A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced the Housing for the 21st Century Act, which aims to increase housing development and improve affordability.
The legislation is the House’s version of the Senate’s ROAD to Housing Act, which was originally included in the annual National Defense Authorization Act, but was later dropped by the House in the final version of the bill.
Sponsoring the House bill are Committee on Financial Services Chairman French Hill (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), along with Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance Chair Mike Flood (R-Neb.) and Ranking Member Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.).
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While the timeline for passage of the bill is uncertain, the lawmakers said in a statement that they would work with their counterparts in the Senate on advancing the legislation in 2026.
How the bill aims to increase supply
The 120-page Housing for the 21st Century Act includes several provisions designed to make it easier to build housing and increase housing access. The major initiatives of the bill related to multifamily development in particular include:
- Directing the Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop guidelines for states and localities to modernize zoning rules
- Classifying certain multifamily projects as exempt from environmental reviews
- Changing the federal definition of a “manufactured home” to include modern, factory-produced houses
- Updating the statutory minimum maximum loan limits for Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance for multifamily projects to reflect current costs
The industry reacts
The introduction of the bill has received broad support across the multifamily industry so far. Matthew Berger, senior vice president and head of policy for the National Multifamily Housing Council, called the introduction of the legislation a “tremendous step forward.”
“We strongly support the bill,” Berger told Multi-Housing News. “There’s a whole number of things that would really remove barriers and make it easier to increase housing supply, which is the name of the game.”
The Mortgage Bankers Association also weighed in, with the organization’s president and CEO, Bob Broeksmit, saying in prepared remarks that the organization supports both the House and Senate bills and will work with lawmakers to reconcile them.
And Owen Caine, the National Apartment Association’s associate vice president of federal legislative affairs, said the bill was “the exact comprehensive approach that our challenges demand” and noted the practical benefits it would lead to if passed.
“This historic legislative package outlines several provisions that provide immediate relief for families while also establishing a strong foundation to expand housing supply in the years to come,” Caine said.
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