On February 9, the House of Representatives passed the Housing for the 21st Century Act of 2026 (H. R. 6644) on an overwhelming 390–9 bipartisan vote. The final bill text is available here. Statements from House leadership, as well as additional materials, are available on the House Financial Services website.
As previously covered in the Advocate, the bill largely focuses on supply-side reforms, including many provisions to simplify and streamline housing regulations. At PHADA’s 2026 Commissioners’ Conference, the Association’s Legislative Committee voted unanimously to endorse the Housing for the 21st Century Act. Since this endorsement, PHADA staff have engaged both Republican and Democratic offices to advocate for the bill’s passage.
Several Changes Made Since Introduction
Following its introduction but prior to the vote, several of the bill’s provisions were modified. PHADA is disappointed that the House has removed a provision that would exempt HOME-funded projects from Build America, Buy America provisions (BABA), instead only requiring HUD to conduct a study of BABA’s impacts. The Association will continue to advocate to exempt all affordable housing projects from BABA compliance.
On the other hand, PHADA supports the addition of language that raises banks’ public welfare investment cap. This provision is supported by the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition (AHTCC), of which PHADA is a member.
Does Not Contain Moving to Work Provisions Found in ROAD to Housing
Important to PHADA members, the Housing for the 21st Century Act does not contain the poorly conceived Moving to Work expansion that is included in the Senate’s bipartisan housing bill, the ROAD to Housing Act (S. 2651). PHADA and its industry partners continue to advocate for the Senate to remove the bill’s MTW expansion.
The Bipartisan Policy Center has developed a comparison table of the Housing for the 21st Century Act and the ROAD to Housing Act here.
Bill’s Future is Uncertain
As of press time, the future of each chamber’s bipartisan housing bill is uncertain. While the Senate previously passed ROAD to Housing as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, several Senators have advocated for that chamber to pass the bill as a standalone measure.
Regardless of whether the Senate takes up ROAD as a standalone bill, the House and Senate may enter into an informal conference to craft a compromise bill that can pass both chambers. PHADA will continue to advocate for member priorities in any conference bill.
While the administration has been largely silent as Congress debates bipartisan housing bills, it did release a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) last night following the Housing for the 21st Century bill’s passage. The SAP praises the House for advancing the bill and several of its provisions while noting that it does not include a ban on institutional investors purchasing single-family homes, which is an administration priority. It is unclear whether this statement indicates that the President will be more engaged in these bills moving forward.
PHADA will continue to keep members updated regarding all the latest housing legislation through Breaking News, social media, and the Advocate.