How Congress can help solve the housing crisis and boost American homeownership dreams
Like most Americans today, my mother saved and planned for years before she was able to own her first home.At age 38, after working long hours for decades, she finally achieved that monumental milestone for our family.I know what it’s like for families to stretch every dollar so that one day they can make that American dream of owning a home come true.Housing affordability isn’t just a policy issue or talking point for me — it’s personal.And addressing today’s affordability crisis requires leaders who understand the struggle of being one unexpected bill away from falling behind.Those of us who’ve lived that struggle know how important it is to preserve the fundamental dream of homeownership in America, regardless of ZIP code or income level.President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Republicans across the country share my commitment to housing affordability and homeownership.We are laser-focused on helping families, workers and small businesses stay afloat and achieve that dream.That’s why in 2024, when I was ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, I introduced the original ROAD to Housing Act.Since then, I’ve worked with my colleagues on a broad bipartisan, bicameral package that helps make the dreams of homeownership a reality for all Americans. This week, the US Senate will be voting on the bill. It tackles housing affordability by unlocking private investment, cutting red tape, embracing modern manufactured and modular housing and trusting local leaders to drive solutions that work for their communities. It also includes a provision to enact the president’s recent initiative to limit large institutional investors’ distortion of local housing markets.After all, as Trump said in his State of the Union address last week, “We want homes for people, not for corporations.”To include as many good ideas as possible, we’ve added provisions from the House of Representatives’ Housing for the 21st Century ...