U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor Calls on the President to Sign the Bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to Lower the Cost of Housing for Floridians

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement after Congress passed the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:

"This week, the Congress passed meaningful, bipartisan legislation that will help make home ownership more attainable for hard-working neighbors across the Tampa Bay area who have seen the dream of homeownership move farther out of reach due to high costs," said Rep. Kathy Castor. "The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes several policies I championed, including limiting the ability of hedge funds to buy a large number of homes while driving costs through the roof. The bipartisan bill also incentivizes the permitting and construction of new homes and residences. Homes are for people, not for hedge fund managers. I am particularly pleased that, through this legislation, we will improve Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR), which has delivered billions of dollars in disaster recovery funding to Tampa Bay communities and neighbors impacted by recent hurricanes. I'm proud of the bipartisan work accomplished through this legislation to address a real, significant challenge in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.

"The President's last-minute decision today to cancel the signing of the critical 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to push a bill to limit access to the ballot box ignored the real needs of American families and young people trying to buy a home in an increasingly unaffordable economy. I urge President Trump to reverse course and sign the bill to rein in the cost of housing for American families."

The bipartisan and bicameral 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents the most comprehensive housing reform legislation in decades to jumpstart the construction of homes people can actually afford.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act would:

• Remove barriers to expedite the building of new homes
• Codify the CDBG-Disaster Relief initiative, which will expedite funds to my neighbors rebuilding from storms
• Responsibly rein in corporate landlords, banning large institutional investors from purchasing up single-family homes
• Improve transparency for Veteran homebuyers