Washington, D.C., June 18, 2026 – David M. Dworkin, President and CEO of the National Housing Conference (NHC), released the following statement after the Senate passed XX to XX the updated 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:
“The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act builds trust among stakeholders. It strengthens bipartisan relationships. It proves that Congress can act when the need is urgent and the coalition is broad enough. The housing community has spent years building that coalition. This bill is evidence that the effort was worth it.
This package combines many of the strongest provisions developed by Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate. It includes reforms designed to increase housing supply, improve federal housing programs, modernize regulations, strengthen disaster recovery tools, support community development, expand housing counseling and financial literacy efforts, increase opportunities for affordable housing production, and improve access to homeownership and rental housing. The bill does more than just invest federal funds into housing – it improves, modernizes, and streamlines programs that will make existing federal funds go further. And that is a gift that will keep giving.
Compromise is never easy, even when everyone agrees on the goal. The revised legislation reflects months of negotiations, difficult conversations, and hard choices. Housing affordability is one of the few challenges that unites policymakers across party lines. Republicans and Democrats alike recognize that rising housing costs are straining families, limiting economic opportunity, and slowing growth in communities across the country.
No one got everything they wanted. The challenge was knitting together enough common ground to move meaningful housing legislation across the finish line. We did.
The final package reflects the reality that durable legislation is built not on unanimity, but on practical solutions that can earn support across party lines. We are ready to do more. As Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said, “our work is far from done. This is an important step forward, not the final destination.”
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About the National Housing Conference (NHC): Founded in 1931, the National Housing Conference is the oldest and broadest housing coalition in America. NHC is a diverse continuum of affordable housing stakeholders who convene and collaborate through dialogue, advocacy, research, and education, to develop equitable solutions that serve our common interest—an America where everyone is able to live in a quality, affordable home in a thriving community. Politically diverse and nonpartisan, NHC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more about NHC, visit www.nhc.org.