Citi Announces its Blueprint for Housing Opportunity Initiative — A $60 Billion Commitment to Enhance U.S. Housing Affordability and Help Create and Preserve 250,000 Units Over Five Years – Citigroup

Citi’s Blueprint for Housing Opportunity: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals through Affordable Housing

Introduction

Citi has announced its Blueprint for Housing Opportunity, a $60 billion commitment over five years aimed at increasing affordable housing supply by creating and preserving at least 250,000 housing units across the United States. Complementing this financial commitment, the Citi Foundation will allocate $50 million in philanthropic grants to support non-profit organizations addressing housing challenges and enhancing the financial health of community residents. The initiative begins with a $1 million grant to the Center for Affordable Housing Lending.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 1 – No Poverty: By increasing affordable housing availability, Citi supports economic stability and reduces poverty risks.
• SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: The initiative promotes inclusive, safe, and affordable housing, contributing to sustainable urban development.
• SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: Financing housing for essential workers supports economic growth and decent work opportunities.
• SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: Citi collaborates with governments, non-profits, and private sector partners to maximize impact.

Financial Capital Commitment

Citi will deploy $60 billion in capital over five years to finance acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, and permanent long-term financing of affordable housing. This capital will support diverse housing types, including:

1. Homes for essential workers
2. Developments with supportive services
3. Lower-cost rental options in high-cost markets

As the leading affordable housing lender in the U.S. for 15 consecutive years, Citi Community Capital (CCC) has financed over $32 billion in affordable multifamily housing over the past five years, including $7.6 billion in 2025 alone, facilitating the creation and preservation of more than 35,000 units across 30 states.

Partnerships and Market-Based Solutions

Citi’s approach involves collaboration with for-profit developers, local governments, community development finance institutions, and non-profit developers to strengthen communities nationwide. Rafael E. Cestero, CEO of the Community Preservation Corporation, emphasized the importance of market-based solutions and reliable financial partnerships in maintaining housing affordability and expediting project completion.

Community Impact and Philanthropic Support

Recognizing that access to housing alone does not guarantee stability, the Citi Foundation focuses on enhancing residents’ financial resilience. Over 30 years, the foundation has supported economic opportunity through grants to non-profit innovators addressing housing supply and financial health challenges.

Key philanthropic initiatives include:

• A $1 million grant to the Center for Affordable Housing Lending to establish the Housing Supply Research & Fellowship Program aimed at addressing pressing housing finance challenges.
• Additional grants totaling $50 million to support local housing challenges, financial health of residents, and scalable research solutions.

These efforts directly contribute to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by empowering vulnerable populations through financial tools and services.

Expertise and Advocacy for Policy Enhancement

Citi acknowledges that achieving affordable housing goals requires coordinated efforts across public, private, and non-profit sectors. The company actively advocates for policies that enhance housing supply, including support for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, which has been instrumental in affordable housing development for nearly four decades.

Recent legislative expansions, such as those in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, have strengthened LIHTC, but Citi identifies opportunities to further improve its effectiveness by:

• Enhancing liquidity of LIHTC to attract outside investors
• Encouraging greater investment in affordable housing projects

Citi remains committed to collaborating with policymakers and stakeholders to advance housing affordability nationwide, aligning with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Conclusion

Citi’s Blueprint for Housing Opportunity represents a comprehensive strategy integrating financial capital, community impact, expertise, and advocacy to address one of the most critical economic challenges—housing affordability. Through this initiative, Citi advances multiple Sustainable Development Goals by fostering inclusive, sustainable communities and promoting economic well-being for millions of Americans.

For further information, visit the Blueprint for Housing Opportunity website.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article highlights efforts to improve housing affordability, which directly impacts poverty reduction by enabling low-income families to access affordable housing and improve their economic stability.
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • By focusing on affordable housing for essential workers and vulnerable populations, the initiative addresses social and economic inequalities.
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The commitment to increasing the supply of affordable housing and preserving existing units supports sustainable urban development and community resilience.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article emphasizes collaboration between private sector, non-profits, government entities, and policymakers to address housing challenges.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 1 – Target 1.4: Ensure that all men and women have equal rights to economic resources, including access to basic services such as housing.
   • The article’s focus on financing and preserving affordable housing aligns with ensuring access to basic services.
2. SDG 10 – Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
   • Providing affordable housing for essential workers and vulnerable groups supports social inclusion.
3. SDG 11 – Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
   • The commitment to create and preserve at least 250,000 affordable housing units directly supports this target.
4. SDG 17 – Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.
   • The article describes partnerships between Citi, non-profits, government, and private developers to advance housing affordability.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Number of Affordable Housing Units Created and Preserved
   • The article specifies a target of at least 250,000 affordable housing units created or preserved, which can be tracked as an indicator.
2. Amount of Capital Invested in Affordable Housing
   • The $60 billion financing commitment over five years serves as a measurable indicator of financial input towards affordable housing.
3. Philanthropic Grants Deployed
   • The $50 million in grants to non-profits addressing housing challenges can be tracked to measure support for community impact.
4. Number of States and Communities Impacted
   • Reference to over 30 states benefiting from financing indicates geographic reach as a progress indicator.
5. Policy and Advocacy Outcomes
   • Implied indicators include improvements or expansions in programs like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and related legislative actions.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets and Indicators

Source: citigroup.com