House Passes Transformational Housing Affordability Legislation to Help Restore American Dream for Working Families

House Passes 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act with Bipartisan Support

The House approved sweeping housing affordability legislation on May 20, 2026, with Speaker Mike Johnson praising the bill as a major step toward making homeownership more accessible for working Americans.

What the Bill Does

The legislation, passed as H. Res. 1299 — an amended version of the Senate-passed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — targets four key drivers of housing unaffordability: excessive regulatory burdens on construction, constrained housing supply, institutional investor activity in residential markets, and elevated home prices. The bill now returns to the Senate for consideration of the amended text.

Speaker Johnson described the measure as addressing the housing crisis immediately, saying it would bring homeownership “back within reach for millions of young and working American families.”

Bipartisan Product from Financial Services Committee

Johnson credited Chairman Hill and Ranking Member Waters of the House Financial Services Committee for crafting legislation that drew support from both sides of the aisle. The final vote reflected what Johnson called an “overwhelming bipartisan majority,” a relatively uncommon outcome in the current political environment.

The Speaker framed the bill as fulfilling a campaign commitment and aligning with housing policy priorities articulated by President Trump. The administration has pressed for market-driven solutions to the affordability crisis, including removing regulatory obstacles that slow residential construction.

Policy Priorities Addressed

The legislation targets several interconnected problems that have pushed homeownership further from reach for middle-income buyers in recent years. Among the specific goals the bill pursues:

• Reducing regulatory restrictions that limit new residential construction
• Expanding the overall supply of available housing
• Placing limits on institutional investment in the single-family home market
• Driving down home prices at a national level

The inclusion of institutional investor restrictions is notable — it reflects growing concern among conservatives and moderates alike that large-scale corporate buying activity has distorted local housing markets, pricing out individual buyers and families.

Next Steps

With the House having passed its amended version, the Senate must now act. Johnson urged the upper chamber to move quickly, signaling that House leadership views this as a priority item. Because the House amended the Senate’s original bill, senators will need to either concur with those changes or go to conference before the legislation can advance to the President’s desk.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents one of the more substantive housing policy efforts to pass either chamber in recent years, and its bipartisan support gives it a credible path forward in a Senate where sixty-vote thresholds remain a practical constraint.