Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte announced Saturday that the agency is developing plans to introduce a 50-year mortgage option, an initiative aimed at addressing growing public concerns over housing affordability.
The move comes as President Donald Trump has increasingly focused on the issue following Republican losses in the 2025 midyear elections, which Democrats attributed in part to their messaging on affordability.
Trump has described the affordability crisis as a “con job,” but despite his frustration, the president is expected to spotlight the topic more frequently. His renewed focus was evident during a recent press conference where he unveiled plans to lower the cost of obesity medications.
Trump continued to emphasize housing affordability over the weekend, posting a graphic on Saturday that appeared to preview a new 50-year mortgage proposal, the Washington Examiner reported.
The image, titled “Great American Presidents,” featured former President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Trump side by side, labeled “30-Year Mortgage” and “50-Year Mortgage,” respectively — a nod to Roosevelt’s introduction of the 30-year mortgage during the New Deal era.
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte later confirmed that the administration is “working on” the 50-year mortgage plan, describing it as a “complete game changer” for improving housing affordability.
Trump’s comparison to Roosevelt underscores his push for extending mortgage terms as part of a broader effort to address the rising cost of homeownership.
The 32nd president’s New Deal ushered in a wave of taxpayer-supported programs, including the creation of the Federal Housing Administration, designed to provide relief during the Great Depression by extending mortgage repayment periods. However, the 30-year mortgage term itself was not formally authorized by Congress until the late 1940s — several years after Roosevelt’s death in office.
Trump’s preview of the proposed 50-year mortgage marks at least a partial fulfillment of his campaign pledge to address housing affordability. On his first day of his second term, he signed an executive order directing all federal agencies to “deliver emergency price relief” to the public, with a particular focus on the housing market. The order specifically called for measures to reduce housing costs and increase the supply of homes nationwide, the Examiner reported.
Some Republicans, however, have recoiled at the notion of a 50-year mortgage.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) argued that high interest rates paid on a 50-year mortgage loan would cancel perceived benefits.
“After paying on a home for 5 years, if the rate is 7% on a 50-year mortgage, you will have paid only 1.3% of the principal,” he posted on X.
“If you needed a 50-year loan, you probably didn’t put much down at closing. Seems like a recipe for default & no ability to move for better jobs or school,” Massie added.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) echoed the thought, writing “In debt forever, in debt for life” in a social media post that said the 50-year mortgage would mostly benefit “banks, mortgage lenders. and home builders, while people pay far more in interest over time and die before they ever pay off their home.”
Greene proposed several alternatives to Pulte’s 50-year mortgage plan, including allowing individuals with strong rent payment histories to qualify for home loans and advancing her own legislation to eliminate the federal capital gains tax on the sale of primary residences.
Other critics joined in, with Republican figures Laura Loomer and Matt Walsh urging President Trump to prioritize his immigration agenda instead.
Conservative commentator Meghan McCain also weighed in, arguing that Washington should pursue alternative ways to improve affordability — such as “raising wages or lowering costs” — rather than encouraging “debt for life with a 50-year loan.”
The Trump administration has increased efforts to speak about ideas on affordablity and addressing issues left beind by the Biden administration.