February 27, 2026 6:15 a.m.
On Thursday, Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley and Oregon Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Homes for American Families Act and an update of the HOPE for Homeownership Act.
A joint release from the lawmaker’s said legislation is a comprehensive package to prohibit large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes. Hawley and Merkley said their legislation is a response to the home ownership crisis in America, which they believe has been exacerbated by deep-pocketed Wall Street investors flooding the housing market and purchasing homes.
Hawley said, “Wall Street has exploited the American housing crisis, turning the nation’s housing stock into a portfolio of rental properties”. Hawley said, “Families deserve to be able to buy their own homes and achieve the American dream without competing with big investment companies that irrevocably drive-up housing prices”.
Merkley said, “Houses in our communities should be homes for families, not profit centers for hedge funds”. Merkley said, “As corporate investors invade the housing market nationwide, we need action to protect hardworking Americans achieving the dream of homeownership”.
The Homes for American Families Act would:
*Prohibit large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums
*Empower the Department of Justice with enforcement authority for civil violations and prioritized antitrust review for purchases of residential real estate by large institutional investors
The release said Senator Hawley is also joining Senator Merkley in introducing an updated version of the HOPE for Homeownership Act, which would push large institutional investors and hedge funds to divest their holdings of single-family homes through tax changes.
Senator Merkley talked about the legislation as part of a Morning Conversation interview Thursday on News Radio 93-9 FM and 1240 KQEN. That segment is a KQEN podcast at: https://kqennewsradio.com/2026/02/26/morning-conversation-02-26-26/