National Housing Crisis Task Force applauds ROAD to Housing Act

On the eve of Election Day 2024, the National Housing Crisis Task Force released From Crisis to Transformation: A Federal Housing Policy Agenda, a detailed list of 40 policy recommendations for how the Administration and Congress can leverage federal resources and policies to address the housing crisis.

Earlier this week, we saw some of the policies we recommended get a bipartisan vote of support when the Senate Banking Committee unanimously advanced the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025. The National Housing Crisis Task Force applauds this accomplishment! The ROAD to Housing Act is the most ambitious federal housing legislation in more than a decade and includes a broad range of policy changes to address the housing crisis we face today.

See what local elected officials and industry stakeholders had to say about the ROAD to Housing Act — including Task Force Co-Chairs, Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens; Accelerator for America (AFA) President and CEO Mary Ellen Wiederwohl; and AFA Advisory Council Mayors, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, and Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly.

The unanimous vote to advance the bill by the Senate Banking Committee was a crucial step, but the bill package still has a long way to go before it becomes a law. We are particularly enthusiastic about the sections highlighted below, which were recommended by the Task Force’s Federal Housing Policy Agenda. Together, they:

• Create programs for communities to fund housing innovation and update land use and zoning codes;

• Streamline regulations around Housing Choice Vouchers and manufactured and modular housing;

• Make it easier to build infill housing; and

• Expand homeownership opportunities through small-dollar mortgages.

Below, we summarize the sections of the ROAD to Housing Act that align with the Federal Housing Policy Agenda.

Regulatory Streamlining

Sec. 208 – Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act 

This section right-sizes National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) review for small and infill housing projects, which will simplify the review process and get projects on some publicly owned land to construction faster. It aligns with the Task Force’s recommendation to “Categorically Exempt Infill Housing from NEPA.”

Sec. 213 – Housing Affordability Act 

This section requires the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to study multifamily loan limits and then grants the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rulemaking authority, with FHA input, to adjust those limits to better match housing market costs and enhance affordability. It aligns with the Task Force’s recommendation to “Modernize HUD Programs for More Rapid Housing Production,” which explicitly called for this change to FHA loan limits.

Offsite Construction

Sec. 301 – Housing Supply Expansion Act 

This section 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. It also aligns with the Task Force’s recommendation to “Modernize HUD Programs for More Rapid Housing Production,” including striking the word “chassis” from Section 603(6) of the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 to allow for better-quality manufactured housing and expanded applicability of the HUD Code.

Sec. 302 – Modular Housing Production Act

This section directs HUD to study financing barriers for modular construction within HUD’s programs and authorizes HUD to fund a study on the use of a standardized code for modular construction. It aligns with the Task Force’s recommendations to “Create a National Performance-Based Building Code for Modular Housing” and to “Develop an Evidence-Based Model Multifamily Building Code for Adoption by States and Localities to Reduce Construction Costs.”

Sec. 304 – PRICE Act 

This section 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. It aligns with the Task Force’s call to “Maintain and Expand Support for Manufactured Housing Residents and Communities.”

Program Modernization

Sec. 405 – Choice in Affordable Housing Act

This section will 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. Additionally, the bill allows new landlords to request pre-inspections to increase access to housing for voucher holders and encourage landlord participation. It aligns with the Task Force’s recommendation to “Support Reforms for Greater Utilization of Housing Choice Vouchers,” which included authorizing additional flexibility for Public Housing Authorities to streamline the process for landlords who wish to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher program, such as allowing for pre-inspection of units.

Sec. 502 – HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act

This section reauthorizes the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and makes critical updates to improve program administration and facilitate the construction of more affordable housing. It aligns with the Task Force’s recommendation to “Modernize HUD Programs for More Rapid Housing Production,” including streamlining and updating the HOME Program and other important HUD programs to facilitate the financing of affordable housing for cities and private-sector developers.

Read the Full Section-by-Section Breakdown

In addition to the sections noted above, the Task Force’s Federal Housing Policy Agenda recommends more robust changes to the Housing Choice Voucher, housing production and preservation, and homelessness programs than the ROAD to Housing Act currently proposes. We will continue to monitor the legislative package as it moves forward and share key updates on how it could impact state and local governments’ efforts to increase housing affordability and production in their communities. Stay tuned!

We encourage you to contact your Congressional delegation about the importance of federal action to ease the housing crisis, and as you and your policy teams review the ROAD to Housing Act, please let us know how you expect to impact housing production, preservation, and affordability in your community.