Experts reviewing the historic 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which was passed by Congress early last week, say it addresses a wide variety of housing construction issues that have long been raised by home builders and developers.
But perhaps the most notable achievement of the bill, asserts the publication City Journal, is that it is a “rare instance of constructive legislating, in which politicians from both major parties took a break from their usual hostile posturing and got something done.”
Illustrative of the legislation’s popularity was its overwhelming passage in the House by a margin of 358 to 32 and in the Senate by 85 to 5.
Everything was ready to go for a celebratory bill-signing in the White House by the President, who has been a vocal supporter of the legislation, before he abruptly cancelled the ceremony in protest of Congress not having yet passed an entirely different bill on a different topic.
Despite the cancelling of the ceremony, the Housing Act appears destined to become law by early next week.
The legislation will, among other things, streamline environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act for housing construction projects, while targeting regulatory delays that have contributed to the cost of construction.
The legislation also removes restrictions on the building of manufactured homes and establishes pilot programs to access mortgages under $100,000, while also allowing for the use of pre-approved home designs for builders to get permits faster.
In a part of the legislation which has received the most media attention, the bill also prohibits large institutional investors from “purchasing certain single-family homes,” in an effort to promote “homeownership opportunities for American families and not corporations.”
Over the weekend, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said he plans to send the bill to Trump on Monday, with the expectation that the President this time will sign it.
In an earlier statement, Johnson said the legislation will create a “path back to homeownership for American families who have been locked out for far too long.”
June 29, 2026
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
