The Opportunity to Foster Housing Stability for Millions is Now; The Administration is Ignoring the Growing Call for Change
Jun 24, 2026
Statement from NLIHC President and CEO Renee M. Willis on the significant setback in addressing the nation’s affordable housing crisis.
Washington, D.C. – “The affordable housing crisis persists as the gap between wages and rental costs leaves stable housing unattainable for millions of low-wage workers and low-income renters. We therefore welcomed Congress’s passage of the landmark ‘21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,’ which includes essential long-term disaster recovery provisions. We are very disappointed that President Trump has canceled the planned signing of the legislation that has passed both chambers of Congress.
By passing this bipartisan bill and swiftly sending it to the president to sign into law, Congress took a significant step toward addressing the threats to housing stability that too many families experience. The decision from this administration to hold this bill hostage until the ‘SAVE Act’ is passed is wrongheaded and a tremendous setback to efforts needed to truly address housing supply constraints and reduce barriers to renting a home. Additionally, abruptly terminating the enactment of the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act, which would speed the flow of critical HUD long-term recovery funds to the disaster survivors who need it most while enacting long-awaited reforms that will make our disaster recovery system fairer and more forward-looking, is cruel. Every day this bill is not signed, hundreds of thousands of disaster survivors must wait needlessly for the resources to rebuild their lives.
Unlike the ‘21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,’ which received bipartisan support from champions in Congress and throughout the housing ecosystem, the ‘SAVE Act’ continues to fail in the Senate. While the ‘21st Century ROAD to Housing Act’ focuses on practical solutions, the ‘SAVE Act’ cites misinformation to justify barriers to voting, increasing voter suppression.
Amid economic uncertainty and looming changes in state and local political authority, passing the historic ‘21st Century ROAD to Housing Act’ reflects growing public understanding that housing affordability is a policy challenge requiring government action. Ignoring this immediate call for action, preventing the passage of needed housing resources that would benefit millions of families, and instead supporting voter suppression policies is a major setback for both housing and voting rights.
More work remains to fully alleviate the affordable housing crisis and permanently close the gap between income and rent for people paying more than half their income on housing. However, the ‘21st Century ROAD to Housing Act’ advances efforts to reduce costs in federal housing programs, reach more families in need, and give our nation the opportunity to enact meaningful changes in housing affordability.
For their leadership in crafting, negotiating, and passing a broad, bipartisan package that will create more housing opportunities for families across the nation, we thank the members of Congress who recognized the tremendous need and worked across the aisle to push for substantive action. We look forward to continuing to work with these champions in the ongoing advocacy for sustained investments needed to ensure families with the lowest incomes can find affordable, accessible, and stable housing.”
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