5 Key Takeaways on Washington's Dilemma on Inventory vs. Housing

"The housing crisis in the U.S. has left many feeling the pinch of rising rents and unattainable homeownership. Amidst the shortage of 4 million units and a historic low in affordability, various housing plans are being proposed in Washington."

"The bill focuses on incentivizing local governments to streamline processes for building homes, creating an Innovation Fund for infrastructure, and modernizing financing rules to increase housing supply. The proposal aims to reduce rents for working- and middle-class families by about 10% over the next decade and includes down payment assistance for first-time buyers and grants for communities facing appraisal gaps."

"The ROAD to Housing Act of 2025 is a bipartisan effort to tackle the housing crisis by expanding supply, improving access, and enhancing accountability."

The United States faces a housing shortage of about four million units and historic lows in affordability, driving rising rents and limiting homeownership. Proposed federal measures prioritize increasing supply, improving access, and boosting accountability. The ROAD to Housing Act of 2025 would incentivize local governments to streamline permitting, create an Innovation Fund for infrastructure, and modernize financing rules to spur construction. The plan targets roughly a 10% rent reduction over the next decade, includes down payment assistance for first-time buyers, and provides grants for communities with appraisal gaps. Separate proposals would remove capital gains taxes on primary-residence sales to encourage housing turnover.

Read at SFGATE