What They Are Saying: Broad Coalition Praises Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Warren’s Bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

What They Are Saying: Broad Coalition Praises Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Warren's Bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

Washington, D.C. - Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott today highlighted strong support from housing advocates, industry leaders, lenders, and community organizations across the country for the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, introduced alongside Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren.

The legislation represents the most significant bipartisan housing reform effort in decades, focused on expanding housing supply, cutting red tape, and lowering housing costs for American families seeking to achieve the dream of homeownership.

"Across the country, families are feeling the strain of rising housing costs and limited supply," said Chairman Scott. "The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act brings together real solutions to build more homes, reduce burdensome regulations, and expand opportunity for hardworking Americans. I'm grateful for the broad coalition of housing advocates, builders, lenders, and community leaders supporting this legislation, and I look forward to continuing our work to deliver meaningful relief for families across the nation."

STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT:

"We commend Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Warren, and their colleagues on the Senate Banking Committee for the bipartisan leadership that made this legislation possible, and we appreciate the Senate's commitment to addressing America's housing affordability crisis through practical, meaningful reforms," said Kevin Brown, President of the National Association of REALTORS.

"The housing affordability and supply crisis touches every state, district, and community in America. Both the House and Senate have shown extraordinary bipartisan commitment to addressing these challenges. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes several provisions of particular importance to Habitat for Humanity and will take a meaningful step to boost production, modernize outdated systems, and streamline regulatory pathways that constrain development," said Christopher Vincent, Vice President of Government Relations and Advocacy for Habitat for Humanity International.

"For the first time in more than a decade, we are seeing strong, bipartisan action in Congress to address the housing crisis through pragmatic, locally informed policy solutions based on partnerships, not preemptions," said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities. "The 21^st Century Road to Housing Act is a comprehensive housing package that helps local governments boost housing supply through program improvements important to cities, towns and villages."

"The cost of housing is the number one challenge facing Americans and it is the largest part of every family's budget. To meet the housing challenge, we need a collaborative effort that includes every level of government. We are encouraged to see the Senate moving forward in a bipartisan way on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which incorporates critical reforms and tools proposed by both houses of Congress that will expand housing opportunities for all Americans," said David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors,

When the price of housing rises faster than incomes, it becomes harder for families to put down roots and plan for the long term. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is an important step toward restoring the opportunity for families to achieve their American dreams. This legislation both encourages the construction of additional housing and removes barriers that prevent communities from building. Increasing the supply of homes will help ease the pressure that has made it difficult for many families to buy their first home or remain in the communities they already love," said Craig DeRoche, President & CEO of the Family Policy Alliance.

"We applaud Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Warren for their leadership and steadfast commitment to improving housing affordability," said Sarah Brundage, President & CEO of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders. "The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will expand housing supply and increase affordable options for families. We urge the Senate to quickly advance this legislation and Congress to swiftly enact bipartisan legislation."

"High housing costs remain one of the most serious economic challenges facing families across the country. By combining new initiatives with commonsense reforms of existing programs, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act would help increase housing supply, lower costs, reduce unnecessary and burdensome regulation, give state and local governments new tools to address the housing challenges in their communities, and help accelerate further pro-housing action by other stakeholders. Notably, it incorporates proposals from both the House and the Senate, demonstrating a shared commitment to policies that meaningfully address the nation's housing affordability challenges," said Dennis Shea, Executive Vice President of the Bipartisan Policy Center and Chair of the J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy.

"The bill is the most significant affordable housing legislation Congress has considered in decades. It would modernize and strengthen so many of the key affordable housing programs state housing finance agencies rely on to provide housing help to the people they serve," said Stockton Williams, Executive Director of the National Council of State Housing Agencies.

"We applaud the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing package, a significant step toward strengthening housing supply, preservation, and affordability in rural communities across the country. Rural America faces distinct housing challenges - aging housing stock, limited rental options, infrastructure gaps, and barriers to homeownership - that require solutions designed with rural communities in mind. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing package responds to those realities with targeted investments and long-overdue program modernizations that will better serve rural families, seniors, and workers," said a coalition of rural housing providers.

"We have seen firsthand the increasing impacts of our nation's affordable housing crisis and applaud Congress for taking action this session. Local Initiatives Support Coalition strongly supports the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, since it is a comprehensive response to increasing our nation's housing supply, including rental housing and homeownership. This is urgently needed since our nation has a shortage of millions of units, which is driving up costs and placing increasing strain on hardworking families," said Matt Josephs, Senior Vice President of Policy at the Local Initiatives Support Coalition.

"Expanding housing supply and improving affordability are important priorities for our state and our nation," said Russell Vedder, Chief Financial Officer of Coastal Carolina National Bank. "Thank you for your leadership and your attention to policies that strengthen both housing and community banking."

"We thank Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Warren for this serious bipartisan effort to make housing more affordable, thereby making it easier for communities to reduce and prevent homelessness," said Ann Marie Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

"The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act reflects the kind of thoughtful, bipartisan leadership this moment requires. Chairman Tim Scott and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren deserve real credit for bringing forward a serious, comprehensive response to address housing supply and affordability. Their work demonstrates that expanding housing opportunities can and should be common ground," said Lou Tisler, Executive Director of the National NeighborWorks Association.

"The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents an important effort to strengthen housing supply and modernize federal housing policy while ensuring the real estate system remains reliable and secure for homebuyers and lenders," said Chris Morton, Chief Executive Officer of the American Land Title Association.

"At a time when the need for safe, affordable homes has never been more acute, it is heartening to see Congress rising to meet one of the defining challenges facing millions of American families," said Liz Osborn, Vice President for Policy at Enterprise Community Partners. "The bill before the Senate includes the products of months of serious, good-faith work in both chambers, and the breadth of its ambition reflects the contributions of all who helped shape it. We are deeply grateful for your collective leadership in making this moment possible."

"We strongly support the Senate's inclusion of CBDC prohibition language in the bipartisan 21^st Century ROAD to Housing Act. A government-issued CBDC would threaten core American values - financial privacy, civil liberties, and limits on state power - by giving the government unprecedented insight into (and potential leverage over) everyday transactions," said Summer Mersinger, CEO of the Blockchain Association.

"The Digital Chamber proudly supports the inclusion of CBDC prohibition language in the Senate's bipartisan 21^st Century ROAD to Housing Act. Financial privacy is a cornerstone of American freedom, and any decision to authorize a Central Bank Digital Currency must remain with Congress and the American people. We appreciate the Senate reinforcing that digital innovation in the United States should be led by the private sector while protecting individual liberty," said Cody Carbone, CEO of the Digital Chamber.

"The United States is facing a severe housing supply and affordability crisis driven by nearly two decades of underproduction, restrictive land use policies, rising construction costs, and growing competition for entry-level homes. These pressures have made it increasingly difficult for first-time and low- and moderate-income buyers to access stable, sustainable homeownership. Communities across the country are feeling the strain, and bold federal leadership is essential to close the nation's housing deficit and restore pathways to the American Dream. The Senate has already demonstrated strong bipartisan leadership, advancing the ROAD to Housing Act through committee with unanimous support. This legislation reflects one of the most significant bipartisan housing efforts in over a decade, taking concrete steps to expand supply, update outdated development systems, and reduce regulatory barriers that limit new construction and rehabilitation," said Gary Acosta, co-founder and CEO, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.

"This monumental legislative package directly addresses the housing and affordability challenges facing many low- and moderate- income families today. The ROAD to Housing Act's bipartisan support reflects your collaborative leadership and commitment to substantive, lasting change. We emphatically support this legislation and encourage its passage as soon as possible," said Markita Morris-Louis, CEO of Compass Working Capital.

"If enacted into law, this bill would be the largest bipartisan housing supply bill in decades, helping streamline federal programs to ensure federal dollars reach communities more efficiently and effectively," said Renee Willis, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

"The Center for Urban Renewal and Education strives to fight poverty and restore dignity by supporting faith, freedom, and personal responsibility. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act advances these important goals," said Donald Eason, President of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, and Marty Dannenfelser, Vice President of Government Relations and Coalitions for the Center for Urban Renewal and Education.

"American Flood Coalition Action strongly supports inclusion of bipartisan language to permanently authorize the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act," said Julie Seger, Director of Policy and Government Relations at American Flood Coalition Action. "The bipartisan language in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to permanently authorize the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program would deliver a more efficient, effective, and accountable federal disaster recovery system."

"At a time when communities across the country are confronting both a housing shortage and a growing homelessness crisis, we commend Congress for taking meaningful, bipartisan action. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents a comprehensive approach to expanding housing supply and improving affordability. The bill supports key priorities of our coalition by streamlining federal reviews for housing projects, modernizing housing programs, incentivizing local governments to address barriers to housing development, and increasing veterans' access to federal housing programs," said Mayors and CEOs for U.S. Housing Investment.

"Crypto Council for Innovation appreciates and supports the Senate's inclusion of language to explicitly prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating a CBDC in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. Legislative certainty on this subject will help foster the private-sector innovation driving U.S. leadership in digital assets while protecting Americans' privacy," said Crypto Council for Innovation.

"The Manufactured Housing Institute commends the Senate for taking up bipartisan legislation to address the nation's housing supply challenges. We are thankful for and greatly encouraged by the strong bipartisan statement this bill makes regarding the critical role that manufactured housing can play in helping to address the nation's housing supply and affordability challenges," said the Manufactured Housing Institute.

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