Central Pines Regional Council has developed a brief overview of two major federal housing proposals currently advancing in Congress: The Housing for the 21st Century Act and the ROAD to Housing Act. 17 of 38 sections in the House package align at least in part with the Senate package. Lawmakers still have to reconcile differences to pass a final bill, but areas of alignment can give local governments a sense of where federal policy might head.
Both bills aim to increase housing supply, expand financing access, and reduce regulatory barriers, with a growing emphasis on tying funding to housing production outcomes. Together, they signal a shift toward more flexible, locally driven tools to accelerate development.
This resource also highlights what these changes could mean for Central Pines communities as they prepare for future funding and policy opportunities, as well as potential changes to long-standing housing programs such as the Community Development Block Grant. Both acts note that they “tie some localities’ Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to their housing production, including bonuses for accelerated homebuilding and small funding reductions for lagging grantees,” so jurisdictions may benefit from shifting CDBG allocations toward production-focused activities to avoid potential penalties and maximize future funding opportunities.