The U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 9 overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan housing bill aimed at expanding access to homeownership for American families and easing the nation’s affordability crisis.
The measure, known as the Housing for the 21st Century Act, passed by a 390-9 vote. It was introduced by House Financial Services Committee Chair Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., and the committee’s ranking member, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.
In a Feb. 9 press release, Hill said the bill brings real solutions to the American people.
“Owning a home has been the cornerstone achievement many Americans have equated with attaining the American Dream,” he said. “The passage of the Housing for the 21st Century Act includes real, bipartisan solutions to expanding supply, lowering costs, and providing families with more options.”
The bill contains a broad set of provisions designed to expand the nation’s affordable housing stock, primarily by reducing barriers to new construction and incentivizing the construction of multifamily homes, allowing taller buildings on smaller lots, and easing restrictive zoning.
In addition, the measure would create a new pilot initiative within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to award grants for developing standardized, pre-approved housing designs, often referred to as “pattern books,” that already comply with local building codes.
Several provisions focus on expanding so-called “missing middle” housing, homes that fall between single-family residences and large apartment complexes. Supporters say the approach is intended to benefit first-time buyers, lower-income households, and smaller-scale developers, rather than primarily subsidizing high-end projects.
The proposal has drawn broad backing, with more than 50 organizations endorsing it ahead of the vote.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., praised the bill’s passage and framed it as a response to rising housing costs and regulatory burdens.
“Housing costs have soared beyond the reach of millions of American families thanks to Bidenflation,” he said, “while outdated and burdensome red tape has constrained our nation’s affordable housing supply and limited our ability to expand it.”
The nine lawmakers who opposed the bill were Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., Eli Crane, R-Ariz., Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Chip Roy, R-Texas, Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., and Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas.
The vote comes as affordability emerges as a key issue ahead of the November midterm elections. In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order restricting large investment firms from purchasing single-family homes that might otherwise be available to families. According to FOX News, Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act also includes tax incentives designed to spur development in economically distressed communities.
The housing bill now moves to the Senate, where it must pass before heading to Trump’s desk.