In a rare display of bipartisanship, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the amended 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.
In an overwhelming vote of 396-13, the House advanced major reforms aimed at boosting housing supply, cutting regulatory red tape, and making homeownership more attainable for American families.
The legislation combines elements from earlier House and Senate packages to address the nationwide shortage of homes that has driven prices and rents to record highs.
House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-Ark.) praised the bill as a practical solution focused on results rather than bureaucracy.
“This bill prioritizes American families by expanding homeownership, enhancing affordability, reducing burdensome regulations that drive up costs, and increasing housing supply nationwide,” Chairman Hill stated.
“Importantly, it delivers on President Trump’s call to limit institutional investors from competing with the American people as they seek to purchase a home,” Hill added.
Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) highlighted the urgency of the housing crisis.
“America is in the middle of a full-blown affordable housing and homelessness crisis, and working families are burdened by skyrocketing rents and a housing market that is pushing homeownership further out of reach,” Waters said.
The bill streamlines federal permitting processes, exempts certain infill and redevelopment projects from lengthy environmental reviews under NEPA, and promotes innovative housing options like modular and manufactured homes.
It provides grants to local governments for planning and zoning reforms that encourage more construction, raises loan limits for multifamily housing to spur apartment development, and strengthens support for rural and veteran housing programs.
