House Releases Updated 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
The House Financial Services Committee has released an updated version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, in advance of a potential vote on the revised bill next week. The bill is sponsored by House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) and Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA). This bill is the chamber’s response to the version the Senate passed in March.
“NAAHL applauds Congress for continuing to advance bipartisan solutions to our nation’s housing shortage,” said Sarah Brundage, President & CEO of NAAHL. “The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act reflects the kind of cross-aisle commitment to expanding housing supply and affordability that NAAHL’s members work toward every day. We strongly encourage the House and Senate to work together in this final stretch to come to an agreement on a comprehensive package.”
Below is NAAHL’s analysis of what changed and what it means for our work.
Key Highlights
What’s still in the House version:
The following major provisions of importance to NAAHL members are in both the Senate-passed and House versions, either identically or with only minor changes:
(Sec. 201) Increasing Housing in Opportunity Zones
(Sec. 202) Whole-Home Repairs Act
(Sec. 203) Community Investment and Prosperity Act (PWI Cap)
(Sec. 205) Addition of Affordable Housing Construction as Eligible Activity for CDBG
(Sec. 301) Housing Supply Expansion Act (reforms the definition of manufactured housing to remove the permanent chassis requirement)
(Sec. 502) Rural Housing Service Reform Act (including authorizing decoupling of rental assistance to preserve affordable rental housing)
For a full accounting of what carried over from the Senate-passed version, see NAAHL's chart.
What’s in the House version that’s not in the Senate bill:
(Sec. 102) Federal Guidelines for Point Access Block Buildings
(Sec. 103) NEPA Exemption for Residential Housing on Infill Sites (USDA Rural Housing programs)
(Sec. 104) Database of Publicly Owned Land
(Sec. 105) FHA Small-Dollar Mortgages Study
(Sec. 106) Establishment of an Eviction Helpline
(Sec. 107) Temperature Sensor Pilot Program
(Sec. 805) Improving Public Housing Agency Accountability
(Secs. 901–912) Entire Title IX — Community Banking
What’s out of the House version (Senate provisions dropped by House):
Of note to NAAHL members:
Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) expansion (Senate Sec. 201)
Reforming Disaster Recovery Act (Senate Sec. 501)
New Moving to Work (MTW) cohort (Senate Sec. 504)
PRICE Act (Senate Sec. 304)
For a full accounting of what the House removed from the Senate-passed version, see NAAHL's chart.
What significantly changed:
(Sec. 204) Build Now Act: The House version gives cities more protection from financial penalties at the lesser of 10% or $1 million (protecting cities from multi-million dollar hits), and shortens the program's lifespan to 5 fiscal years. Why it matters: Large cities with low housing production are less exposed to outsized penalties.
(Sec. 212) FHA Multifamily Loan Limits: Both versions raise FHA per-unit mortgage limits across multiple statutory sections, but the House raises them much higher than the Senate. Why it matters: FHA insures construction and acquisition loans for affordable multifamily housing, so higher per-unit loan limits mean more access to affordable financing and more feasible deals, especially in high-cost markets.
(Sec. 501) HOME Investment Partnerships: Both the House and the Senate reauthorize the program. The House version adds two new elements: categorical NEPA exemptions for certain project types, and a Build America, Buy America review requirement under which HUD must complete a review of how BABA applies to HOME-assisted activities within 180 days, issue updated guidance within 90 days of that review, and report to Congress. (Note: The standalone Flood-Cleaver HOME bill fully exempts HOME from BABA; the House H.R. 6644 version instead requires HUD to review and issue guidance.) Why it matters: The HOME Investment Partnerships program is a critical HUD block grant that often provides gap funding for affordable housing deals, among other uses.
(Sec. 1001) Homes are for people, not corporations: Both the House and Senate bills restrict large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes, but the House version is more permissive. The House drops the Senate's 7-year resale requirement entirely and expands the list of exempted purchase categories, including LIHTC-supported homes and certain rental communities. The House also explicitly excludes nonprofits and community land trusts from the "large institutional investor" definition. Why it matters: The expanded exemptions are good for organizations involved in LIHTC deals and nonprofit housing. The removal of the resale requirement is a significant change from the Senate's approach.
For a full section-by-section breakdown of the entire bill, see NAAHL's chart.
What Comes Next
The House is expected to vote on this version as early as next week (targeting Wednesday). Following a House vote, the Senate will decide whether to pass the House version as-is or work with the House to conference the two bills. The White House, which has recently been more engaged on the bipartisan housing legislation, has not yet weighed in on the House’s update.
NAAHL will continue to monitor developments closely and will share deeper analysis as the process moves forward.