WTAS: House of Representatives Highlights Support for the Committee’s Bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act
Washington,
February 10, 2026
Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Committee’s bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act by a vote of 390-9. This bipartisan housing package addresses the housing shortage we face and the need to build more homes by cutting red tape, modernizing HUD, and unlocking financing to boost supply.
For more information on this bill, click HERE. Click here for the text of the bill. Click here for a one-pager. Click here for a section-by-section. Over 70 groups have endorsed the package. Members took to the House Floor to echo their support for the bill. Here is what they are saying: Chairman French Hill (AR-02) said, “… together, we have introduced the Housing for the 21st Century Act to deliver a straightforward approach to housing. Building more homes. Removing barriers standing in the way with an eye towards driving down that marginal cost of a new unit. Housing 21 will streamline approvals and simplify federal and local housing process to give rural and urban communities the tools they need to build homes faster. And importantly, our bill helps banks access stable deposit funding, streamlines the exam process that's tailored particularly for our vital community banks, and helps promote more community banks to do what they do best, lend locally and support their communities.” Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance Chairman Mike Flood (NE-01) said, “The Housing for the 21st Century Act cuts costs, slashes red tape, and will increase housing supply. There is no question the legislation before us is a historic rewriting of our housing laws to bring our housing market in to the 21st century.” Subcommittee on Financial Institutions Chairman Andy Barr (KY-06) said, “This bill cuts through the regulatory chokehold that Washington has imposed on housing. It streamlines permitting, modernizes outdated federal programs, and gets the federal government out of the way so builders can do what they do best — Build. It empowers local communities, not central planners in Washington, D.C. It supports community banks, and it focuses on supply side solutions, not failed subsidies that only drive prices higher.” Rep. Marlin Stutzman (IN-03) said, “House Republicans have heard these concerns and have responded with legislation that will directly help more Americans achieve the dream of homeownership. Instead of throwing more taxpayer dollars at ineffective government programs, we are restoring housing affordability by getting government out of the way. Included in this package are many common sense bipartisan reforms, and among them, my streamlined Rural Housing Act.” Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) said, “This legislation includes dozens of common-sense bipartisan housing solutions that meet the needs of the housing crisis everyday Americans are dealing with. I am particularly proud to see three provisions of mine included to update the FHAs mortgage insurances loan limits for residential multifamily constructions to bring more homes on the market, ensure veterans are made aware of the VA loan products there elidable for, and strengthen the coordination of the federal housing agencies to maximize the impact of our current federal housing programs.” Rep. Zach Nunn (IA-03) said, “This bipartisan legislation, led with my colleague Representative Cleaver, a democrat from Missouri, makes common-sense changes to fixing the housing programs that have been broken for far too long… This will help hundreds of thousands in Iowa and millions of Americans into homeownership and continued homeownership. Let’s restore the dream of homeownership for all of our country. It’s a win for everyone, its affordable, its achievable, let’s get it done.” Rep. Troy Downing (MT-02) said, “Americans across the country are feeling the squeeze of a very real housing crisis. The National Association of Realtors estimates that the average first time buyer was 40 years old in the year 2025. In my home state of Montana, the estimates show the median home price of a home exceeds $500,000. The internet and social media are filled with testimonies critiquing sky high housing prices and hotspots like Bozeman where starter homes can exceed $1 million.” Rep. Mike Haridopolos (FL-08) said, “Starting today we are moving in the right direction so that we might reduce those barriers to affordability and simply rely on the great economic message of increasing supply will reduce the costs.” Rep. Mike Kennedy (UT-03) said, “The American dream is getting more and more out of reach as housing costs continue to climb. While demand soars, the country remains stalled by a 5.5 million unit shortfall. Between the red tape or regulatory delays and the rigid constraints of zoning, the path to affordable living is being made more difficult to navigate, and it is American families who are paying the price. As one of the fastest growing states in the nation, this is a harsh reality for Utahns. We face one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation, and too many families are being priced out of the American dream. The truth is simple. When the government makes it slow, expensive, and unpredictable to build houses, the cost gets passed along to families. This bill attacks that problem by reducing regulatory costs and delays that make housing more expensive in the first place.” Rep. Jeff Crank (CO-05) said, “In my home state of Colorado, regulations account for 39% of the cost of building a new home. 39% of the cost is government imposed regulation. For those who might be wondering what that means, that's if you pay $5, $2 of that is just because of regulation. That's what's causing the problem. Government should exist to provide order and protection for its citizens. It shouldn't be there with overbearing mandates that make life more difficult and expensive, especially for something as fundamental as property and home ownership.”
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07) said, “From 2020 to 2024, the cost of a home soared 37%. Over that same period, rents increased 24%. Many communities, including those that I represent in the Lehigh valley and the Poconos, have seen even sharper increases. In Allentown, home prices have increased 63% in the past five years, while rents have risen 44%. Working Americans who were already squeezed by the worst inflation in decades have been stretched to the limit by these increases, dashing their hopes and derailing their plans. For millions of hardworking Americans, especially young people, renting has become a painful burden, and homeownership has become a near impossibility.”
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