Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement after the successful bipartisan passage of the “Housing for the 21st Century Act” out of the Committee. This bill represents a momentous step toward increasing affordable home construction, by expanding local development opportunities and modernizing existing housing programs in communities across America.

In addition, it also broadens access to homeownership, including for manufactured housing and small-dollar mortgages, protects borrowers and assisted families, enhances federal oversight of housing providers, and strengthens the development of affordable homes for families in both rural and urban communities.

Ranking Member Waters stated:

“This week, we took a major bipartisan step toward confronting the housing crisis that is hurting families in every corner of this country. The Housing for the 21st Century Act will help build more affordable homes, protect households that are struggling to stay afloat, and expand access to homeownership for people who have been locked out for too long.

This bipartisan bill makes meaningful reforms to housing programs that will make them more effective, efficient, and responsive to the needs of today’s families. That progress is important and overdue. But we also know that reforms alone are not enough. To truly solve this crisis, we must pair these policy changes with significant federal investments in housing. Unfortunately, there is not bipartisan support for those investments at this time.

Still, this bill gives us a foundation to build on. Moreover, it demonstrates that Democrats and Republicans can work together to deliver results when we put the needs of the American people first. But let’s be very clear, this is not mission accomplished. This is just the beginning. Our housing crisis remains deep, urgent, and far-reaching, and we must keep working to advance the comprehensive solutions families need. Now, I look forward to the full House and Senate taking up this bipartisan effort so that together we can deliver real relief to families, strengthen our communities, and move closer to a future where every person has a safe, affordable place to call home.”

National Association of Realtors:

“The National Association of REALTORS® strongly supports the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act. This legislation takes important steps to modernize outdated federal housing programs, reduce regulatory barriers, and expand financing options—reforms that will help address our nation's housing supply and affordability challenges. We thank Chairman Hill, Ranking Member Waters, Representative Flood, and Representative Cleaver for their leadership on this critical issue and urge the Committee to support swift passage of this legislation,” said Shannon McGahn, Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer of the National Association of REALTORS®.

The Local Initiatives Support Corporation:

“The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) applauds House Financial Services Committee Chairman Hill and Ranking Member Waters for their leadership in introducing bipartisan housing legislation to help address our growing affordability crisis. The Housing for the 21st Century Act would support the development of more affordable housing by modernizing the HOME Investment Partnership Program, allowing Community Development Block Grant funds to support new home construction, and streamlining federal housing programs,” said Matt Josephs, Senior Vice President of Policy, LISC. “We look forward to this legislation being advanced, and we encourage the sponsors to consider including other important bipartisan affordable housing bills introduced this session.”

Habitat for Humanity International:

“As the housing crisis continues to escalate, we applaud the House Financial Services Committee for advancing legislation to address our nation's housing needs,” said Chris Vincent, Vice President, Government Relations and Advocacy at Habitat for Humanity International. “Habitat stands ready to work with leaders in both the House and Senate to swiftly deliver comprehensive solutions that meaningfully address housing challenges and provide stability for families nationwide.”

Mike Kingsella, Chief Executive Officer of Up For Growth:

“The bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act represents a meaningful down payment towards solving America's severe shortage of homes,” said Mike Kingsella, Chief Executive Officer of Up for Growth Action. “The legislation addresses key barriers to building, renovating, and financing housing and community development. It’s encouraging to see such deliberate efforts in the House to confront a major driver of America’s affordability challenge. We’re hopeful this momentum results in a floor vote and productive negotiations with the Senate to deliver a comprehensive package to the President’s desk.”

Tess Hembree, Executive Director of the Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA):

“We applaud House Financial Services Committee leadership for their efforts to improve the nation’s housing and community development programs. The Housing for the 21st Century Act includes practical, timely legislation that would reduce administrative burden and make housing more affordable. We are pleased to see the inclusion of the HOME Reform Act of 2025, which would modernize the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s only grant program dedicated to increasing the supply of affordable housing. The committee’s work on this package represents a critical step forward for housing policy.”

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