Unprecedented Alliance Highlights Need for Real Affordable Housing Solutions Without Sacrificing Public Lands

Washington, D.C. — Leaders from the affordable housing and public lands communities today unveiled a joint principles framework rejecting the fallacy that selling off America’s public lands is a solution to the housing affordability crisis, while highlighting the need for real, equitable housing solutions.

Shared Ground: Aligning Affordable Housing & Public Lands Priorities is a policy framework endorsed by a broad coalition of national, regional, and local organizations. The effort underscores that protecting public lands and expanding access to affordable housing are complementary, not competing priorities. Shared Ground brings together leaders from both communities to advance real solutions, reject false tradeoffs, and promote policies that engage local communities and support strong, livable communities nationwide.

This partnership comes amid escalating pressures on both issues, including continued underinvestment in federal housing programs, increasing proposals to sell or transfer public lands without public benefit, and growing bipartisan frustration with ineffective, politically driven solutions.

The joint framework outlines key principles to guide policy decisions:

• Rejecting mass public land selloffs as a housing solution
• Prioritizing proven strategies, including increased funding, zoning reform, and community-based development
• Ensuring any use of public land for housing is limited, targeted, and includes enforceable affordability requirements
• Protecting public lands as shared resources that support recreation, local economies, and community well-being

The principles are endorsed by a diverse coalition of housing advocates, conservation groups, and community-based organizations nationwide—reflecting the shared stakes and urgency of this issue.

Learn more about Shared Ground and read the principles here. 

Quotes from participating organizations below:

“Solving one crisis doesn’t mean creating another. The national housing crisis should not be used as a stalking horse to sell off our public lands to private developers and industry. Our communities thrive when they have both abundant housing and abundant access to the nature that unites us. Sierra Club supports the common-sense policies that increase our country’s supply of affordable housing while preserving the public lands that are our true common ground.” - Dan Ritzman, Conservation Campaign Director,  Sierra Club

"Protecting our public lands and ensuring every American has a safe, affordable place to call home are complementary goals. We must reject the false choice between conservation and housing. Any use of public land must come with legally enforceable requirements to ensure it serves the public interest, providing permanent affordability and equitable access for local communities." - Donald Whitehead, Executive Director, National Coalition for the Homeless

“Americans love public lands and the freedom they provide to hunt, fish and hike—and we want them to stay as they are, public and accessible, for future generations. Backed by more than 60 organizations, these principles reject the false choice the administration is trying to force between protecting these places and addressing the housing crisis. Americans deserve real solutions on both.” - Tracy Stone-Manning, President, The Wilderness Society

“National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC) research finds a gap between wages and rental housing costs in the U.S. Affordable rental homes are out of reach for millions of low-wage workers, seniors, families, and other renters. Governments often turn to public lands to build affordable housing in an effort to safely house residents amid shortages. These efforts are viable but must align with responsible public lands stewardship. NLIHC joins our partners in environmental and conservation spaces in opposing the mass sell-off of federal land without key guardrails or affordability requirements. Many proven solutions exist to increase housing affordability without sacrificing public lands, including preserving existing affordable housing. We encourage policymakers to adopt balanced solutions to the affordable housing crisis that advance long-term affordability and protect irreplaceable natural and cultural resources while safeguarding America’s public lands." - Renee M. Willis, President and CEO, NLIHC

"The housing crisis demands urgent, evidence-based action, not the short-sighted liquidation of the country’s remaining natural and wild landscapes. This framework looks beyond political ideologies and prioritizes proven strategies to ensure that any use of public land is strictly targeted, limited, and bound by enforceable affordability requirements. It recognizes the reality that most of these public lands lack the infrastructure and accessibility required for viable development, and their true value lies in the clean water, recreation, and economic stability they provide to our communities.” - Chris Hill, CEO, Conservation Lands Foundation

"Land is necessary to the development of affordable housing and local governments should look to well-located surplus lands as a resource for building housing. However, preserving public land for conservation and recreation is a critical priority for our country. Current federal proposals to sell off public land are thinly veiled attempts to line the pockets of politicians' friends and to undermine public parks, public forests and other public lands. The National Housing Law Project is pleased to release this framework that advances our shared interests in preserving public lands and making housing more affordable." - Shamus Roller, Chief Executive Officer, National Housing Law Project

“Veterans and military families understand that strong communities require both stable housing and protected public lands. We have seen how these resources support local economies, create jobs, and improve quality of life for the people who live there. We can and should pursue practical solutions that expand housing while keeping public lands in public hands.” - Janessa Goldbeck, CEO, Vet Voice Foundation

“A powerful model during a particularly challenging time – public interest advocates from different sectors coming together to both affirm our shared values and to commit to finding ways to mutually support real solutions to expand affordable housing and to preserve the American birthright of public lands ownership. We stand together to reject the transparent attempt by cynical politicians in DC to divide us through false choices.” - Mark Allison, Executive Director, New Mexico Wild and former Chair of the Board, National Low Income Housing Coalition

"People across the country have stood up time and time again to reject the sell-off of our public lands and the notion that they are simply a corporate asset on a balance sheet. Our public lands are our shared inheritance and our legacy. They are vital to sustaining our local economies, wildlife, and communities. Anyone suggesting we must sacrifice them to solve the housing crisis is offering a false choice. We need real, community-based housing solutions, and we need to keep public lands in public hands." - Brien Webster, Senior Public Lands Campaign Manager, Conservation Colorado 

“The affordable housing crisis is serious but placing the blame on public lands will not solve it. Instead of focusing on actual solutions, shortsighted politicians keep pushing public lands sell off under the guise of affordable housing as they simultaneously cut effective and proven housing programs. There’s no need for a false choice: we can keep and protect public lands while also investing in creative housing solutions.” - Neal Clark, Wildlands Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance 

"Large-scale sell-off of public land is not the solution to the affordable housing crisis. In Wyoming, public lands strengthen our communities and are part of our way of life. We stand behind the idea that protecting public lands and addressing the affordability crisis need to be simultaneously prioritized by those in our nation's leadership." - Gabrielle Yates, Public Lands Program Manager, Wyoming Outdoor Council

“Our public lands are a part of our nation’s shared resources—offering unmatched opportunities to enjoy outdoor experiences, protect natural ecosystems, and bring tourism revenue to our towns. This administration and its industry allies are attempting to create a false choice between our spectacular public lands and affordable housing. SELC is proud to join in this broad coalition of organizations that reject the idea of an unnecessary conflict between those values and to stand in solidarity with both public lands protection and common sense housing reforms." - Alyson R. Merlin, Staff Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center

“Addressing the real need for affordable housing in our communities and opposing ongoing efforts to sell off our federal public lands are both issues with broad and bipartisan support. Advocates for both of these important issues have found common ground that solutions for both can be achieved but not at the expense of the other.” - Tom Uniack, Executive Director for Washington Wild

“Our nation’s public lands are largely remote, far from any infrastructure, often steep, and if human encroachment occurs in them, they are highly susceptible to fire. Rather than proposing housing which would inevitably be expensive and risky in the Wildland/Urban Interface, the principles we adopt here will lead to real affordable housing in the places where it belongs. The highest and best use of our public lands is as wildlife habitat, places for recreation and cultural experience, and as the engines that create clean water and air for all of us.” - Mark Green, Executive Director, CalWild.

“Our national public lands belong to all Americans, providing opportunities for recreation, preserving wildlife habitat, supplying clean water, and more. While affordable housing is a critical need, selling off our common heritage is not the answer. Cities and states need to look to infill development and appropriate local lands. Furthermore, simply increasing the housing supply is not enough; strategies must be employed to ensure that the housing built is actually affordable. There is no need to sacrifice our public lands to do this.” - Michael J. Painter, Coordinator, Californians for Western Wilderness

“Over 95% of Idahoans want public lands to stay in public hands. Proposals to sell off large tracts of public lands don’t meet affordable housing needs or public desires to protect open space. By encouraging infill and by building up – and not out – we are protecting the trailheads and trail systems that make Idaho communities great places to raise families. We are also creating opportunities for our kids and future generations to stay in Idaho and enjoy the same quality of life we do today.” - John Robison, Public Lands and Wildlife Director, Idaho Conservation League

 “While access to affordable housing should be one of the highest priorities in the US, it does not need to come at the cost of despoiling public lands.  We can balance the need to provide housing without causing irreparable harm to the environment for future generations.” - Michelle Taylor, Vice President of Social Health Services, Community Care Alliance 

"Government agencies at the federal, state and local level often own land within urban boundaries. These properties can and should be considered for affordable housing, if not serving other needed functions. Urban properties usually have needed infrastructure like roads and utilities, and accessibility to community services such as jobs, schools, shopping and health care for future residents. However, public lands outside of urban areas should be preserved for wildlife, recreation, domestic drinking water resources, and climate mitigation." - Darlene Chirman, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Cascade Volcanoes Chapter