Owning a home has long been considered a foundational part of the American Dream, providing not only lasting shelter for you and your family, but an unmatched, longterm investment that helps build wealth.

These days, however, the belief in the value of homeownership has been shaken, thanks to economic uncertainty and the rising costs involved in buying and owning a house. In fact, according to KeyBank's 2025 Financial Mobility Survey, 46% of respondents currently believe that owning a home is not an attainable goal for themselves or their families, while 41% say that homeownership is not attainable for Americans. Additionally, 47% of those who are younger and don't have a mortgage are spending less to try to take on a mortgage. Despite spending less, 6 in 10 still don't believe they'll ever own a home.

Despite those bleak statistics, however, for those who did purchase a home in the past year, there were several factors that boosted their confidence and influenced their purchasing decision. In honor of Fair Housing month, KeyBank highlights various ways to make homeownership more accessible and sustainable. Consider the following:

Home-buying programs make a difference. Survey respondents said financial education can help them be more confident in the home-buying process. This includes budgeting for a down payment and closing costs for those in the market (48%) or renting (45%) and estimating and managing ongoing homeownership costs for those who recently purchased a home (31%). And, among survey respondents who purchased a home in the past 12 months, 30% say that meeting with a mortgage loan officer to learn about programs that make buying more affordable influenced their decision, up from 19% last year.

Homeownership inspires financial confidence. Those who just purchased a home are most confident in their ability to come up with $2,000 in a month and have the most positive economic outlook for the next 12 months.

Building a relationship with your bank can help. Whether you're in the market for a new home or looking to improve your current home, your bank can help make homeownership more affordable and sustainable. Talk to your bank about information on lending opportunities and programs you may be eligible for, and a mortgage loan that makes sense for your financial situation. Even if you are prequalified for a certain amount, make sure that you can comfortably afford the monthly payments and other expenses associated with owning a home. Don't forget to consider all the parts of a mortgage loan—down payment, principal, interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance and possible PMI.

Before assuming that homeownership is out of reach for you, meet with a local real estate professional who can provide details on what's happening in your local market, and help connect you with a mortgage professional. With the right guidance, you may be closer to buying a home than you ever imagined.