Working (Literally!) to Help Solve the Affordable Housing Crisis

This past June, I put down my laptop to pick up a hammer and join a crew, including Grammy award-winning country music trio Lady A, to help provide an elderly couple in Murfreesboro, Tenn., with vital siding and window repairs for their home that both enhanced their housing situation and their well-being.

Why? At Cornerstone Building Brands, our purpose is to positively contribute to the communities where we live, work, and play. And we know that affordable housing is key to building strong, stable communities where people and businesses can thrive.

Now more than ever before, the U.S. needs help in solving the affordable housing crisis. Historically low housing inventory, coupled with high interest rates and the rising costs of home building, have combined to create a perfect storm for homebuyers. Even in seemingly affordable markets, first-time buyers are finding homeownership more difficult to achieve than previous generations, putting their dream of one day owning a home beyond their grasp.

It will take a community effort—a collective effort by our industry—to create a solution to the affordable housing crisis.

For a large percentage of Americans today, housing costs consume a massive portion of their paychecks, far exceeding the “30 percent of income” affordability standard. More than 20 million renters and homeowners (nearly 1 in 6) spend more than half of their income on housing, according to a Harvard University analysis. And nationwide, the number of first-time homebuyers starting a mortgage in 2022 declined 22% compared with the previous year, according to the Harvard report.

Taking Action on Affordable Housing at the Community Level

We believe that companies in the building industry have a special opportunity to support their local communities in this housing crisis by partnering with charities and organizations. To that end, Cornerstone created the Home for Good project, where we collaborate with Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing for those in need.

Since 2016, the program has provided nearly $3.4 million in products and resources—everything from siding and roofing to windows and accessories—to help build or remodel more than 720 homes, positively impacting 135 communities across the country.

I’m inspired by this initiative because it enables us to act on our passion to address the affordable housing crisis by strengthening communities and donating our products and time.

Helping People and Communities Thrive

The housing crisis has a ripple effect in society. As fewer Americans find it possible to become homeowners, there is an unfortunate unintended consequence that result: fewer people can realize the benefits that come along with homeownership, such as greater financial stability, increased community engagement, improved health, and greater educational opportunities.

Additionally, research cited by Habitat for Humanity shows that children of low-income homeowners are 11% more likely to graduate from high school and are 4.5% more likely to complete post-secondary education than children of low-income renters. Without affordable housing, our future generations are at a disadvantage.

Community is essential to human experience and well-being. And homeownership builds communities, with engagement, commitment, and participation. Homeowners are 1.3 times more likely to become involved in a neighborhood group and to join a civic association, as compared to renters.

It will take a community effort—a collective effort by our industry—to create a solution to the affordable housing crisis. Across the building industry, we see examples of companies committing to a greater purpose, giving back to the communities where they operate.

At Cornerstone, our collaboration extends beyond the donation of products and materials to a commitment that enables us to do hands-on work through volunteering with local organizations to build up our neighborhoods and strengthen our community ties.

Beyond Philanthropy: Finding a Long-Term Solution to the Housing Crisis 

To help solve the affordable housing crisis, however, we will need more hands, more voices, and more minds. And I know some of the best and brightest are in our industry. There are millions of people in this country in severe need, and our industry has resources that could really help.

Donations of time, labor, money, and products are important, but a long-term solution for the crisis will require more than traditional philanthropy. Our industry has an opportunity to change the future for millions by addressing some of the factors that contribute to rising housing costs. Here are a few ideas:

INNOVATION: Through product innovation, we can make products more accessible, affordable, sustainable, and better performing. Products that require less maintenance, last longer, and are more energy efficient can reduce overall home-ownership costs.

By focusing on innovation as a catalyst for change and developing more innovative solutions in every facet of home construction, companies can help lower home building labor needs and costs while reducing future ongoing maintenance expenses for homeowners—including the cost of upkeep and utilities. 

That’s a big deal for prospective first-time homebuyers who may be unsure how they can afford a mortgage and the recurring costs of maintaining a home.

Our industry has an opportunity to change the future for millions by addressing some of the factors that contribute to rising housing costs.

At Cornerstone, one way we are reducing labor costs is through the engineering of durable materials that are designed to withstand the test of time with very little upkeep. Variform Vortex Extreme by Ply Gem is a great example.

Not only is the product easy to install, but it also features our proprietary Weather Warrior Technology that combines innovative engineering and chemistry for superior performance in all weather conditions. And, it's covered by a limited lifetime warranty. 

COMPANY CULTURE: In addition to product innovation, it’s important to build a company culture where employees are encouraged to give back to, and strengthen, the communities in which they live, work, and play.

At Cornerstone, we drive community outreach by leveraging our workforce to address local challenges. Our Connecting Communities program empowers teams at our offices and manufacturing sites to form local partnerships that more effectively address community needs.

Employees are involved in selecting the causes we support and determining our engagement strategies. We need more organizations working to establish and foster a company culture that supports employee volunteerism and community engagement.

Building on Strengths, Building Awareness 

Solving the affordable housing crisis presents an opportunity for every organization in the building industry, but moving the needle on affordable housing will take more than just building supplies, money, and hands-on work.

It will take a collective, cumulative effort across multiple disciplines—including planning, design, engineering, communications, community relations, legal, human relations, and operations.

There are many opportunities to build greater awareness of the housing crisis, which could be part of a bigger movement of companies working toward a common purpose nationwide. One idea is to identify ways to go big in spotlighting affordable housing projects on a bigger stage.

At Cornerstone, we turned to the country music industry to enlist artists to be our Home for Good project ambassadors and help raise awareness of the affordable housing crisis.

Since the program’s inception, we’ve been fortunate to have artists such as Luke Bryan, Tyler Hubbard, Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, and Lady A working alongside our employee volunteers to support home building and home repairs for deserving people through Habitat for Humanity.

Our hope for the industry? To inspire more people, companies, and industry leaders to get involved in solving the crisis in a meaningful way. Together, we will enable more families to gain safe, affordable housing.

It’s a big vision, but it’s not a dream. It’s an opportunity—because everybody deserves a home, and everybody in our industry has a role to play in making that vision a reality.