Locked Out: Can Congress Fix the Housing Crisis?

"Nationally, the housing market is short millions of homes. The bill addresses ways to build housing across the spectrum, including single-family homes, multifamily homes (like duplexes), apartment buildings and factory-built homes. Washington can't fix everything, but it does control federal red tape that can slow housing projects."

"The Housing for the 21st Century Act aims to cut through that by: Streamlining regulations for new construction. Allowing pre-approved home designs for faster permitting. Modernizing grant programs to support state and local projects. Making it easier to build and get loans for manufactured homes. Supporting community and rural banks that lend at the local level."

"Simply put, it's about making things run smoother and using existing dollars wisely - not spending more money. The Housing for the 21st Century Act passed the House in a decisive, bipartisan vote of 390-9."

The House of Representatives passed the Housing for the 21st Century Act with overwhelming bipartisan support (390-9 vote), addressing the national shortage of millions of homes. The legislation targets housing supply across all types including single-family homes, multifamily units, apartments, and manufactured homes. The bill streamlines federal regulations that slow housing projects, allows pre-approved home designs for faster permitting, modernizes grant programs for state and local projects, facilitates manufactured home construction and financing, supports community and rural banks in local lending, and improves financial counseling and homebuyer education. The approach focuses on reducing bureaucratic obstacles and optimizing existing resources rather than allocating new federal spending.

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