The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

Key Takeaways

• A historic bipartisan achievement: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law on July 10, 2026, marking the most significant federal housing legislation in decades.
• Years of advocacy helped shape the final bill: Enterprise Community Partners worked with lawmakers, coalition partners, and housing leaders to help shape and advance a range of provisions designed to expand housing supply, preserve affordability, and strengthen communities.
• The law delivers practical tools to address the housing crisis: Key provisions support affordable housing preservation, streamline rental assistance, expand community development investment, strengthen disaster recovery efforts, and improve housing programs serving rural communities.
•  Implementation will determine impact: While enactment is a major milestone, the bill's success will depend on effective execution by federal agencies, state and local governments, housing providers, and community partners.

Overview

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents the most significant federal housing legislation in decades. Passed by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support and enacted on July 10, 2026, the bill reflects a rare national consensus around the urgent need to improve housing affordability across the United States.

This page tracks what's next. Find Enterprise's latest analyses, explainers, statements, media coverage, and implementation updates as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act moves from legislation to real-world results.

Congress did its job. It is time for the rest of us to get on this at the local level, in the private sector, in the nonprofit sector, and make the promise real.

Shaun Donovan, PBS Newshour, June 24, 2026

The landmark law creates new opportunities to expand housing supply, improve affordability, and modernize essential programs. Enterprise Community Partners played a key role in shaping and advancing the comprehensive package, working alongside lawmakers, coalition partners, and housing leaders to champion many of the bill’s core provisions and help build the bipartisan support that carried it across the finish line.

Among the provisions Enterprise helped advance are:

• Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery: Authorizes the program for three years, helping communities affected by disasters access critical resources more quickly and consistently.
• HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Reform Act: Reauthorizes and streamlines this flexible program to better support housing production.
• Public Welfare Investment Cap: Raises the cap from 15% to 20%, expanding banks’ capacity to invest in tools such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and New Markets Tax Credit programs.
• Rental Assistance Demonstration: Raises the RAD cap, enabling an additional 100,000 public housing units to participate while strengthening protections that preserve affordability.
• Rural Housing Service Reform Act: Supports the preservation of rental housing in rural communities and protects rental assistance for nearly 400,000 renters.
• Voucher and rental-assistance streamlining: Makes it easier for landlords to participate in housing assistance programs and for families to access support more quickly.

Enactment is only the beginning. The bill's ultimate success will depend on implementation. Enterprise’s work now turns to translating policy into action and helping ensure these new tools and resources deliver meaningful results for communities across the country.

News and Statements:

Congress Did its Job on Housing. Now, Let’s Get to Work.
Writing with fellow former HUD Secretary Steve Preston, Enterprise CEO Shaun Donovan argues that the ROAD to Housing Act will only achieve its full potential through “coordinated implementation, local partnership, and a clear path to construction.”

From Policy to Impact: How this Century’s Biggest Housing Bill Came to Be
An interview with Enterprise VP of Policy Liz Osborn on how the bipartisan bill unfolded, how it promises to expand housing affordability, and why the next phase — implementation — is crucial.

Sweeping Housing Affordability Bill Becomes Law
"This is a bill that changes rules and regulations. It will unlock funding, but most of the provisions are only as good as the implementation," Enterprise CEO Shaun Donovan told CNN.

Here’s What to Know About the Housing Bill that Could Become Law Friday
On CNBCs Squawk Box, Enterprise CEO Shaun Donovan calls the bill "the most significant piece of housing legislation" in decades, underscoring the need to put that momentum to work amid the nation's deepening housing crisis.

What’s in the Housing Affordability Bill?
Enterprise CEO Shaun Donovan joined PBS Newshour to break down what he has called the most comprehensive housing bill of this century.

Enterprise CEO Shaun Donovan's Statement on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
“This legislation equips states, local leaders, and housing experts with the tools needed to turn plans into homes,” said Donovan, following passage of the bill in the U.S. Senate.

A Generational Opportunity: Bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act Paves the Way for Progress
An analysis of the emerging housing legislation, a comprehensive package that brings together 40 different provisions — including some of Enterprise’s top policy priorities.