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The United States Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed sweeping bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing the nation’s housing supply and reducing home prices, marking a rare moment of cross-party cooperation on a major economic issue.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, authored by Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., cleared the chamber in an 89–10 vote.
Scott, chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Warren, the panel’s ranking Democrat, framed the measure as an effort to address one of the most pressing affordability issues facing voters.
“This is about cutting regulatory red tape, lowering costs and expanding housing supply,” Scott said, arguing the legislation advances Donald Trump’s broader affordability agenda.
Major effort to expand housing supply
The 303-page bill creates grants and pilot programs designed to accelerate housing construction while revising federal policies that supporters say have slowed development.
Among its provisions, the legislation would:
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Create grant programs aimed at boosting housing construction nationwide
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Streamline inspections and approval delays at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Require coordinated environmental reviews between HUD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for certain rural housing projects
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Encourage regulatory changes intended to increase the number of housing units built
Lawmakers say the package is intended to address a nationwide shortage of homes that has pushed prices and rents higher in recent years.
Targeting large institutional investors
One of the bill’s most debated provisions — titled “Homes Are For People, Not Corporations” — seeks to limit the ability of large institutional investors to purchase certain single-family homes.
The measure would require companies that own or develop 350 or more single-family homes to sell those properties after seven years, an effort supporters say will prevent large investment firms from dominating housing markets.
Warren said the provision is intended to curb speculative buying by Wall Street firms that she argues are driving up home prices.
“It will mean that we’re increasing housing supply and bringing down costs while making it clear that homes are for families who live in them, not investors looking to make another buck,” Warren said.
Trump himself has called for restricting large investment firms from buying thousands of single-family homes, raising the issue earlier this year during his State of the Union Address.
Opposition from some senators
Despite the bill’s broad support, several senators from both parties opposed the measure.
Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, was the only Democrat to vote against it, arguing the seven-year requirement for investors to sell homes was overly broad.
“There’s literally no reason for this,” Schatz said on the Senate floor, warning that the rule could affect developers who build homes intended for long-term rental.
Nine Republicans also voted against the bill, including:
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Ted Cruz of Texas
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Rand Paul of Kentucky
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Ron Johnson of Wisconsin
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Mike Lee of Utah
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Rick Scott of Florida
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Thom Tillis and Ted Budd of North Carolina
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Tommy Tuberville of Alabama
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Todd Young of Indiana
One senator, Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., missed the vote.
House prospects uncertain
Despite the overwhelming Senate vote, the bill’s future in the U.S. House of Representatives remains uncertain.
Mike Johnson, the Republican House speaker, told GOP lawmakers during a leadership retreat that Trump wants Congress to focus primarily on the SAVE America Act, a voter identification and proof-of-citizenship bill.
According to one lawmaker who attended the meeting, Johnson said Trump privately emphasized that the voting legislation should take priority.
A White House spokesperson denied that Trump dismissed the housing bill, saying the president remains focused on housing affordability and plans to issue executive orders on the issue.
Political stakes ahead of midterms
Supporters say the housing measure could become a central economic issue ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., described the legislation as potentially transformative.
“If I told you that Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren walked into a bar, it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke,” Warnock said. “But we got that through our committee, and there’s overwhelming support in the Senate.”
Scott argued the bill seeks to address a major generational challenge in homeownership.
“Today, the average age of a first-time homebuyer is 40,” Scott said. “That’s too old to experience the American dream.”
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