OSAH Campaign Releases Statement on the Bipartisan “Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act”

By Julie Walker, NLIHC National Campaign Coordinator 

The Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign shared a statement on August 1 in support of the advancement of the bipartisan “Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act.” On July 29, the bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. It is the first bipartisan housing bill markup in over a decade. The “ROAD to Housing Act” includes 40 provisions, including three OSAH campaign policy priorities: Sec. 405 “Choice in Affordable Housing Act,” Sec. 501 “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act,” and Sec. 503 “Rural Housing Service Reform Act.” OSAH campaign staff shared the bill with the over 150 national organizations that are members of the campaign’s Steering Committee and Opportunity Roundtable and are working with a diverse group of partners to support NLIHC’s provisions. 

While these reforms would make needed changes to HUD programs, the “ROAD to Housing Act” also includes provisions that could increase burden for tenants if implemented without sufficient guardrails. The campaign is committed to working with our partners to ensure the final legislation fully meets the needs of low-income households. 

The Sec. 405 “Choice in Affordable Housing Act” improves the Housing Choice Voucher program by reducing inspection delays, creating landlord incentives, and expanding the use of Small Area Fair Market Rents. Such changes could increase voucher holders’ housing choices and reduce programmatic barriers to help attract and retain landlords in the program. The Sec. 501 “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act” permanently authorizes HUD’s long-term disaster recovery program to provide flexible rebuilding funds and includes safeguards to ensure marginalized communities receive adequate support. The bill is strongly supported by the NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC)—a group of over 900 local, state, and national organizations working to ensure that all disaster survivors receive the assistance they need to recover. The Sec. 503 “Rural Housing Service Reform Act” preserves rural homes financed through USDA by permanently authorizing the agency’s preservation program, improving staff capacity and training, and updating programs. The bill would help preserve affordable rental and homeownership opportunities for low-income people and families living in rural areas, cut red tape, and encourage public-private partnerships to increase investment in the country’s rural housing supply. 

Along with the OSAH policy priorities included in the “ROAD to Housing Act,” several sections include provisions for cross-sector coordination, either through encouraging collaboration between social service providers or requiring coordination between federal offices. The Sec. 505 “Reducing Homelessness through Program Reform Act” encourages collaboration between homeless service providers, supportive services, healthcare systems, criminal legal systems, job service agencies, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Sec. 801 “HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act” requires a Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretaries of HUD, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs stating that they will share relevant housing-related research and market data.  

Housing is fundamental to every aspect of life, extending beyond basic needs to shape economic stability, health, and opportunity. The multi-sector impacts of housing instability should not be underestimated. For people with low incomes, unaffordable housing often forces tradeoffs between paying rent and accessing necessary resources like medical care, childcare, and nutritious foods. Affordable housing plays a pivotal role in reducing childhood poverty and bolsters the mental, physical, and academic well-being of children. Additionally, the economic benefits of affordable housing extend to the broader community, creating jobs and increasing local government revenue. The campaign led by top national organizations from a variety of sectors supports effective and robust housing solutions, including the OSAH priorities included in this bill, that will solve the nation’s housing affordability crisis and ensure everyone has an opportunity to thrive. The campaign is working closely with its diverse partners to ensure the final legislation fully meets the needs of households with the lowest incomes.  

Read the campaign statement here.   

Send a letter to urge Congress to support robust housing solutions here.