A major housing affordability bill is on track to become federal law this week even though President Trump has declined to sign it. The 21st Century ROAD…
A major housing affordability bill is on track to become federal law this week even though President Trump has declined to sign it. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act cleared Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support in late June and is set to take effect Friday under a constitutional provision that allows bills to become law without a presidential signature after a set waiting period.
At a Glance
- The bill passed the Senate 85 to 5 and the House 358 to 32.
- It becomes law automatically on Friday unless Trump vetoes it first.
- Trump called the bill unimportant compared to voter identification legislation he wants Congress to pass instead.
- The median US home listing price hit $430,000 in June, up more than 34% since mid 2019, according to Realtor.com.
- Median rent is around $1,951 a month, a 40% increase over seven years, according to Zillow.
Why This Housing Affordability Bill Is Different
The legislation aims to ease the country's housing crunch by encouraging local governments to approve more construction. It would streamline environmental review requirements that often slow down building projects, make it simpler for banks and credit unions to originate mortgages, widen access to modular and manufactured housing, and place new limits on large corporate investors buying up single family homes.
Lawmakers spent months negotiating the final text before sending it to Trump's desk on June 29. A signing ceremony had reportedly been planned, but Trump backed out at the last minute. He argued that Congress should instead prioritize the SAVE America Act, a voter ID measure that currently lacks enough Senate votes to pass. In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the housing bill as
