June 17, 2026

The Facts: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Delivers a Bipartisan, Bicameral Win for Housing Affordability

Washington, D.C. — As the Senate moves to consider the latest iteration of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, Senate Banking Committee Republicans released a Myth vs. Fact document to set the record straight on the comprehensive housing affordability package led by Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.). The updated 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act reflects years of bipartisan, bicameral work and incorporates priorities from the Senate, House, and White House into a strong final package to lower costs, increase housing supply, protect local control, and deliver a win for American families. This bipartisan, bicameral product is the most comprehensive housing policy bill of this century.

To read the full Myth vs. Fact document, click here.

BACKGROUND:

Myth vs. Fact: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

TOPLINE: Beginning with the Banking Committee’s markup last July, over the course of the past year, the House and the Senate have acted with overwhelming bipartisan majorities on comprehensive housing packages – the first such effort in at least 30 years. It is now time for both chambers to act decisively to deliver a fully bipartisan, bicameral housing bill, where everybody wins. This product meets that mandate.

As the Senate moves to consider the latest iteration of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, it is important to dispel myths and underscore facts ahead of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver a bipartisan affordability to the President’s desk ahead of the Fourth of July.

MYTH: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act spends government dollars.

FACT: According to the Congressional Budget Office, the updated 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is deficit-neutral. While the bill authorizes a small handful of pilot programs, it requires Congress to appropriate funding later, meaning Congress ultimately retains full control over whether any dollars are spent.

MYTH: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act preempts local zoning decisions.

FACT: By design, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act does not preempt local or state zoning. This is one reason why the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities support the bill. Chairman Scott believes zoning decisions are best made locally, not in Washington.

MYTH: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is anti-family and only helps renters.

FACT: Chairman Scott recognizes a basic market truth: increasing supply creates more pathways to homeownership. By making it easier for builders to build, lenders to lend responsibly, and families to save, the bill expands options for both renters and future homeowners. While additional housing will certainly lower rents for those who choose to rent, ROAD’s premise is that “rising tides raise all boats.”

MYTH: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act builds upon failed programs.

FACT: ROAD rethinks and modernizes existing housing programs. It refreshes the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the federal government’s largest affordable housing construction program, for the first time in over 30 years. It streamlines inspections, encourages innovation, and tests time-limited pilots to evaluate better approaches before making permanent changes.

Examples of time-limited, innovative, bipartisan pilot proposals include:

  • Streamlining the Lead and Healthy Homes program to work better for communities, especially rural ones, focused on preservation
  • Testing blight remediation as a housing solution in communities like Gary, Indiana
  • Directing federal housing dollars toward communities that prioritize affordability, in a budget-neutral way
  • Re-examining homelessness programs to ensure they work effectively for communities on the front lines