The U.S. House is facing pressure to pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at boosting housing supply, increasing homeownership, and tackling affordability.
The act aims to incentivize new home construction, convert abandoned buildings into housing, and modernize existing homes to combat rising costs. The legislation is viewed as a crucial part of the Republican strategy to address cost-of-living issues ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Despite passing the Senate 89-10, the bill faces resistance from House conservatives objecting to specific provisions, causing a legislative stalemate. Hardline House conservatives also oppose a provision that only temporarily bans a central bank digital currency (CBDC) until 2030, calling for a permanent ban. Some lawmakers oppose a provision requiring large institutional investors to sell off single-family build-torent properties within seven years, questioning its constitutionality.
According to conservatives, the build-torent provision amounts to unnecessary government interference in the free market and private housing economy.
“Washington says it wants to fix housing costs, then passes policies that scare off the builders and investors who actually create supply,” Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), a member House Freedom Caucus, wrote on the social media X. “You can’t regulate your way to affordable housing. Get the government out of the way and let the market work.”
Shannon McGahn, executive vice president and chief advocacy officer of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), issued the following statement after the Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act: “NAR applauds the Senate’s passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and the bipartisan focus on addressing our nation’s housing supply crisis. America faces a shortage of nearly 5 million homes, and rising costs are putting homeownership further out of reach for millions of families. The median age of a first-time homebuyer has climbed to 40, a sign that today’s housing market is failing too many aspiring homeowners. Yet homeownership remains central to the American Dream and one of the most powerful ways families build generational wealth.
“It has been nearly two decades since Congress last enacted a sweeping, bipartisan housing law. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 was the last major federal effort to address housing challenges at scale. Today’s affordability crisis demands that same level of national focus.
“The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act takes important steps to close the nation’s housing supply gap and make homes more affordable. The bill gives communities new tools and resources to build more homes, streamline federal processes that delay construction, and updates financing options for manufactured and rural housing. 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.