The Trump administration is working on a major housing reform that could open the door for more Americans to buy homes. Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte announced that the administration is developing a 50-year mortgage program aimed at lowering monthly payments and boosting homeownership.

“Thanks to President Trump, we are indeed working on The 50 year Mortgage – a complete game changer,” Pulte said in a statement posted to X.

The announcement came after President Trump shared a Truth Social post comparing himself to Franklin D. Roosevelt, who established the 30-year mortgage during the Great Depression. The new plan, Trump said, could help a new generation struggling under record home prices and soaring interest rates.

For many Americans, homeownership has become nearly impossible. The National Association of Realtors reports that the average age of first-time homebuyers has now reached 40 — the oldest in U.S. history. Just a few decades ago, most Americans were buying their first homes in their 20s or early 30s.

Housing costs have risen sharply in recent years, even as incomes have failed to keep pace. Rising rates have forced more families to rent longer and delay major life milestones like marriage or having children.

Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), which fluctuate with market rates, have also become more popular as buyers look for ways to afford monthly payments. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, ARMs now make up 10 percent of all loan applications—nearly double their post-2008 average of six percent.

Supporters of Trump’s 50-year mortgage idea say the plan could be a lifeline for working families and young adults who have been priced out of the housing market. The extended term would make monthly payments smaller and more manageable, giving more Americans a chance to own rather than rent.

The tradeoff is that homeowners would pay more total interest over the life of the loan. Critics in the media have seized on that point, with the Drudge Report labeling the proposal “Forever Debt.”

Still, the plan is gaining attention among everyday Americans who see homeownership slipping out of reach. One supporter on social media wrote, “That would really help young people get their own home. The goal would be to refinance into a shorter term when you are more financially established, but this gives them a chance of not being stuck in an apartment their whole lives.”

Not everyone agrees. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene voiced skepticism about the plan, saying the administration should instead focus on stopping corporations and investment firms from buying up homes and turning them into rentals.

“Instead stop companies and asset managers from buying up single family homes, which has driven the price of homes and forced homebuyers to compete with corporations that turn thousands of homes into permanent rental homes,” Greene wrote on X.

Her comments highlight a growing concern shared by many across the political spectrum. Corporate investors have purchased hundreds of thousands of homes in recent years, driving up competition and pricing out individual buyers.

President Trump has made housing reform a central issue in his second term, promising to make the American Dream attainable again. The 50-year mortgage proposal could be one of the boldest steps toward that goal.

While critics focus on the long-term costs, the plan’s supporters say it could bring immediate relief to millions of Americans struggling under today’s financial pressure.

The concept follows Trump’s broader push to rebuild the middle class through economic reforms that favor working families over corporate interests. By expanding access to housing, his team hopes to strengthen communities and give future generations a chance to build real wealth through homeownership.

As one supporter wrote, “We’ve tried every other idea. Maybe it’s time to give Americans a real shot at owning a home again.”