The U.S. Congress has passed the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, the most significant housing affordability legislation in decades, with overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill passed the House 358-32 and the Senate earlier this week. However, President Trump abruptly canceled the scheduled signing ceremony, demanding that Congress first pass a strict voter ID bill called the Save America Act. This has created a political standoff that threatens to delay or derail the landmark housing legislation.
The bill addresses America’s severe housing shortage, which has left the nation short by more than 4 million housing units according to Realtor.com. A key provision bans corporate investors from purchasing additional single-family homes if they already own at least 350 properties, targeting firms that outbid individual homebuyers with cash offers. While corporate investors only represent about 3% of the single-family rental market nationally, supporters like Senator Elizabeth Warren argue they dominate certain local markets like Atlanta. Critics warn the ban could reduce much-needed investment in housing stock.
Additional provisions streamline regulations for homebuilders by waiving environmental reviews for projects between already-approved buildings, creating grant programs for preapproved housing designs, and removing the requirement that manufactured homes have permanent steel chassis—potentially cutting construction costs by $5,000 to $10,000. The bill also incentivizes local governments to speed up homebuilding by redirecting federal dollars to communities that build more housing. However, experts note that federal legislation has limited influence over local zoning laws, private construction costs, and mortgage rates, which remain at about 6.5% nationally.
Despite these limitations, housing advocates and industry professionals view the bill as a crucial step forward after decades of federal inaction on affordability. Senator Warren emphasized that it has been more than 30 years since the federal government has taken meaningful action on housing costs. The bill’s fate now hinges on the political battle between President Trump’s demand for voting restrictions and Congress’s desire to address the worsening housing crisis that has made homeownership unattainable for millions of Americans, requiring a household income of $117,000 to afford a typical home.
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Forrás: https://www.npr.org/2026/06/23/nx-s1-5867575/congress-passes-housing-affordability-bill.