The House of Representatives has passed the Housing for the 21st Century Act in a decisive 390–9 vote, sending the bipartisan bill to the Senate. Lawmakers described the measure as a response to one of the country’s most urgent economic problems: housing affordability. The overwhelming margin signals broad agreement that housing costs and supply shortages have reached a critical level nationwide.
Supporters say the United States faces a persistent housing shortage, with demand outpacing supply in many areas. They argue that rising rents and home prices are not just market-driven but worsened by “regulatory complexity, permitting delays, and outdated federal housing frameworks.” Rather than expanding subsidies or federal spending, the bill focuses on removing barriers that slow development. Backers believe making it easier and less costly to build will allow the market to respond more effectively.
According to the House Financial Services Committee summary, key provisions include directing the GAO to review “gaps, redundancies, and inefficiencies” in federal housing programs, updating HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program, reducing regulatory barriers, and giving banks more flexibility to deploy capital to expand supply. The goal is to streamline systems developers and lenders describe as burdensome or outdated.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said rising housing costs have strained families and that federal policies must adapt to encourage supply growth. Chairman French Hill and Rep. Mike Flood argued that supply shortages inevitably raise prices and that clearing regulatory hurdles would empower communities and local banks to expand housing options.
With rare bipartisan backing, including co-sponsorship from Hill and Maxine Waters, the bill now moves to the Senate. Its future remains uncertain, but the strong House vote increases pressure for action as housing affordability continues to dominate national economic debates.
