House Passes Bipartisan Bill To Tackle America’s Housing Crisis
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the amended 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, as lawmakers showed a rare sign of bipartisanship.
By a vote of 396 to 13, the House passed major reforms that will increase the supply of homes, cut down on unnecessary rules, and make it easier for American families to become homeowners.
The bill brings together parts of earlier House and Senate bills to deal with the lack of homes across the country, which has caused prices and rents to reach all-time highs.
Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Republican French Hill (Ark.), praised the bill as a practical solution that focused on results rather than unnecessary regulations.
“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.
Additional measures modernize financing for small-dollar mortgages and enhance community bank involvement in lending.
It also includes targeted restrictions on large institutional investors acquiring single-family homes — aligning with Trump administration priorities to keep properties available for families rather than corporate portfolios.
The package also improves access to credit, updates outdated FHA and VA loan programs, and includes safeguards for renters while preserving pro-supply policies.
Restrictive zoning, slow permitting, and regulatory overload have exacerbated shortages, particularly in high-demand areas.
This bill empowers states and localities with tools and incentives to build more homes without massive new spending, focusing instead on smarter government processes and private-sector incentives.
It also bolsters community banks, which play a vital role in local lending for construction and mortgages.
President Trump has repeatedly addressed the U.S. housing crisis, emphasizing affordability for new buyers while protecting values for existing homeowners, blaming prior policies, and targeting institutional investors and regulations.
In his June 12, 2026, National Homeownership Month proclamation, he stated, “During National Homeownership Month, my Administration recommits to making housing more affordable so that young Americans and hardworking families can raise children, build memories, and create a future in a home of their own.”
He attributed the crisis to “reckless spending, burdensome regulations, and failed housing policies” under the previous administration, plus “mass illegal immigration and large institutional investors” straining supply.
Trump highlighted actions like an executive order banning large institutional investors from single-family homes, directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities to lower rates, and restoring “integrity to Federal housing programs.”
He added: “Under my leadership, America will be a Nation where homes belong to families — not corporations.”
During a January 2026 Cabinet meeting, he was direct on prices: “I don’t want to drive housing prices down. I want to drive housing prices up for people that own their homes. Existing housing, people who own their homes, we’re going to keep them wealthy. We’re going to keep those prices up. We’re not going to destroy the value of their homes so that somebody that didn’t work very hard can buy a home.”
Earlier, in Davos and other remarks, he stressed: “Homes are built for people, not for corporations, and America will not become a nation of renters.”
