On July 29, the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee advanced the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act of 2025, or the ROAD to Housing Act by a bipartisan vote of 24-0. The bill is an omnibus package of housing-related bills that had been previously introduced by a number of members of the committee.
The federal legislation directs the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create new grant and loan programs of homeowners, rental assistance programs, and several new initiatives that are designed to increase the supply of affordable housing nationwide.
While a construct of numerous bills that had been introduced by nearly all members of the committee, the ROAD to Housing Act is a joint effort by the Chair of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and the Ranking Member, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
One of the bills that was incorporated into the bill was a joint effort by Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno (R) and Delaware Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D) to support local government efforts to develop housing pattern books.
Below is a summary of key provisions contained in the ROAD to Housing Act.
Financial Literacy
Reforms to the Housing Counseling and Financial Literacy Programs
Housing Development
Expands the Rental Assistance Demonstration Program and codifies tenant protections
Enables HUD to give added weight to applications for competitive grants located in Opportunity Zones to support housing preservation and construction
Directs HUD to develop best practices framework for zoning and land use policies
Creates a five-year pilot program to offer grants and forgivable loans to low-and moderate-income homeowners and qualifying landlords to address home repair needs and health hazards
Increases the Public Welfare Investment cap from 15% to 20% which will enhance the Federal Reserve’s capacity to make investments in affordable housing
Creates a pilot program to incentivize housing development of all kinds in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) participating jurisdictions (excluding states)
Cuts red tape around environmental review, empowering state and local governments to streamline reviews and increase housing development
Right-sizes NEPA review for small and infill housing projects
Creates a competitive pot of highly-flexible funding for communities that are building more housing supply, which can be used to improve community infrastructure, build housing, and supplement water and sewer grants
Establishes a HUD-administered grant program to help communities establish preapproved housing designs, or pattern books, to help streamline and expedite local construction processes and build more homes
Provides the Federal Transit Administration through the Capital Investment Grants program to provide an optional increased rating in the Federal Transit Authority’s evaluation process for projects in areas that establish pro-housing policy near public transportation routes
Creates a competitive pilot discretionary program within the HOME Investment Partnerships program if the annual appropriation exceeds $1.35 billion to convert vacant and abandoned buildings into attainable housing
Requires the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to study multifamily loan limits and then grants HUD rulemaking authority, with FHA input, to adjust those limits to better match housing market costs and enhance affordability
Manufactured Homes
Updates the federal definition of manufactured housing to include modular and prefabricated units not built on a permanent chassis to encourage innovation and expand naturally occurring affordable housing
Updates mortgage lending standards for manufactured housing through the FHA and expands access to financing for housing
Directs HUD to study the cost-effectiveness and long-term value of supporting factory-built housing finance options to address the nation’s housing shortages
Authorizes HUD’s Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) Program to provide grants to communities to maintain, protect, and stabilize manufactured housing and manufactured housing communities
Financial Assistance
Establishes a pilot program under HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) initiative to promote economic mobility and homeownership by enabling more families to grow their household savings
Reduce HUD inspection delays by allowing units that are financed through other federal housing programs to automatically satisfy voucher inspection requirements if inspected within the past year
Permits new landlords to request pre-inspections to increase access to housing for voucher holders and encourage landlord participation
Program Reforms
Reauthorizes the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and makes critical updates to improve program administration and facilitate the construction of more affordable housing
Enacts reforms to the existing Rural Housing Service, including decoupling rental assistance from maturing mortgages to preserve affordable housing in rural areas
Now that the bill has cleared the committee, it will move forward towards consideration by the full Senate. Lawmakers will be going into the August recess soon, so further action on the bill is not expected until Congress returns in September.
We are excited to see bipartisan federal support for this necessary housing legislation, especially the inclusion of pattern books. We applaud Sen. Moreno for sponsoring this important federal legislation. GOPC will be actively monitoring progress on the enactment of the ROAD to Housing Act as Congress continues its work over the next 17 months.