Padilla Statement on Bipartisan Housing Bill

The 21^st Century Road to Housing Act is set to become law - even though Trump says he won't sign in fit over SAVE Act defeat

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after President Trump announced he will not sign the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in protest of Congress' refusal to pass his anti-voter SAVE Act. The bill is expected to automatically become law at midnight, even without President Trump's signature:

"Donald Trump and his reckless policies have made gas, groceries, and housing much more expensive. And when given the opportunity to deliver the bipartisan housing relief Americans have been waiting for, Trump instead threw a tantrum and refused to sign it into law. The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will become law thanks to Congress and the Constitution - and in spite of Donald Trump's inaction. This compromise bill is a step in the right direction, helping to expand homeownership opportunities and address the national housing affordability crisis nationwide.

"I am proud that the new law will include my provision to ensure veterans experiencing homelessness and receiving VA disability benefits can still qualify for housing assistance. This package will also help Californians rebuild their homes and lives after disasters, unlock millions of dollars in federal funding for local governments for new housing construction, and strengthen rural housing programs that support millions of Americans.

"While this legislative package provides additional resources to invest in housing, our work is far from over. I will continue pushing to address the housing crisis facing California and the entire nation through comprehensive legislation like my Housing for All Act."

Padilla's bipartisan Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act (HUDVA) was included as part of the legislation to ensure veterans experiencing homelessness and receiving disability payments maintain access to crucial housing support. The HUDVA provision would permanently exclude disability payments received by veterans from annual income for housing assistance eligibility purposes under the Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. The legislation was co-led by Senators Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.).

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act also includes the Housing Supply Expansion Act of 2025, legislation Padilla cosponsored that would modernize the federal definition of "manufactured housing" to include modular or prefabricated homes built without a permanent chassis. By allowing off-chassis manufactured homes, the bill would expand consumer access to more efficient and cost-effective designs, providing greater architectural flexibility to better integrate into existing neighborhoods, and saving owners thousands of dollars on construction costs. Padilla also cosponsored the Unleashing Needed Local Options to Construct and Keep (UNLOCK) Housing Act; a modified version of the bill was included in the housing package to allow municipalities, for the first time, to use Community Development Block Grant funding for the construction of new housing.

Padilla recognizes the need to drastically increase the affordable housing stock to address the homelessness crisis facing California and the country. His Housing for All Act would invest in proven solutions to address affordable housing shortages and provide a historic level of federal funding for existing programs to reduce homelessness and for innovative, locally developed solutions to support vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness.

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