11 Jun 2026 BPC Action Urges Final Housing Package in 2026 in Housing
Members of Congress in both chambers have demonstrated extraordinary bipartisan leadership in addressing the nation’s shortage of affordable homes and high housing costs. BPC Action has formally endorsed both the Senate-passed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and the House-passed amended version of that legislation, and we thank Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Reps. French Hill (R-AR) and Maxine Waters (D-CA) for spearheading these efforts. Both versions would meaningfully improve housing affordability for families across the country, and we applaud the overwhelmingly strong and bipartisan votes.
As Congress works to reconcile the two versions of the bill, BPC’s Terwilliger Center Advisory Committee released this letter urging the House, Senate, and White House to work together to pass a comprehensive housing package into law. The legislative momentum is real, and it’s time for Congress to seize it.
During this process, we urge them to consider the many shared priorities found in both bills while additionally considering the below sections found in only one chamber’s version of the bill:
- Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program (Senate Section 201): Lifts the unit cap for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) RAD program—proven to be one of the most effective tools available for preserving and improving public housing—and extends protections for tenants in RAD buildings.
- Reforming Disaster Recovery Act (Senate Section 501): HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program is a critical lifeline for communities rebuilding after natural disasters. Codifying and strengthening CDBG-DR in statute would provide greater certainty, speed recovery timelines, and ensure resources reach the most vulnerable families.
- New Moving to Work (MTW) Cohort (Senate Section 504): The MTW demonstration allows selected public housing authorities (PHAs) to develop and test innovative, locally designed strategies to meet their communities’ specific needs. Authorizing a new MTW cohort, with specific eligibility and reporting requirements, will give more PHAs the flexibility they need to reduce costs, improve the self-sufficiency of assisted households, and increase housing choice.
- Federal Guidelines for Point-Access Block Buildings (House Section 102): Directs HUD to establish guidelines for point-access block buildings to help states, tribes, territories, and localities permit residential buildings with a single internal stairway for up to five stories. Allowing additional design flexibility, while maintaining safety standards, can reduce development costs for smaller residential buildings.
- Housing Supply Frameworks Act (House Section 107): Directs HUD to publish guidelines and best practice frameworks for state and local zoning and land-use policies. These frameworks would serve as a resource for communities looking for ways to make it easier to build housing.
- Strengthening Community Banks’ Role in Housing (House Sections 901-912): Targeted regulatory relief for smaller, community banks can strengthen housing supply, expand mortgage access, and support local economic development, while ensuring that these banks are not disproportionately burdened by regulations intended for the largest and most complex financial institutions.
BPC Action stands ready to support these efforts, and we look forward to seeing a final package signed into law.
