For the first time in more than three decades, Congress has enacted a major bipartisan housing package. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law on July 11 after passing the Senate 85–5 and the House 358–32. At a time when national politics can feel incapable of addressing the basic needs of working people, this overwhelming vote sends a clear message: the housing crisis is real, it is national, and communities need the federal government back at the table.
The law updates dozens of federal housing and community development programs. It includes new tools to build and preserve affordable housing, repair aging homes, stabilize manufactured home communities, improve disaster recovery, support modular construction, and reduce barriers that delay development. It also reforms rural housing programs, including changes intended to preserve affordable rental housing for approximately 400,000 rural families nationwide.
“This is a historic step forward for everyone working to ensure that people have a safe and affordable place to call home,” said Housing Oregon Executive Director Brian Hoop. “Congress has recognized that solving the housing crisis requires more than one program or one level of government. We need to build more homes, preserve the housing we already have, and support the community-based organizations that were built on meeting local needs and remain dedicated to the mission.”
One of the law’s most important accomplishments is the first reauthorization of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program since 1992. The law preserves the set-aside for Community Housing Development Organizations, affirming the central role nonprofit and community-based developers play in creating affordable homes and stronger neighborhoods. It also authorizes the PRICE program for seven years to preserve manufactured homes and parks, expands eligible uses of Community Development Block Grant funding, and supports improvements intended to help households with vouchers move into homes more quickly.
Read the full section by section summary here.
Thanks to Oregon’s congressional delegation for their support and the many Housing Oregon members who responded to our action alerts and contacted their congress members urging them to support the bill.
This landmark legislation is not the end of the work. It does not resolve high construction costs, rising insurance premiums, elevated interest rates, workforce shortages, or the need for greater investments in rental assistance and deeply affordable housing. Many provisions will depend on federal rulemaking, agency guidance, and future funding from Congress. Housing Oregon will work with our members and national partners to ensure implementation serves Oregonians with the greatest housing needs. For now, this passage deserves celebration: sustained advocacy and bipartisan cooperation have produced the most substantial federal housing law in decades.
Full Text of the Road to Housing Act
ROADmap: An Implementation Guide for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act – National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders