Arlington, Va. | May 12, 2026 - Statement from National Apartment Association (NAA) President and CEO Bob Pinnegar and National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) President Sharon Wilson Géno:

"NAA and NMHC appreciate the President's ongoing commitment to expanding housing opportunity and lowering costs for Americans.

"The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act - the most significant, bipartisan legislation to increase housing supply in years - has the potential to meet our shared housing goals, but only if it is modified to preserve investment in Build-to-Rent (BTR) communities.

"BTR serves as an important step for families on the path to homeownership, as it provides an affordable option for households to live in a single-family setting while they are saving for a home of their own. These communities also increase the number of homes available for purchase by providing an option for senior households to downsize and sell their homes to another family.

"As a nation, we need more available homes to reduce housing costs for all Americans, but language in the current bill has already stopped the development of badly needed BTR communities, forced layoffs and threatens to displace residents of these communities.

"Without a change to the Senate-passed bill, it is estimated that more than 72,000 homes will be lost annually, which will result in higher housing costs for everyone.

"Consistent with the President's housing goals and his Executive Order of January 20, 2026, the House is progressing with targeted and impactful draft changes that will ensure BTR can continue to support the expansion of affordable homeownership opportunities.

"Both chambers of Congress must now come together as quickly as possible on improved legislation that achieves the shared goals of expanding housing supply, lowering costs and offering more housing choices to renters and owners alike. This would build on the momentum created by the Congressional Real Estate Caucus' letter signed by 76 bipartisan members of Congress calling for a fix to the BTR language, so that more Americans can have access to an affordable home."

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For more than 27 years, the National Apartment Association (NAA) and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) have partnered on behalf of America's apartment industry. Drawing on the knowledge and policy expertise of staff in Washington, D.C., as well as the advocacy power of 139 NAA state and local affiliated associations, NAA and NMHC provide a single voice for developers, owners and operators of multifamily rental housing. One-third of all Americans rent their housing, and 40 million of them live in an apartment home.