WASHINGTON — In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to pass a sweeping housing bill designed to bring down the cost of buying and renting a home across the country.
The 358-32 vote sends the measure to President Donald Trump, who is expected to put his signature on it Wednesday at the Capitol. The Senate had already approved the bill 85-5 on Monday.
The legislation takes aim at the nation’s housing affordability crisis on multiple fronts — cutting federal red tape, speeding up environmental reviews, accelerating construction timelines, and reining in corporate landlords by restricting their ability to buy single-family homes. Lawmakers from both parties described it as one of the most far-reaching attempts in decades to grow the housing supply and ease costs for everyday Americans.
Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California, one of the bill’s key negotiators, pointed to troubling statistics driving the push for action. She noted that the median age of a first-time homebuyer has climbed to 40, and that rents have jumped roughly 47% since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“Our country must do better and today we will,” she said.
The final package was assembled from dozens of separate bills following months of negotiations — a striking contrast to the partisan gridlock that has defined much of the current congressional session.
House Financial Services Chairman French Hill, an Arkansas Republican who collaborated with Waters and Senate colleagues to craft the bill, called it the first time in years that Congress has united to make “measurable, accountable changes” to the country’s housing laws.
He said the bill will “help build more homes to meet that growing demand and keep the American dream within reach.”
Among its many provisions, the legislation would broaden access to financing, promote the development of non-traditional housing options such as modular homes, establish new protections for renters, and strengthen programs focused on reducing homelessness.
The bill would also direct funding to local governments that exceed the median rate of homebuilding, including through Community Development Block Grant dollars. It sets aside money to help communities convert abandoned infrastructure into housing and provides a framework for reforming outdated zoning rules that have long blocked larger housing developments.
Additionally, the legislation raises caps on the number of public housing units eligible for renovation financing and formally establishes a recovery program to help get funds to communities rebuilding after natural disasters.
One provision that did not make the final cut was a Senate measure that would have required investors to sell newly built homes within seven years of purchase.
Both parties have rallied around the bill as evidence they are tackling the affordability crisis head-on. The U.S. housing market has struggled since 2022, when mortgage rates began rising sharply from their pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously owned homes have been hovering near a 4-million annual pace since 2023 — well below the historical norm of 5.2 million per year. Sales hit a 30-year low last year and have remained weak in early 2025, falling in both January and February compared to the same period a year ago.
A report released by the Economic Report of the President in April identified a shortage of 10 million homes nationwide. Separately, a recent report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University found existing home sales at three-decade lows and rising inventory due to steep buying costs. “Cost burdens for both renters and owners continue to climb, while assistance remains profoundly underfunded,” that report stated.
Although the median U.S. monthly rent has been edging lower for nearly three years, it was still 17.2% above pre-pandemic levels as of May, according to data from Realtor.com.
The bill earned broad support across the housing industry, drawing backing from groups representing landlords and large property owners as well as organizations that advocate for tenants and low-income renters.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., summed up the mood on the House floor ahead of the vote: “In this polarized and angry Congress, we are actually getting something done.”
