Polls consistently show that housing affordability is a top concern for Americans. But we don’t need surveys to tell us what is glaringly obvious; home prices continue to soar, interest rates remain uncomfortably high, and countless families are increasingly feeling that the dream of homeownership is slipping away.

That’s why President Trump’s proposal for a 50-year fixed-rate mortgage is so important. It will give more millennials and working families an immediate chance of ownership.

Critics say a longer mortgage is “a new kind of debt.” But that misses the reality so many families are living with. The real choice is not between a 30-year loan and a 50-year loan. It’s between owning a home and never being able to afford one at all. A longer-term mortgage lowers the monthly payment enough to finally let people move from renting to owning.

Yes, taking on a 50-year mortgage means homeowners will pay much more interest over time if the mortgage is held for 50 years. But the American people need stability. They need a home today. They want to stop watching rent go up year after year and finally start building equity of their own. A longer mortgage with lower monthly payments gives them that opportunity.

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Politicians who criticize Trump’s 50-year mortgage proposal should be held accountable for their own failures to improve housing conditions in this country long before this bold measure was necessary.

For years, America has woefully lagged in home construction. A tangled web of zoning regulations, exorbitantly high permitting fees, and various regulatory barriers have hindered new development, driving up costs. Add to this mix a sharp increase in immigration, both legal and illegal, and you have a perfect storm elevating demand and low supply, pushing housing prices to unprecedented heights.

Instead of confronting these challenging issues head-on, too many politicians have opted for simplistic narratives that spare them from addressing the core causes of the housing crisis.

Time and again, we’ve witnessed blame being directed at technology, like pricing algorithms that simply help landlords understand market dynamics. We’ve also seen criticism directed toward private equity investments, which can fund new housing projects, all while they remain buoyed by catchy headlines that aim to score political points without solving anything of substance..

Let’s be clear: software and private investment are not responsible for the skyrocketing rents. The root of the issue lies in our inability to construct enough housing to meet the demand.

President Trump is choosing solutions, not scapegoats. He recognizes that people need help now, not years from now.

The 50-year mortgage is one of those pragmatic tools; it provides first-time home buyers with the breathing room they need through lower monthly payments. This enables them to transition into homeownership, even in a climate of high interest rates and steep prices.

Moreover, a 50-year mortgage does not lock anyone into a long-term obligation. Homeowners retain the flexibility to refinance when rates drop, make extra payments during prosperous years, or sell if life circumstances change.

It’s important to note that most people who take out a 50-year mortgage will likely keep it for only three to five years. By then, they will have built some equity and likely have a higher income.  That will allow them to re-finance to a more sensible 25- or 30-year mortgage.

Homeownership has long been a cornerstone of the American dream, providing families with stability, helping them build wealth, and fostering a sense of community and culture.

The most significant threat to that dream today isn’t the length of a mortgage term; it’s the glaring lack of available homes on the market, which has inflated the prices of those that are for sale.

We should be expanding housing opportunities for the American people, not shrinking them. We should be tackling the real causes of high housing costs, not creating political scapegoats and blaming technology that merely reflects the market’s realities.

And we should be supporting policies that give families a fair shot at owning a home, not criticizing the very ideas that can make that possible.

President Trump’s 50-year mortgage proposal does exactly that. It offers hope. It offers flexibility. And for many families, it may finally offer a path to a place they own and can truly call home.

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Michael Busler is a public policy analyst and a professor of finance at Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in finance and economics. He has written op-ed columns in major newspapers for more than 35 years.