House Easily Passes Bipartisan Housing Reform Measure
The Republican-led U.S. House on Friday delivered a rare show of bipartisan unity, overwhelmingly approving a sweeping housing reform package aimed at easing affordability pressures, boosting supply, and cutting through federal red tape that has long stifled home construction.
Lawmakers passed the Housing for the 21st Century Act by a decisive 390–9 vote, signaling broad agreement that the nation’s housing crisis—marked by soaring prices and limited inventory—demands urgent action.
The legislation focuses on incentivizing new housing development, lowering costs for buyers and renters, and encouraging state and local governments to roll back restrictive zoning rules that have slowed growth in high-demand areas. Supporters argue the measure tackles the supply-side failures at the heart of today’s housing crunch, particularly in fast-growing urban and suburban markets.
Advocates of the bill said expanding housing availability is the most effective way to bring prices down, pointing to targeted tax incentives and federal grant programs designed to jumpstart construction where shortages are most severe.
“When there aren’t enough homes, prices go up. The Housing for the 21st Century Act includes real, bipartisan solutions to boost development by clearing out red tape and letting communities and local banks do their job. That’s how we expand supply, lower costs and give families more options,” Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) and Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) wrote in an op-ed for The Hill last week.
While opposition was minimal, critics from both ends of the political spectrum raised concerns. Some conservatives warned that portions of the package risk expanding federal spending without firm guarantees of success, while progressive lawmakers complained the bill did not impose stronger protections for renters and low-income Americans.
The legislation now heads to the Senate, where it will face further debate in the coming weeks. If approved, it would be sent to President Donald J. Trump’s desk, positioning the White House to advance a broader affordability agenda during his second term.
Housing costs have become a defining political issue in recent election cycles, with runaway rents and home prices squeezing families nationwide. Lawmakers backing the bill say its bipartisan passage reflects growing recognition that regulatory overreach and government-imposed barriers have played a major role in driving up costs.
More than 50 organizations have endorsed the legislation, including the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Americans for Prosperity, and several industry and advocacy groups, according to a press release.
The nine lawmakers voting against the bill were Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), and Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), The Hill reported.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) praised the bill’s passage, placing the blame for the crisis squarely on the previous administration’s economic policies.
“Housing costs have soared beyond the reach of millions of American families thanks to Bidenflation, while outdated and burdensome red tape has constrained our nation’s affordable housing supply and limited our ability to expand it,” Johnson said.
“Today’s House passage of the Housing for the 21st Century Act is a critical step toward addressing this shortage by reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers, modernizing HUD programs, and giving banks flexibility to deploy capital to increase our housing supply,” he added.
Johnson has repeatedly emphasized that House Republicans are moving quickly to translate President Trump’s agenda into law. Following the congressional holiday break last month, he vowed an aggressive start to the legislative year.
“You’re going to see an aggressive affordability agenda, and we’re going to see continued codification of the President’s executive orders. A very aggressive legislative agenda coming right out of the gates in January. We’re going to continue to work, for example, on health care to continue to bring costs down for the American people, to bring down the cost of living overall,” Johnson declared.