Todd Gloria Will Lead National Affordability Tour
The U.S. Conference of Mayors president will visit four cities next month to highlight housing and cost-of-living solutions.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Residential
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Beginning in October 2026, U.S. Conference of Mayors president Todd Gloria will embark on a national tour to address rising affordability concerns. The initiative aims to present local solutions to federal decision makers in Washington.
Why it matters
The tour follows a recent survey of 113 mayors, which found that 96% of respondents report significant resident concern regarding affordability. This effort seeks to secure federal assistance by highlighting the specific challenges facing American families.
A recent U.S. Conference of Mayors survey of 113 officials found that 96% of mayors report high resident concern over affordability. In San Diego, annual home production has plummeted from a peak of 15,000 units to fewer than 4,000 annually.
The players
Todd Gloria
Todd Gloria is the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and serves as the mayor of San Diego.
U.S. Conference of Mayors
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official non-partisan organization for cities with populations over 30,000.
The details
The tour will visit four cities, including Albuquerque, Austin, Columbus, and Atlanta, to hold discussions with local leaders and residents on childcare, housing, healthcare, and food access. The initiative leverages data from the U.S. Conference of Mayors to articulate the scale of economic strain on local communities.
Timeline
September 2026 saw the official release of the Conference of Mayors survey results.
The National Affordability Tour will visit four cities starting in October 2026.
Culture Shift
This tour follows a pattern set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development CDBG program in its attempt to bridge local needs with federal resource allocation. It marks a renewed attempt by municipal leaders to influence federal spending priorities by highlighting current urban housing crises.
Residents in the participating tour cities may experience increased engagement from local officials seeking direct feedback on economic conditions. The tour focuses on securing federal help for housing and essential services that directly affect household budgets.
The takeaway
The nationwide tour highlights the gap between current housing production and the growing needs of residents in major urban centers. By coordinating across cities, local leaders hope to turn localized affordability data into a singular federal policy platform.
Further reading
Learn more about local housing challenges on the United States Residential page.
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Do you trust your mayor to handle city operations while also engaging in national advocacy efforts?
