House Passes Bipartisan Bill To Tackle America’s Housing Crisis

The U.S. House of Representatives delivered a rare bipartisan victory this week, passing the amended 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in an overwhelming 396-13 vote.

The legislation advances sweeping reforms aimed at expanding housing supply, cutting through costly regulations, and making homeownership more attainable for American families struggling under record-high prices and rents.

The bill combines provisions from earlier House and Senate packages and targets one of the biggest drivers of the housing affordability crisis: a nationwide shortage of homes.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., praised the measure as a practical response to a crisis that has priced too many working Americans out of the market.

“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., also pointed to the urgency of the problem.

“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 legislation seeks to speed up housing development by streamlining federal permitting, exempting certain infill and redevelopment projects from lengthy environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, and encouraging more use of modular and manufactured housing.

It also provides grants to local governments pursuing planning and zoning reforms that promote new construction.

The package raises loan limits for multifamily housing in an effort to encourage apartment development, strengthens rural and veteran housing programs, and updates financing options for small-dollar mortgages.

It also enhances the role of community banks in local lending — a critical piece of the housing market in many small towns and regional communities.

One of the bill’s most notable provisions places targeted restrictions on large institutional investors buying single-family homes. The measure aligns with President Donald Trump’s push to prevent corporate buyers from crowding out families trying to purchase homes of their own.

Supporters argue that Wall Street-backed investors have distorted parts of the housing market by turning starter homes into assets for corporate portfolios.

The bill also updates outdated FHA and VA loan programs, improves access to credit, and includes renter protections while maintaining its central focus on supply-side reform.

By removing barriers that delay construction and inflate costs, the legislation aims to increase inventory, ease price pressure, and restore the possibility of homeownership for more Americans.

Industry groups including the Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Realtors welcomed the House vote, saying the package addresses major stakeholder concerns while keeping the focus on expanding supply.

Restrictive zoning, slow permitting, and regulatory overload have made housing shortages worse, especially in high-demand markets. Rather than relying on massive new spending programs, the bill gives states and localities tools and incentives to build more homes while encouraging private-sector investment.

That approach reflects a conservative belief that government should remove barriers, not pile on bureaucracy.

The legislation also strengthens community banks, which remain essential to construction financing, local mortgage lending, and housing development outside major financial centers.

With the amended House version now passed, the bill returns to the Senate for consideration.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who helped shape the original ROAD framework, are expected to review the changes quickly.

If the Senate approves the amended package, the legislation will head to President Trump’s desk.

Both chambers have already shown strong bipartisan support for housing reform. The Senate passed an earlier version 89-10, raising hopes that the bill could be enacted before the end of the year.

House Republicans framed the vote as a commonsense win for American families, arguing that the legislation delivers on promises to cut red tape, expand supply, and put working people ahead of corporate investors and government delays.

As housing costs remain one of the top concerns for voters, passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act shows that Washington can still move serious reforms when the focus is on practical solutions.

President Trump has urged Congress to get the housing bills passed and sent to his desk for signature, making the issue a central part of his broader economic agenda.

For millions of Americans priced out of the market, the message behind the bill is simple: build more homes, cut the red tape, and put the American Dream back within reach.