U.S. Senate Passes 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
Reform package includes several Crapo-backed provisions to increase access to affordable housing
Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo voted in favor of final passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, sweeping bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding access to affordable housing and lowering costs for Idaho families seeking to achieve the American Dream of homeownership. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 89-10.
“Lack of affordable housing is one of the top concerns I hear from Idahoans during meetings throughout the state,” said Crapo. “Cutting unnecessary red tape will help address the housing supply shortage, making it easier to build and buy homes and bringing the dream of homeownership within reach for more Americans.”
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act contains several measures to address overregulation contributing to excessive costs and construction and zoning delays. The legislation also modernizes federal housing programs while generating no new government spending.
As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, Crapo played a key role in shaping the comprehensive reforms package.
The Senator led or co-sponsored several provisions included in the final housing bill, including:
- The Housing Supply Expansion Act: Would modernize the federal definition of “manufactured housing” to include modular or prefabricated homes built without a permanent chassis, expanding consumer access to more efficient and cost-effective designs.
- The Rural Housing Services Reform Act: Would modernize and streamline the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service to improve homeownership opportunities in rural areas.
- The Reducing Homelessness through Program Reform Act: Would cut red tape and encourage local solutions to address homelessness, including reforms to the Housing Choice Voucher Program and improved coordination among local entities to deliver integrated support.
- The Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act: Would permanently exclude veterans’ disability payments from annual income for housing assistance eligibility under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.
- The Helping More Families Save Act: Would create a pilot escrow account program to automatically enroll families in HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program.
The legislation was introduced by Senators Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, and an earlier version of the legislation advanced out of Committee unanimously. It awaits further consideration by the U.S. House of Representatives.
View the Senate Banking Committee’s fact sheet on the legislation HERE.
Full text of the bill is available HERE, and a section-by-section summary is available HERE.
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