On Saturday, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the most significant effort on housing policy reform in over a decade, became law. This historic, bipartisan legislation will bring homeownership within reach for Americans across the country.
The bill contains over 50 provisions that will boost housing supply, reduce regulatory barriers, modernize housing programs, and improve coordination across the housing system. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a meaningful step towards solving the nation’s growing affordability crisis.
The bill includes several provisions of importance to the Habitat network. It reauthorizes and strengthens the HOME program, establishes a new Whole-Home Repairs program, and streamlines federal environmental review for small-scale housing projects. The bill also modernizes USDA’s Rural Housing Service, allows Community Development Block Grant funding to be used for new construction, incentivizes states and localities to reform restrictive housing policies and invest in new home production, and authorizes the CDBG-Disaster Recovery program for three years. Read Habitat International’s detailed fact sheet about the bill here.
This historic moment would not be possible without years of work from the Habitat network, including you. Habitat International and its national partners worked to inform, influence, and advance this legislation, which includes many provisions important to the Habitat network. Local Habitats across the country mobilized their networks in support of the bill. And over the last year, Habitat Greater Raleigh Advocacy Ambassadors sent over 300 handwritten postcards to Congress and made hundreds of calls and emails to our Congressional delegation in support of ROAD.
Our work on affordable housing will not stop here. We will continue to work with Congress to ensure that the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is implemented effectively and to pave the way for more policy changes to expand homeownership access across the country.