The Senate on Thursday passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2026, which includes the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act (S. 2651), just over a month after 28 housing groups urged the Senate to bring it to the floor for full consideration.
The bill, which involves a wide range of policy approaches to address housing affordability, including provisions to boost supply, modernize financing options, reduce regulatory barriers and promote economic mobility, previously passed the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in July with a unanimous 24-0 vote.
“Today, the Senate took a historic step towards addressing our nation’s worsening housing crisis and bringing down costs for the American people by passing the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act,” Elizabeth Warren said in a statement posted on the committee’s website Thursday. “This landmark legislation – the first of its kind in more than a decade – takes important steps to boost the nation’s housing supply, improve housing affordability, and increase oversight and efficiency of federal regulators and housing programs. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to get the bill to the President’s desk.”
The Mortgage Bankers Association‘s CEO and President Bob Broeksmit called the Senate’s passage of the ROAD to Housing Act “a win for housing affordability and consumers.”
“Many of the provisions within the bipartisan measure are aimed to take meaningful steps to boost housing supply, cut red tape in federal program offerings, and expand access to affordable mortgage credit for families nationwide,” Broeksmit added.
He continued, “As the bill moves to the House, MBA will stay fully engaged with Congressional leaders in both chambers to strengthen key provisions – including those dealing with lender liability and second appraisals – to ensure the final package delivers meaningful results for consumers, lenders, and the communities they serve.”
The National Housing Conference (NHC) applauded the Senate’s passage on Friday. David Dworkin, president and CEO of NHC, released a statement regarding several of the bill’s proposals.
“The housing affordability crisis has impacted every community in America, regardless of politics or geography. We are grateful to Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) for their leadership in ensuring the inclusion of the ROAD to Housing Act in the Senate-passed NDAA,” Dworkin wrote.
He continued, “The ROAD to Housing Act includes several important proposals that NHC has long supported or endorsed, including the PRICE Act, Whole-Home Repairs Act, HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act, Choice in Affordable Housing Act, and Build More Housing Near Transit Act. The package also includes important provisions to enhance CDFIs, including the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program Improvement Act and the Scaling Community Lenders Act.”
Dworkin also urged the Senate and House of Representatives to keep both the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) provisions and the ROAD to Housing Act in the final version of the legislation as each group reconciles both of their versions of the NDAA.
Dennis Shea, executive vice president of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy, lauded the vote. “Today, far too many Americans struggle with high housing costs. It was gratifying to see the Senate take action last night by passing the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act. By cutting red tape, providing critical incentives to local communities to spur new construction, and improving access to affordable manufactured and modular housing options, the bill will help close the gap between housing demand and supply. That mismatch is at the heart of today’s housing affordability crisis.”