House Committee on Financial Services Passes Bipartisan “Housing for the 21st Century Act”

The “Housing for the 21st Century Act” (H.R. 6644) passed out of the House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) on December 17 by a vote of 50 to 1, a show of broad bipartisan support from committee members. The bill may come to the full House floor for a vote when Congress returns from its winter recess in January. NLIHC has endorsed the bill and looks forward to working with members to see it enacted.   

Introduced on December 11 by HFSC Chairman Hill (R-AR), Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance Chair Mike Flood (R-NE), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO; see Memo, 12/15), the “Housing for the 21st Century Act” includes 27 provisions related to streamlining local, state, and federal processes; reforming federal programs, including the HOME Investment Partnership program, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, and Rural Housing Service (RHS) programs; manufactured housing; veterans’ access to housing; housing counseling; rental housing for elderly and disabled residents; and federal program oversight. Five provisions are based on bills NLIHC supports: 

• Section 101 – “Housing Supply Frameworks Act”
• Section 201 – HOME Reform
• Section 204 – Rural Housing Service Program Improvements (some components of the “Rural Housing Service Reform Act”)
• Section 205 – Choice in Affordable Housing
• Section 301 – Manufactured Housing Innovations
• Section 406 – Establishment of Eviction Helpline 

The HFSC held a markup on December 16 and 17 to consider the “Housing for the 21st Century Act” along with several other housing and banking bills. In his opening remarks, Chair Hill highlighted the bipartisan housing package, noting the affordable housing crisis is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Ranking Member Waters also spoke about the bill and emphasized that, while the regulatory reforms it addresses are needed, reforms alone will not address the housing crisis – more funding for federal programs serving people with the lowest incomes is required to address the crisis at its roots. 

Subcommittee Chair Flood cited the lack of affordable housing supply, highlighted his HOME reform provision, and emphasized the bill's bipartisanship. Ranking Member Cleaver also spoke about the bipartisan negotiations to introduce the bill and said it is a good foundation for future action. Other committee members spoke in support, emphasizing the bipartisan nature and the need to address housing. 

Committee members proposed several messaging amendments to the package, which are amendments that are introduced and then withdrawn after the member speaks to its merits because the amendment has very little chance of passing. Ranking Member Waters proposed and withdrew a major amendment that would provide funding for new housing development, housing vouchers, and downpayment assistance. Representative Al Green (D-TX) proposed and then withdrew an amendment that would have added the “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act” to the bipartisan housing package, a topic Chair Hill said he was interested in discussing further. Some amendments introduced were added to the “Housing for the 21st Century Act,” including provisions on HOME reform that were included in the Senate’s “ROAD to Housing Act” (S. 2651). 

The introduction of the “Housing for the 21st Century Act” follows the passage of the “ROAD to Housing Act” by the Senate (see Memo, 10/14), and is the House’s comprehensive, bipartisan housing package. To reach a final bill, the two chambers will need to negotiate the differences between their bills and reach a consensus on a final legislative text that can pass both the House and the Senate. There is some overlap between the two bills, with about half of the provisions in the House bill matching or being very similar to those in “ROAD.” 

NLIHC supports the “Housing for the 21st Century Act,” and joined a sign-on letter to the HFSC led by Up For Growth Action, urging members to advance the bill. 

As negotiations on a housing package continue, NLIHC will keep our network informed on progress and opportunities for action. 

Read the Up For Growth Action sign-on letter here. 

Read the bill text of “Housing for the 21st Century Act” here. 

Read the HFSC section-by-section, here.