“`html
UNITED STATES – JULY 29: From left, Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., and ranking member Sen. Elizabeth Warren,D-Mass.,attend teh Senate Banking,Housing and Urban Affairs Committee markup of the ROAD too Housing Act,in Dirksen building on Tuesday,july 29,2025.
What renters and home buyers need to know: A bipartisan Senate committee has advanced a notable housing bill aimed at increasing the supply of affordable housing,perhaps making it easier to buy a home.
On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs unanimously approved the Renewing Chance in the American dream to Housing Act of 2025.This legislation, sponsored by committee Chairman tim Scott, R-S.C., and ranking member Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., marks the first bipartisan housing markup in over a decade. The bill has been sent to the senate floor but awaits scheduling for debate.
The ROAD to Housing Act of 2025 is designed to boost the nation’s housing supply, improve affordability, combat homelessness, expand homeownership opportunities, and enhance the efficiency of federal housing programs and regulations. This comes as the housing market presents increasing affordability challenges for many americans.
UNITED STATES – JULY 29: From left, Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C.,Sen.Tina Smith, D-Minn., and ranking member Sen. Elizabeth warren, D-Mass., attend the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee markup of the ROAD to Housing Act, in Dirksen building on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
One key provision aims to simplify manufactured housing construction by removing the federal requirement for a permanent chassis and broadening lending options. Manufactured housing,formerly known as mobile homes,are factory-built homes transported in sections. Currently, they must be installed with a permanent foundation, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Growth.
These homes are typically more affordable to produce and sell, and their popularity is especially high in the south, where housing shortages are most acute. Zandi believes that regulatory and lending adjustments could substantially boost manufactured housing and improve homeownership prospects.
Other provisions in the bill could offer more direct impacts. As an example,the bill would permanently authorize the Community Development Block Grant disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program,administered by HUD. This program provides crucial funds to states, tribes, and communities for housing reconstruction after natural disasters. While individuals can receive aid from the federal Emergency Management Agency, the CDBG-DR program supplies the necessary rebuilding funds. Currently, Congress must reauthorize the program regularly or after each disaster.
It’s a series of measures, some of which are bold, some of which are modest, some of which will be helpful, some of which may be harmful. The hope is that it’s a significant step forward.
Alys Cohen
director of federal housing advocacy at the national Consumer Law center
Cohen highlighted this as “one of the most significant accomplishments” of the legislative package. Additionally, the bill seeks to help low-income and rural homeowners with USDA direct loan mortgages access financial relief. Specifically, it would allow these borrowers the option to extend their loan term to achieve a payment reduction, a relief currently unavailable to them.
“This bill fixes that problem,” Cohen stated. Though,she expressed uncertainty about whether the bill,in its entirety,would adequately address the needs of those most impacted,including “underserved communities and households of color.”
