Trump Urges Passage of Senate Housing Bill
May 12, 2026
Last night, President Donald Trump urged the House to swiftly pass the Senate version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644) that includes a ban on large institutional investors owning single-family rental (SFR) housing.
Why it matters: Trump has remained largely silent on the issues since the Senate passed the bill 89-9 on March 12. The House has delayed considering the bill after objections to the treatment of build-to-rent (BTR) properties and other provisions; the committee had been close to releasing amended text.
Go deeper: We have previously covered the Section 901 provisions passed in the Senate that would ban investors from owning 350 or more SFR homes.
- While the purchase ban would exempt BTR, it would force owners to sell new BTR to consumers within seven years.
- The bill also would have unintended consequences on other forms of multifamily housing and create a confusing compliance regime. Reports indicate that BTR investment has slowed or stopped in some areas.
- The Senate passed the provision unchanged despite strong objections from the real estate industry, including homebuilders.
Yes, but: The House continues to work on its counteroffer to the Senate bill. Reports from Politico over the weekend indicate the Section 901 ban on large institutional investors ownership of single family rental homes is likely to change in a House version.
- A bipartisan group of 76 House members sent a letter to leadership last month indicating their opposition to the BTR provisions.
- No official text has been released and it is not clear that House GOP and Democratic negotiators have signed off on the final text.
- The reported GOP amendments would eliminate the seven-year build-to-rent (BTR) divestment requirement and revise the definition of single-family home.
- If an amended bill is released this week, the House could vote on the bill as soon as next week.
- It is not clear if or when the Senate would act on a changed housing bill should the House pass an amended bill.
What they’re saying: Prior to Trump’s post, Politico reported President Donald Trump has privately expressed his opposition to the seven-year BTR divestment and considered posting his thoughts before backing down.
- The President’s reported hesitancy bolstered the House position against the Senate, but the latest post may derail changing the bill.
- House leadership has not yet responded to the President’s demand.
- The SFR ban has been the White House’s central demand to any housing bill, though the Senate language went far beyond the January 2026 executive order.
What's next: CREFC and other industry groups continue to work with lawmakers and staff on Section 901 issues and the broader housing bill.
Contact David McCarthy (dmccarthy@crefc.org) with questions.