Exclusive: Beshear says next president must go big on housing

Kentucky Gov.

Andy Beshear signaled in an interview with Axios that he would put America's housing affordability crisis at the center of his campaign if he ran for president in 2028.

Why it matters: It's the latest sign that Beshear, who just kicked off a national book tour, is moving closer to a bid for the White House.

Driving the news: Beshear said the next president should pursue a massive housing initiative — with strict guidelines to ensure the money is spent quickly.

"There's a chance for the next presidential administration or the next Congress to make a big, bold investment in housing that could have us building millions of units all over the United States," he said.

"We cannot do this in drips and drabs.

It can't be mild investments over a period of time." Echoing the "Abundance" movement, which calls for slashing regulations in order to lower housing costs, Beshear said federal dollars sent to states should be used quickly or withdrawn.

"If you tie the federal dollars to that timing, you will break through the regulation and the NIMBYism," he said.

Beshear declined to put a specific price tag on his vision, saying that those details could be discussed with lawmakers.

But he said $150 billion in federal spending could theoretically lead to $1 trillion of housing being built if enough outside financing were leveraged.

By the numbers: Escalating home prices have become a major political issue in recent years.

Sixty-four percent of American adults say they're "very concerned" about the cost of housing, according to a Pew Research Center poll in July.

The intrigue: After talking policy, we asked Beshear about rumors swirling in Democratic circles that he could announce a run for president as soon as December.

"I would tell you that that is solely a rumor," he said of the winter timeline.