The historic 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a critical first step in addressing Arizona’s housing crisis

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The landmark bipartisan legislation, which Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) helped shape as a member of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, will boost the nation’s housing supply, improve housing affordability, and strengthen oversight and efficiency of federal housing programs and regulators. The bill is the most significant affordable housing legislation Congress has considered in decades.

“I remember how proud my mom was when she was finally able to buy her first home with the help of a government loan. She’s not alone; homeownership is the foundation of the American Dream and the primary way families build generational wealth. But today, supply shortages and outdated permitting rules make that dream unaffordable for families in Arizona and across the country. To bring down costs, we need to build more homes,” said Senator Gallego. “I’m proud to have secured inclusion of several of my bills in this package to build more, streamline permitting, make government part of the solution instead of the problem. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is real step forward, and I look forward to seeing it pass the House and get signed into law.”

Find a summary of Senator Gallego’s wins in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing ActHERE.

Several of Senator Gallego’s bills were included in the package, including the:

  • Housing Affordability Act – to require the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to  increase multifamily loan limits to better match housing market costs and enhance affordability.
  • Housing Supply Expansion Act – to modernize the federal definition of “manufactured housing” to include modular and prefabricated units not built on a permanent chassis to encourage innovation and expand naturally occurring affordable housing.
  • Appraisal Industry Improvement Act – to address the nationwide shortage of licensed home appraisers and improve access to housing in rural and tribal communities.
  • VA Home Loan Awareness Act – to add a disclosure to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s uniform residential loan application form and help ensure veterans are made aware of their home loan benefits, which may provide a more affordable lending option.  
  • Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act – to permanently excludes veterans’ disability compensation from annual income calculations under the HUD-VASH program to help more homeless veterans access VA housing.
  • HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act – to direct HUD, USDA, and the VA to identify areas for collaboration to streamline and improve housing program implementation.
  • Streamlining Rural Housing Act – to direct HUD and USDA to coordinate on joint environmental reviews for housing projects funded by both agencies.

The bill is supported by a wide range of state and local officials, housing and consumer advocacy groups, industry associations, and civil rights organizations.  

This legislation is an important first step toward addressing the nation’s housing shortage. Earlier this year, Senator Gallego also released a comprehensive housing plan, “The Path Home: Rebuilding the American Dream and Restoring Housing Affordability,” outlining additional solutions to build more homes, cut red tape, and bring housing costs down for working families.