Congressional Outlook: Bipartisan Housing Bills on Tap
July 29, 2025
August recess is almost here, but Congress will have a busy fall with the September 30 government funding deadline.
- The House is out until September, and the Senate is expected to wrap up late this week after working through confirming nominees.
- Additionally, key legislators introduced bipartisan housing bills, and the Senate Banking Committee plans to hold a housing-focused markup today.
Why it matters: The bipartisan, bicameral efforts on housing are a promising sign toward advancing legislation to target a variety of housing issues and needs.
Senate Banking Housing Markup: On Tuesday, July 29, at 10:00 AM Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) will hold a markup of the comprehensive
ROAD to Housing Act of 2025.
Key items of interest for CREFC members include:
- Increasing Housing in Opportunity Zones: Enables the HUD Secretary to give added weight to applicants for competitive HUD grants that are located in or primarily serve designated Opportunity Zones to support housing preservation and construction.
- Build More Housing Near Transit Act: Amends the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program in the Federal Transit Administration to provide an optional increased rating in the Federal Transit Authority’s evaluation process for projects in areas that establish pro-housing policy near public transportation routes.
- Revitalizing Empty Structures into Desirable Environments (RESIDE) Act: Creates a competitive pilot discretionary program within the HOME Investment Partnerships program if the annual appropriation exceeds $1.35 billion to convert vacant and abandoned buildings into attainable housing.
- Housing Affordability Act: Requires the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to study multifamily loan limits and then grants HUD rulemaking authority, with FHA input, to adjust those limits to better match housing market costs and enhance affordability.
- For a section-by-section breakdown of the bill, click here. For legislative text, click here.
The Identifying Regulatory Barriers to Housing Supply Act, which aims to reduce state and local barriers to housing creation, was introduced by Republicans and Democrats last week.
- Representatives Mike Flood (R-NE) and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) and Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the House and Senate versions of the bill.
- The bill highlights the restrictive practices embedded in traditional zoning laws, pushes communities to streamline excessive local regulations, and promotes greater openness in how neighborhoods are planned and developed.
- The bill also reinforces the long-standing effectiveness of the Community Development Block Grant program in efforts to expand housing supply.
- A full copy of the legislation can be accessed here.
Contact
David McCarthy (
dmccarthy@crefc.org) with any questions.