Ranking Member Maxine Waters Secures Bipartisan, Bicameral Deal to Get Critical Housing Bill Across the Finish Line: It’s Time to Get America Back to Building Affordable Housing
Critical Provisions Championed by House Democrats Included in Landmark Housing Bill
Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, released the following statement on the Senate's passage of a bicameral, bipartisan compromise on H.R. 6644, the “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act”:
“For years, I have fought to address our nation's worsening affordable housing crisis and to expand access to safe and secure housing for families across the country. I’m pleased to announce that after what has been a very lengthy process, I, along with Chairman Hill, Ranking Member Warren, and Chairman Scott, have reached an agreement on a comprehensive housing package that will finally get America back to building affordable housing.
This package includes all of the important housing and community bank provisions included in prior House passed versions of H.R. 6644. I am also pleased that the bill will finally authorize the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief program, legislation that I, as Chairwoman, steered through our Committee.
This bill has earned the bipartisan support of each of us because it focuses on practical solutions to increase housing supply, expand homeownership opportunities, strengthen community development programs, and reduce housing costs for working families.
Importantly, this bill fully adopts the House’s solution to responsibly rein in corporate landlords, banning large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes but without curtailing critical housing development or evicting families. This bill also provides meaningful reforms to support thousands of community lenders, including community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions so that they can more affordably finance homebuyers and housing developers.
Throughout this bill’s journey and our recent negotiations, I have remained committed to protecting vulnerable tenants, preserving critical public housing resources, and strengthening disaster recovery efforts.
While no compromise is perfect, this legislation reflects meaningful progress and incorporates over 50 housing and banking provisions authored by key House Democrats including several championed by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Ranking Member of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee and Congressman Mike Flood (R-NE), Chairman of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee.
Congress has finally woken up to the need to prioritize housing affordability and this bill is an important step to reducing costs for Americans. However, the enactment of this law should not mean the end of our advocacy in Congress for affordable housing. I won’t stop and I call on my colleagues in both chambers not to stop either.”
Below is a summary of the provisions in H.R. 6644 led and co-led by Committee Democrats:
H.R. 6726, the “Reforms of Housing Counseling and Financial Literacy Program,” or Section 101 introduced by Congressmen David Scott (GA-13), which would allow HUD to review the performance of housing counseling agencies and counselors, require further training and oversight, and under certain conditions require counseling for related delinquent borrowers to be paid for by the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund.
H.R. 6345, the “Point-Access Housing Guidelines Act,” or Section 102, introduced by Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), which would establish federal guidelines and best practices to allow for the greater use of permitting point-access block residential buildings, or those with single staircases, and includes language ensuring Davis Bacon prevailing wage requirements.
H.R. 6327, the “Rural Housing Regulatory Relief Act,” or Section 103, introduced by Congressmen Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) and Eugene Vindman (VA-7), which would exempt certain rural housing construction or modification projects on existing infill sites from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements.
H.R. 6773, the “Databases of Publicly Owned Land Act,” or Section 104, introduced by Ranking Member Maxine Waters (CA-43), which would require communities receiving Community Development Block Grant funds to maintain a publicly available database to identify parcels of undeveloped, publicly owned land.
H.R. 6774, the “FHA Small Dollar Mortgages Act,” or Section 105, introduced by Ranking Member Maxine Waters (CA-43), which require the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to establish a pilot program to increase access to small-dollar mortgages under $100,000 by providing grants to homebuyers, incentives to lenders, and outreach to promote the program..
H.R. 638, the “Housing Temperature Safety Act,” or Section 106, introduced by Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), which would establish a pilot program to award grants to public housing authorities (PHA) and owners of federally assisted rental housing to install temperature sensors in residential dwelling units to ensure such units remain in compliance with temperature requirements. This section also applies Davis Bacon prevailing wage requirements.
H.R. 2840, the “Housing Supply Frameworks Act,” or Section 107, co-led by Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (CO-7), which would direct HUD to develop and publish best practices for state and local zoning frameworks, helping communities identify and overcome barriers to housing development and increase housing production for all income levels.
H.R. 5990, the “Whole-Homes Repairs Act,” or Section 202, introduced by Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-5), which would establish a 5-year pilot program at HUD to provide grants and forgivable loans to low- and moderate-income homeowners and qualifying landlords for home repairs that improve housing accessibility, remediate health hazards, and address safety standards.
H.R. 5913, the “Community Investment and Prosperity Act,” or Section 203, co-led by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-3), which would increase the public welfare investment cap for the Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Reserve from 15% to 20%, which will enhance banks’ capacity to make investments in affordable housing.
H.R. 5077, the “Strengthening Housing Supply Act”, or Section 204, introduced by Ranking Member Maxine Waters (CA-43), which would authorize the use of CDBG funds to support the development of affordable housing and establish a maximum limit for affordable rents.
H.R. 4810, the “Better Use of Intergovernmental and Local Development (BUILD) Housing Act,” or Section 205, introduced by Congressman Sam Liccardo (CA-16), which would streamline the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process for certain housing projects and services funded by HUD to increase housing development.
H.R. 4660, the “Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act,” or Section 206, co-led by Congressman Sam Liccardo (CA-16), which would streamline the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by excluding housing-related activities such as small-scale construction, rehabilitation, and infill development.
H.R. 6768, the “Housing Our Communities Act,” or Section 207, introduced by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), which would establish a competitive grant program under HUD to support regional planning and implementation of affordable housing activities.
H.R. 5938, the “Innovation Fund Act,” or Section 208, co-led by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), which would authorize a $200 million annual competitive grant program for five years for communities to improve community infrastructure, build housing, and supplement water and sewer grants. The program sunsets after seven years.
H.R. 5907, the “Accelerating Home Building Act,” or Section 209, introduced by Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-5), which would establish a grant program under HUD to assist communities create pre-approved housing designs, or patten books, to help streamline and expedite local construction and build more homes.
H.R. 5591, the “Revitalizing Empty Structures Into Desirable Environment (RESIDE) Act,” or Section 210 introduced by Congressman Sam Liccardo (CA-16), which would create a pilot grant program to help local governments convert vacant commercial or industrial buildings into affordable housing when appropriations for the HOME program exceed $1.35 billion, prioritizing economically distressed areas and Opportunity Zones.
H.R. 6132, the “Housing Affordability Act,” or Section 211, co-led by Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), which would authorize HUD to increase the multifamily loan limits to better match housing market costs and increase affordability.
H.R. 6363, the “Build Now Act of 2025,” or Section 213 co-led by Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) and Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3), which would incentivize housing production by increasing or decreasing the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding based on housing supply growth in that community and includes protections for disaster-hit areas.
H.R. 6293, the “Housing Supply Expansion Acti” or Section 301, co-led by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5), which would amend the federal definition of “manufactured home” to include housing built with or without a permanent chassis to lower construction costs of manufactured homes. This section also establishes HUD as the primary federal authority for approving any manufactured home construction or safety standard, including standards related to a manufactured home’s construction, design, energy efficiency, and performance.
H.R. 6270, the “Modular Housing Production Act,” or Section 302 co-led by Congressman Eugene Vindman (VA-7), which would require HUD to conduct a review of FHA’s construction financing programs to identify barriers for modular housing developers and administrative opportunities to reduce any barriers.
H.R. 7792, the “Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act,” or Section 303, co-led by Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4), which would increases loan limits of FHA-insured manufactured housing loans, adds the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as an acceptable use for financing, and directs HUD to study the cost-effectiveness and long-term value of supporting factory-built housing.
H.R. 4477, the “PRICE Act,” or Section 304, introduced by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), which would authorize HUD’s Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) Program which provides grants to manufactured housing communities to preserve affordability, address critical infrastructure needs and create new homeownership opportunities.
H.R. 6025, the “Appraisal Industry Improvement Act,” or Section 403 co-led by Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) and Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-5), which would reform appraisal licensing and training, strengthens standards for FHA-approved appraisers, adds flexibility for trainee appraisers, and authorizes grants to support appraisal workforce development.
H.R. 4385, the “Helping More Families Save Act,” or Section 404, introduced by Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), which would establish a pilot program under HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program that provides escrow accounts for up to $5,000 to families living in public housing or receiving rental assistance. This pilot would allow households to opt-out at any time.
H.R. 1981, the “Choice in Affordable Housing Act,” or Section 405, introduced by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5), which would reduce HUD inspection delays by allowing units that are financed through other federal housing programs to automatically satisfy voucher requirements if inspected within the past 12 months. It would also allow new landlords to request pre-inspections to increase access to housing for voucher holders and encourage landlord participation.
H.R. 2031, the “HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act,” a part of which is in Section 501, introduced by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-3), which would reform and reauthorize the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which is the largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to create and preserve affordable housing for low-income households. It would improve program administration and facilitate the construction of more affordable homes.
H.R. 5878, the “HOME Reform Act,” a part of which is in Section 501, introduced by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5), which would overhaul HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program, streamline regulations to strengthen public-private partnerships, and remove duplicative environmental reviews.
H.R. 7344, the “Affordable Housing Supply Chain Clarity Act,” or Section 501(m), introduced by Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) which would direct HUD to complete a review of the implementation of Build America, Buy America Act with respect to the HOME Program and issue updated guidance and submit a report to Congress to clarify its applicability.
H.R. 4957, the “Rural Housing Service Reform Act,” or Section 502, co-led by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5), which would make several reforms to the existing Rural Housing Service (RHS), including permanently decoupling USDA’s Section 521 Rental Assistance (RA) from maturing Section 515 mortgage loans, which will allow USDA to renew RA contracts, keep rural residents stably housed, and maintain tenant protections and housing affordability.
H.R. 8878, the “Incentivizing Local Solutions to Homelessness Act,” or Section 503, co-led by Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) and Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-5), which would allow states and localities that receive Emergency Solutions Grant funding to request a waiver of the statutory 60% spending cap on emergency shelter beds and street outreach.
H.R. 8291, the “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act,” or Section 504, introduced by Congressman Al Green (TX-9), which would authorize for three years and reform the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery. It also provides flexible funding primarily for low-and moderate-income communities recovering from major disasters.
H.R. 2362, the “VA Home Loan Awareness Act,” or Section 601, co-led by Representatives Al Green (TX-9), Brittany Petterson (CO-7), and Joyce Beatty (OH-3) which would require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to add a disclosure to the Uniform Residential Loan Application to ensure veterans are made aware of their home loan benefits through the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), which may provide a more affordable lending option.
H.R. 965, the “Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act,” or Section 602, introduced by Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32), which would permanently exclude veterans’ disability compensation from annual income calculations under the HUD-VASH program to help more veterans experiencing homelessness access housing.
H.R. 3694, the “VA Loan Informed Disclosure Act,” or Section 603, introduced by Congresswoman Brittany Petterson (CO-7), which would improve transparency for veteran homebuyers by requiring Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage disclosures to include cost comparison information of VA home loans benefits alongside FHA financing options. This provision would allow applicants to self-identify their military service status to allow lenders to provide information about VA loans.
H.R. 3774, the “HUD Accountability Act of 2025,” or Section 701, co-led by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5) which would require annual testimony from the head of HUD relating to the status of federal housing programs and other issues.
H.R. 5975, the “Appraisal Modernization Act,” or Section 704, introduced by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), which would require mortgage lenders to maintain procedures to allow consumer-initiated requests for second appraisals, or reconsiderations of value, when they believe there may be an issue with their appraised home value. It would also require GAO to issue a report to Congress on the feasibility of a publicly available appraisal database.
H.R. 5429, the “HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act,” or Section 801, co-led by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-3), which would direct HUD, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the VA to identify areas for collaboration to streamline and improve housing program implementation.
H.R. 4989, the “Streamlining Rural Housing Act,” or Section 802, co-led by Representatives Brittany Pettersen (CO-7) and David Scott (GA-13), which would direct HUD and USDA to coordinate on joint environmental reviews for housing projects funded by both agencies.
H.R. 8877 or Section 803, introduced by Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), which would direct HUD to conduct a study on the implementation of work requirements by public housing authorities (PHAs) with an assessment of the challenges and benefits of work requirements on PHAs and families, including the effects on homelessness, poverty, asset building, job attainment, and PHA administrative capacity.
H.R. 7504, the “Housing for America’s Middle Class Act of 2026,” or Section 804(a), co-led by Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), which would require the Government Accountability Office recommend a definition for workforce housing and study how to develop new workforce housing.
Section 804(d), which would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study key provisions from H.R. 1640, the “HEIRS Act,” introduced by Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-5), including to define residential heirs property, review model state law, identify resources for impacted owners and heirs, and offer recommendations.
H.R. 6344, the “CAT Act,” introduced by Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), and part of Section 805, which would increase transparency by requiring covered public housing agencies to publicly disclose information regarding each contract entered into by such covered public housing agency.
H.R. 6825, introduced by Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-7), and part of Section 805, which would require Federal monitors and receivers of public housing agencies to testify before Congress.
H.R. 3234, the “Keeping Deposits Local Act,” or Section 902, co-led by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-3), would increase the amount of reciprocal deposits exempted from certain restrictions, utilizing a tiered approach based on a bank’s size that favors smaller banks. Reciprocal deposits are part of a network run by a third-party where a bank provides more insurance for a customer, including small businesses, that is greater than $250,000 (the current FDIC deposit insurance cap). The funds are distributed to other banks in the network, and those banks reciprocate and provide the originating bank matching funds so it may use the full amount of the deposit for lending or other purposes. When paired with deposit insurance reforms proposed by Ranking Member Maxine Waters and supported by the Treasury Secretary Bessent, these reforms would provide a comprehensive update to the deposit insurance framework for the benefit of community financial institutions (including CDFIs and MDIs), small businesses, and their workers.
H.R. 4478, the “Tailored Regulatory Updates for Supervisory Testing (TRUST) Act,” or Section 903, co-led by Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), would increases the asset threshold from $3 billion to $6 billion for well-capitalized and well-managed banks with less than that amount in total assets to qualify for an 18-month examination cycle instead of a 12-month exam.
H.R. 975, the “Credit Union Board Modernization Act,” or Section 904, introduced by Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-52), would reduce board meeting requirements for well-managed credit unions, aligning Federal standards with similar credit union board requirements for many states. This provision has passed the House several times with broad bipartisan support.
H.R. 3716, the “Systemic Risk Authority Transparency Act,” or Section 905, introduced by Congressman Al Green (TX-9), would require Government Accountability Office and banking regulators to issue reports if regulators invoke the systemic risk exception, as they did to manage the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in 2023. These reports would provide Congress and the public an analysis to identify the causes of the bank failures, including any management, supervisory, or regulatory shortcomings.
H.R. 3709, the “Advancing the Mentor-Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act,” or Section 906, introduced by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-3), would codify the Treasury Department’s program to encourage partnerships and allow big banks to serve as mentors to community financial institutions, including CDFIs and MDIs. This has passed the House with broad bipartisan support.
H.R. 4544, the “American Access to Banking Act,” or Section 907, introduced by Ranking Member Maxine Waters (CA-43), would promote the formation of new community banks and credit unions (known as de novo depository institutions), including new CDFIs, MDIs, and rural institutions to expand financial access in underserved communities. Federal banking and credit union agencies would be required to streamline application processes, minimize duplicative data requests, and review capital-raising challenges de novos face. It further requires the development of outreach and education programs, and Federal regulator engagement with stakeholders as well as coordination with State regulators to support them in chartering de novo firms.
H.R. 6536, the “Rural Depositories Revitalization Study Act,” or Section 909, co-led by Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), would require Federal banking agencies to study and report on approaches to support rural depository institutions and their ability to provide financial access to consumers, farms, and other businesses in their communities.
H.R. 8903, the “Renter Resource Center Act,” introduced by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), and part of Section 1001, which would create a renter resource center, including a national hotline and public website, for reporting, monitoring, and resolving renter disputes with institutional investor landlords. This provision would also establish procedures for timely responses by regulators and institutional investor landlords, connect renters with State authorities, and require annual Congressional reports on such reported renter disputes and annual notifications to HUD by institutional investor landlords about the number and location of their properties.
