21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

Bill Number: H.R. 6644
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 2
Policy Area: Housing and Community Development
Status: To President
Latest Action: 2026-06-29: Presented to President.
Last Updated: 2026-07-10T16:08:34Z

AI-Generated Summary

21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644)

Purpose This legislation aims to increase the national supply of housing, improve affordability and accessibility, reform federal housing programs, support veterans and rural communities, enhance oversight, and adjust banking rules to encourage more private-sector participation in housing finance. It addresses barriers such as zoning restrictions, environmental review delays, limited small-dollar lending, and manufactured housing rules.

Key Provisions The bill contains 12 titles with targeted reforms and new programs:

Title I (Opportunities for Housing): Reforms housing counseling with performance reviews and foreclosure mitigation options; issues federal guidelines for point-access block buildings (single-stair designs up to 6 stories); exempts certain rural infill housing from environmental studies; creates a public database of undeveloped government-owned land; launches a pilot for FHA small-dollar mortgages; establishes a temperature sensor pilot in federally assisted housing; and requires guidelines for state and local zoning frameworks to boost housing production.

Title II (Building More in America): Prioritizes grants in opportunity zones; creates a Whole-Home Repairs pilot for low-income homeowners and small landlords; expands public welfare investments by banks; adds new construction of affordable housing as an eligible Community Development Block Grant activity; streamlines environmental reviews for HUD projects; expands categorical exclusions under NEPA for certain housing activities; provides grants for affordable housing planning; funds an Innovation Fund for jurisdictions increasing housing supply; supports prereviewed housing designs; creates a pilot to convert vacant commercial buildings to housing; adjusts FHA multifamily loan limits; expands the Rental Assistance Demonstration program; and ties Community Development Block Grant allocations to local housing growth rates.

Title III (Manufactured Housing for America): Expands the definition of manufactured homes to include units without a permanent chassis; requires states to certify equal treatment of these homes; modernizes FHA property improvement and manufactured housing loans; and establishes a Preservation and Reinvestment for Community Enhancement program for manufactured home communities.

Title IV (Accessing the American Dream): Incentivizes small-dollar mortgage originators; evaluates points-and-fees rules for small-dollar loans; improves appraisal standards and supports workforce development; expands the Family Self-Sufficiency program with an escrow pilot; and allows housing choice vouchers to satisfy inspection requirements when other federal programs have already inspected the unit.

Title V (Program Reform): Reauthorizes and reforms the HOME Investment Partnerships program; overhauls Rural Housing Service programs with a new Housing Preservation and Revitalization Program and rural community development grants; creates incentives for local homelessness solutions; reforms disaster recovery with a new Long-Term Disaster Recovery Fund and streamlined rules; and adds a new Moving to Work cohort focused on economic opportunity.

Title VI (Veterans and Housing): Adds a military service question to the Uniform Residential Loan Application; excludes certain VA disability benefits from income calculations for housing assistance; and requires disclosure of VA loan options.

Title VII (Oversight and Accountability): Requires annual testimony by the HUD Secretary; mandates FHA safety-and-soundness reporting; strengthens oversight of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness; and directs studies on appraisal data transparency.

Title VIII (Accountability, Coordination, Studies, and Reporting): Requires interagency coordination among HUD, USDA, and VA; directs streamlining of rural housing environmental reviews and inspections; studies work requirements in public housing; mandates GAO studies on workforce housing, housing for elderly or disabled persons, proximity to Superfund sites, and heirs’ property; and requires greater transparency from public housing agencies under receivership.

Title IX (Strengthening Community Banks’ Role in Housing): Allows limited use of custodial deposits without counting toward the brokered-deposit threshold; adjusts reciprocal deposit limits; raises the asset threshold for 18-month examination cycles; modernizes credit union board meeting requirements; increases transparency around systemic risk determinations; creates a Financial Agent Mentor-Protege Program; and directs studies on de novo bank formation and rural depository institutions.

Title X (Home-Ownership for Main Street America): Prohibits large institutional investors (those controlling 350 or more single-family homes) from purchasing additional single-family homes, with exceptions for new construction, build-to-rent, renovate-to-rent, homeownership programs, foreclosures, and certain other transactions; establishes a HUD renter outreach resource; and imposes civil penalties for violations.

Title XI (Central Bank Digital Currency): Prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency or substantially similar digital asset without congressional authorization (sunsets December 31, 2030).

Title XII (Miscellaneous): Contains standard severability and no-additional-funds provisions.

Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill amends the National Housing Act, Housing Act of 1949, Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Federal Deposit Insurance Act, and other statutes. Notable changes include new categorical exclusions and streamlined environmental reviews, expanded FHA loan limits and small-dollar mortgage authority, updated manufactured housing standards, HOME program reauthorization with flexibility for infrastructure and new construction, a new disaster recovery framework, adjustments to brokered-deposit rules for community banks, and the first statutory prohibition on large-scale institutional purchases of single-family homes.

Potential Impacts

Government agencies: HUD, USDA Rural Housing Service, and VA gain new pilot programs, reporting duties, and coordination requirements; the Federal Reserve faces restrictions on digital currency; state and local governments receive zoning guidance and grants but face possible reallocation of block grant funds based on housing production.
Citizens: Expanded access to counseling, small-dollar loans, manufactured homes, and home repair assistance; potential increase in housing supply and affordability, especially for low- and moderate-income households, veterans, and rural residents; new renter protections and outreach tools.
International relations: No direct impact identified.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Federal agencies (HUD, USDA, VA, FHFA, Federal Reserve, FDIC, NCUA).
Public housing agencies and local governments.
Developers, lenders, appraisers, and community banks.
Homeowners, renters, veterans, and low-income households.
Large institutional investors in single-family housing.
Manufactured housing industry and rural communities.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The legislation expands federal involvement in local land-use decisions through zoning guidelines and conditional funding while simultaneously reducing regulatory burdens (environmental reviews, inspection duplication). It introduces a novel federal prohibition on certain private-market transactions in single-family homes. The central bank digital currency restriction asserts congressional authority over monetary policy tools. The bill maintains existing fair housing, labor, and environmental requirements but creates multiple waiver authorities and pilot programs that test new approaches to housing supply.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Hill, J. French [R-AR-2]

Cosponsors (31)

Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43], Rep. Flood, Mike [R-NE-1], Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5], Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9], Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17], Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7], Rep. Rose, John W. [R-TN-6], Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32], Rep. Steil, Bryan [R-WI-1], Rep. Scott, David [D-GA-13], Rep. Stutzman, Marlin A. [R-IN-3], Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3], Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9], Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7], Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2], Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29], Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15], Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7], Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3], Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6], Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27], Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5], Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2], Rep. Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16], Rep. Haridopolos, Mike [R-FL-8], Rep. Moskowitz, Jared [D-FL-23], Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14]

Recent Actions

2026-06-29: Presented to President.
2026-06-29: Presented to President.
2026-06-23: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2026-06-23: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 358 - 32 (Roll no. 224). (text: CR H4151-4187) (Roll call 224)
2026-06-23: Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 358 - 32 (Roll no. 224). (text: CR H4151-4187) (Roll call 224)
2026-06-23: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
2026-06-23: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment.
2026-06-23: Mr. Hill (AR) moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment. (consideration: CR H4151-4193)
2026-06-23: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
2026-06-22: Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment with an amendment (SA 5823) by Yea-Nay Vote. 85 - 5. Record Vote Number: 182. (Roll call 182)
2026-06-22: Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment with an amendment (SA 5823) by Yea-Nay Vote. 85 - 5. Record Vote Number: 182. (Roll call 182)
2026-06-22: Considered by Senate (Message from the House considered). (consideration: CR S2977, S2982-2984)
2026-06-18: Motion by Senator Thune to refer to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs the House message to accompany H.R. 6644 with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 5825) fell when cloture was invoked on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 6644 in Senate.
2026-06-18: Cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 6644 with an amendment (SA 5823) invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 84 - 8. Record Vote Number: 180. (Roll call 180)
2026-06-18: Considered by Senate (Message from the House considered). (consideration: CR S2913-2917)

Bill Versions

21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — issued 2026-05-20 — PDF (306 pages)
21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — issued 2026-03-12 — PDF (302 pages)
21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — issued 2026-06-22 — PDF (374 pages)
Housing for the 21st Century Act — issued 2026-02-09 — PDF (202 pages)
21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — issued 2026-06-25 — PDF (139 pages)
Housing for the 21st Century Act — issued 2025-12-11 — PDF (120 pages)
Housing for the 21st Century Act — issued 2026-02-24 — PDF (202 pages)
Housing for the 21st Century Act — issued 2026-01-15 — PDF (138 pages)