The results for all individual states and districts surveyed can be found here.
Providing Tax Credits to Build Affordable Housing
A proposal for the federal government to provide, “tax incentives to home builders to build or repair homes affordable to low- and middle-income households” — consistent with the new law–was favored by large bipartisan majorities.
- IA-statewide: Democrats 83%, Republicans 80%, overall 81%
- IA-1: Democrats 83%, Republicans 83%, overall 84%
- IA-2: Democrats 77%, Republicans 79%, overall 78%
- IA-3: Democrats 88%, Republicans 79%, overall 82%
- IA-4: Democrats 85%, Republicans 77%, overall 80%
This proposal was favored by two-thirds of both Democrats and Republicans in all competitive states and districts surveyed, as well as nationally.
Investing Billions to Build Affordable Housing
Unlike the recent law, two legislative proposals call for substantial federal investments in affordable high-density housing (e.g. apartment buildings, duplexes, and triplexes). Both were favored by large bipartisan majorities.
For very low- and low-income households, investing $40 billion to increase high-density affordable housing supply.
- IA-statewide: Democrats 76%, Republicans 63%, overall 69%
- IA-1: Democrats 76%, Republicans 63%, overall 68%
- IA-2: Democrats 69%, Republicans 66%, overall 67%
- IA-3: Democrats 79%, Republicans 63%, overall 71%
- IA-4: Democrats 82%, Republicans 60%, overall 71%
For low- and middle-income households, providing $25 billion to local governments to increase high-density affordable housing supply.
- IA-statewide: Democrats 83%, Republicans 62%, overall 73%
- IA-1: Democrats 84%, Republicans 65%, overall 76%
- IA-2: Democrats 81%, Republicans 59%, overall 69%
- IA-3: Democrats 85%, Republicans 65%, overall 74%
- IA-4: Democrats 81%, Republicans 59%, overall 71%
Each proposal was favored by bipartisan majorities in all competitive states and nearly all House districts surveyed, as well as nationally.
Increasing Assistance for the Very Low-Income
Bipartisan majorities favored, “spending up to $24 billion to provide more vouchers to help people pay rent who are very low income, disabled or elderly.” The new housing law does not increase funding for rental vouchers.
- IA-statewide: Democrats 88%, Republicans 72%, overall 79%
- IA-1: Democrats 87%, Republicans 73%, overall 78%
- IA-2: Democrats 87%, Republicans 76%, overall 80%
- IA-3: Democrats 90%, Republicans 72%, overall 81%
- IA-4: Democrats 87%, Republicans 65%, overall 76%
A large bipartisan majority was in favor in all competitive states and districts surveyed, as well as nationally.
Banning Large Corporate Ownership of Single-Family Homes
While the new housing law prohibits corporations from owning more than 350 single-family homes, large bipartisan majorities favored prohibiting large corporations from owning any.
- IA-statewide: Democrats 81%, Republicans 78%, overall 79%
- IA-1: Democrats 79%, Republicans 74%, overall 77%
- IA-2: Democrats 80%, Republicans 83%, overall 80%
- IA-3: Democrats 82%, Republicans 77%, overall 80%
- IA-4: Democrats 83%, Republicans 79%, overall 81%
A large bipartisan majority was in favor in all competitive states and districts surveyed, as well as nationally.
