Senate Passes Sweeping Housing Package In 89–10 Vote

The Senate overwhelmingly passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in an 89–10 vote on Thursday, advancing a sweeping bipartisan bill aimed at boosting housing supply and addressing affordability challenges nationwide. But consumer advocates and trade groups are still pushing for changes to several provisions.

Congress has not passed such a comprehensive housing package in more than a decade. The bill combines the House-passed Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644) with the Senate’s ROAD to Housing Act (S. 2651). The package includes 18 provisions drawn from the House and Senate bills, along with at least 26 sections from previously introduced bipartisan legislation.

The bill will now head to the House for consideration before it can be signed into law by President Donald Trump.

Industry groups pointed to several positive elements in the legislation, including provisions designed to boost housing supply, streamline federal housing programs, expand access to small-dollar mortgage lending, and support manufactured and modular housing.

But they raised concerns about language requiring institutional investors to sell newly constructed build-to-rent (BTR) homes within a set time frame, drafting errors in the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) multifamily loan limit section, and a requirement that mortgage servicers provide foreclosure mitigation counseling for all government-backed loans once they become 30 days delinquent.

“The restrictions on institutional investment in single-family housing would further limit financing for build-for- and built-to-rent housing communities, while the Federal Housing Administration multifamily section would reduce loan limits and constrain capital for new rental housing development,” Bob Broeksmit, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), said in a statement. 

“For these reasons, MBA urges Senate leaders and the Trump administration to work with the House to address these provisions before the legislation moves any further,” Broeksmit said. “The goal should be clear: a final package that puts the country on a path to increased affordability, lower operational costs, less red tape, and more housing, not less.”

In a joint statement, National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) President Sharon Wilson Géno and National Apartment Association (NAA) president and CEO Bob Pinnegar said that “the provision requiring disposition of build-to-rent communities as individual units to homebuyers is plainly not feasible.”

“It would stall new communities from being built and divert investment away from an important affordable housing option for renters and their families,” they said. “BTR housing opens the door to better employment and educational opportunities and is a vital part of our nation’s housing affordability solution. Fewer housing units means higher rental costs for Americans.”

Meanwhile, the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) said the legislation represents a significant step forward for housing policy, with some caveats.

“It is a testament to both Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders that the Senate has adopted the most comprehensive housing bill in more than a decade,” CHLA said. “However, with the average age of a first-time homebuyer climbing to 40 years old, further action — bold action — is needed.

“We need a Moon Shot type commitment — to devote resources and program changes to address the real challenges families and individuals in their 20s and 30s face in becoming homeowners.”   

David M. Dworkin, president and CEO of the National Housing Conference (NHC), said that while “no bill is perfect,” the legislation includes many policies that could expand housing supply and improve affordability.

“Provisions in the bill that could hurt the ability of investors to build tens of thousands of units of rental housing per year will need to be addressed by the House,” Dworkin said. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Senate, House, and the Trump Administration to ensure the strongest possible version of the bill ultimately becomes law.”

According to Shannon McGahn, executive vice president and chief advocacy officer of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), America faces a shortage of nearly 5 million homes.

“The bill gives communities new tools and resources to build more homes, streamlines federal processes that delay construction, and updates financing options for manufactured and rural housing,” McGahn said. “The bill also modernizes federal programs to expand homeownership opportunities, takes steps to improve access to credit, and strengthens awareness of VA home loan benefits.”