On July 29, 2025, The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee voted the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act out of committee with a 24-0 vote. A section-by-section summary is available here. Below are a selection of sections of most interest to NH&RA members:

  • Section 201, Eliminates the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) cap and makes the program permanent.
  • Section 202, Allows the HUD Secretary to prioritize HUD grants in Opportunity Zones.
  • Section 203, Housing Supply Frameworks Act: directs HUD to develop best practices and guidance for state and local governments on zoning and land use policies that promote the production of sufficient housing across all income levels.
  • Section 205, Community Investment and Prosperity Act: raises the cap on banks’ public welfare investments, including affordable housing, from 15 to 20 percent.
    • Why This Matters: As many banks hit the current 15% cap, this increase would enable them to expand their investments in LIHTC and other affordable housing related tax credits.
  • Section 207 & 208, Better Use of Intergovernmental and Local Development (BUILD) Housing Act and Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act: streamlines National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews and increases housing development.
  • Section 301, Housing Supply Expansion Act: updates the federal definition of manufactured housing to include modular and prefabricated units not built on a permanent chassis to encourage innovation and expand naturally occurring affordable housing.
  • Section 302, Modular Housing Production Act: requires the FHA to assess barriers to FHA-insured lending for modular housing and directs the HUD Secretary to modify the financing draw schedule to encourage modular housing construction.
  • Section 404, Helping More Families Save Act: establishes a pilot program under HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) initiative to promote economic mobility and homeownership by enabling more families to grow their household savings.
  • Section 405, Choice in Affordable Housing Act: reduces HUD inspection delays by allowing units that are financed through other federal housing programs to automatically satisfy voucher inspection requirements if inspected within the past year, and permits new landlords to request pre-inspections to increase access to housing for voucher holders and encourage landlord participation.
  • Section 502, HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act: permanently authorizes the program; expands funding flexibility for participating jurisdictions; streamlines property inspection requirements; and broadens eligibility to more nonprofits and Community Land Trusts.
  • Section 503, Rural Housing Service Reform Act: enacts reforms to the existing Rural Housing Service, including decoupling rental assistance from maturing mortgages to preserve affordable housing in rural areas.
  • Section 801, HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act: directs HUD, USDA, and the VA to identify areas for collaboration to streamline and improve housing program implementation.
  • Section 802, Streamlining Rural Housing Act: directs HUD and USDA to coordinate on joint environmental reviews for housing projects funded by both agencies
  • Section 803, Improving Self-Sufficiency of Families in HUD-Subsidized Housing: directs HUD to conduct a study on the implementation of work requirements by public housing agencies, with an assessment of the challenges and benefits of work requirements on public housing agencies and families, including the effects on homelessness, poverty, asset building, job attainment, and public housing agency administrative capacity.
  • Several sections:
    • Advance solutions to homelessness through program reforms and increased local flexibility
    • Improve housing access for veterans and expand eligibility for housing assistance

What’s Next: The bill will likely be considered by the full Senate in September when Senators return from their August recess. As Senator Kennedy shares in this clip, he hopes his colleagues will “chase Senator Thune, our majority leader, like a dog to the tree line getting him to bring this bill up on the floor.”