FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2026
Contact:
Louisa Tavlas
ltavlas@niskanencenter.org
Washington, D.C. – The Niskanen Center welcomed the House passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, calling the legislation a significant federal response to the nation’s worsening housing shortage. Passed by a bipartisan vote of 396-13, the package builds on earlier Senate efforts and represents Congress’s most substantial action to increase housing supply in decades, at a time when affordability pressures continue to push homeownership and stable rental housing further out of reach for millions of Americans.
“The Niskanen Center strongly supports the inclusion of the Housing Supply Frameworks Act in the congressional housing package,” said Rohan Aras, Transportation Analyst at the Niskanen Center. “The federal government wrote the model for today’s supply constraining zoning codes in the 1920s. The legislation would direct HUD to modernize those frameworks with the explicit goal of helping states and cities increase homebuilding and lower housing costs for everyday Americans.”
At the same time, the organization expressed disappointment that the final amended package did not include the Build Now Act, legislation that would create targeted incentives for local governments to significantly increase housing construction in high-demand areas.
“While this package marks meaningful progress, the housing shortage demands continued action,” Aras continued. “We remain hopeful that Congress will advance the Build Now Act and pursue additional policies that directly support large-scale homebuilding and long-term affordability.”
The Niskanen Center is a 501(c)(3) advocacy organization established in 2014 to change public policy through direct engagement in the policymaking process.
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