A new report from Advancing American Freedom, a conservative group, proposes ten solutions to address the rising cost of living for Americans. The report, titled 10 Ways to Improve Affordability Now Across 10 Levels of the Economy, identifies affordability as the primary concern for American citizens, focusing on high expenses related to housing, food, and energy.
Richard Stern, vice president of the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise at Advancing American Freedom, stated that the unaffordability crisis is a direct result of government policies. The report’s recommendations aim to reduce costs by cutting bureaucratic hurdles and increasing production across various economic sectors.
One key area of focus is housing, where the report attributes high costs to restrictive zoning regulations that force families to live further from their workplaces and make homeownership challenging for younger generations. The National Association of Home Builders estimates that government regulations contribute approximately 26% to the price of a new single-family home. To mitigate this, the report suggests limiting local zoning restrictions, simplifying project approval processes, and linking about $50 billion in annual federal housing assistance to zoning reform efforts.
On energy, the report advocates for increased oil and gas leasing and opposes state-level fracking bans. Stern argues that boosting domestic energy production could lead to lower costs throughout the economy, as energy impacts all goods and services. The report also calls for shifting more tariff authority back to Congress, asserting that current tariffs have raised prices for consumers, strained international alliances, and resulted in nearly 900,000 fewer jobs than anticipated. However, Treasury data indicates that tariffs generated $30.4 billion in January, a 242% increase from the previous year.
The proposals align with some aspects of former President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, such as easing zoning restrictions and expanding oil and gas access. However, the report diverges from Trump’s stance on tariffs and credit card interest rates. Stern emphasized that economic frustration can lead to societal division, stating that the problem lies with government, not businesses or entrepreneurs.
