House Republicans to Vote on Amended Senate Housing Bill Next Week

House Republican leadership is planning to put an amended version of the Senate’s housing bill on the floor for a vote as soon as next week. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act cleared the Senate in March 2026 but has been held up in the House of Representatives as some Republicans express upset over provisions added in the Senate that could limit the housing supply.

The underlying bill is meant to ease the housing affordability crunch by lessening some government regulations on housing and incentivizing state and local governments to ease land-use regulations.

A provision banning large institutional investors from buying single-family homes was added to the Senate bill after President Donald Trump called for it in his 2026 State of the Union address. The bill also contains language that would require investors in build-to-rent homes to sell those houses within seven years.

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance posted on social media this week calling on the House to pass the Senate’s version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) have indicated that they are weighing changes to the Senate bill. Washington Examiner reported that the National Association of Home Builders threatened to withdraw support over the bill’s language.

A group of prominent housing experts and economists sent an open letter stating that the bill’s provisions would make housing investment uneconomical, amount to a soft ban, and directly lead to fewer homes being built.

Desmond Lachman, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told the Washington Examiner that a lot of the measures take a while before they have an effect and that changing regulations, getting rid of red tape, and making zoning easier means you are not going to get short-term relief.

Brian Darling, a Republican strategist and former Senate aide, told the Washington Examiner that housing is a big issue that polls very high and that passing this bill would give Republicans the opportunity to jawbone the issue. Peter Loge, director of the George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, told the Washington Examiner that it is important for the Republicans to do anything on affordability before the midterms.

8% for the year ending in April. The producer price index showed that wholesale inflation exploded to a 6% rate, the biggest increase since 2022. Much of the most recent increase in inflation is attributable to the war in Iran, which has pushed energy prices higher.

Andrew Bates, a Democratic strategist and former Biden administration White House spokesperson, told the Washington Examiner that this legislation won’t make up for how tariffs and chaos are raising housing costs but it would be a mistake not to pass a bill that increases housing supply.

Republicans are under increasing political pressure to get the bipartisan legislation to President Donald Trump’s desk before the midterm elections. Even if the legislation fails to lower housing prices this year, it would still be a legislative achievement Republicans could message on.