The Washington Report

On December 15, 2025, NAR submitted comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on a proposed regulation relating to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a law that prohibits discrimination in the mortgage market. The proposed rule would amend provisions related to disparate impact, discouragement of applicants or prospective applicants, and special purpose credit programs. NAR argued that the proposed changes risked making credit less available to qualified homebuyers, and urged the Bureau to reconsider the rule.

NAR's Comment Letter to the CFPB

Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives approved, 216 to 211, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, a package aimed at expanding access to affordable health coverage. NAR sent a letter of support to House leadership backing provisions to expand Association Health Plans (AHPs) to include self-employed individuals, including real estate professionals. NAR worked with House leaders to include the AHP Act, which provides more affordable, high-quality health coverage options in addition to Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual market plans.

NAR has long championed AHPs to provide choice and competition for small businesses and independent contractors seeking affordable, high-quality coverage alongside ACA plans. When the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) allowed self-employed individuals to join AHPs in 2018, several state and local REALTOR® associations offered comprehensive, lower-cost options without harming ACA markets. A court later overturned that DOL rule due to a confusing patchwork of federal and state laws. This bill would codify AHP eligibility for all small businesses and the self-employed. Our testimony and recent letter of support underscored that expanding AHP access remains a top priority for NAR members.

The inclusion of AHP provisions in the House-passed bill is a major step forward. It significantly increases the likelihood that these reforms will be part of a final package if House and Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle can reach a broader health care compromise earlier next year. While the House-passed bill does not address the enhanced ACA premium subsidies, additional negotiations and legislation are expected as Congress continues to address broader health care affordability issues. NAR will continue working with lawmakers to ensure our members’ health care priorities are included in any comprehensive reform package.

Read NAR’s letter of support to Leadership
For more about NAR's testimony before the House

On December 17, 2025, the House Financial Services Committee marked up and passed two significant housing bills: the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644) and the Respect State Housing Laws Act (H.R. 1078).

The Housing for the 21st Century Act, introduced by Chairman French Hill (R-AR), Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Chair Mike Flood (R-NE), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), represents a major bipartisan, comprehensive effort to address the nation's housing affordability crisis.

NAR sent a letter to the Committee in support of H.R. 6644. "The Housing for the 21st Century Act takes meaningful steps to expand housing supply and improve affordability through smart, bipartisan reforms. By modernizing outdated federal programs, streamlining unnecessary regulatory barriers, and expanding financing options for manufactured and affordable housing, this legislation addresses real obstacles our members see every day. We appreciate Chairman Hill and Ranking Member Waters' leadership on these critical issues and look forward to working with Congress to advance solutions that help more families achieve homeownership," said Shannon McGahn, Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer at the National Association of REALTORS®.

During the markup, Committee members from both parties emphasized the urgent need for federal action to address housing affordability. Chairman Hill stated that the Committee's goal is to "chart a path forward toward greater development capacity and a simplified regulatory framework."

The House bill builds on momentum from the Senate's bipartisan Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act, which passed the Senate earlier this year.

The Committee also marked up and passed the Respect State Housing Laws Act, introduced by Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX). This legislation corrects a drafting error in the CARES Act of 2020 that left in place a 30-day eviction notice requirement for federally-backed rental housing. While intended as a temporary pandemic measure, this provision unintentionally remained in effect when other CARES Act protections expired in 2020. The bill restores state and local authority over eviction procedures. NAR sent a letter to the Committee in support of H.R. 1078.

Both bills now move to the full House for consideration.

NAR sent its Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations recommendations to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees as Congress works to finalize spending bills for the current fiscal year. The letter urges full funding for critical HUD programs, including Housing Choice Vouchers, fair housing programs, housing counseling, the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program, and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG).

The letter emphasizes that these programs provide essential support for housing affordability, expand access to homeownership and rental housing, and help communities address the nation's housing supply shortage. With both the House and Senate advancing bipartisan housing packages, NAR stressed that legislative reforms can only succeed if paired with sustained appropriations that allow policies to be effectively implemented at the local level.

NAR will continue working with appropriators to ensure robust funding for federal housing programs that support homeownership opportunities and community development.

On January 19, the Senate confirmed Frank Cassidy to serve as FHA Commissioner, Joseph Gormley to serve as Ginnie Mae President, and Travis Hill to serve as permanent FDIC Chair as part of a package of administration nominees.

NAR previously sent letters to Chairman Tim Scott and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren advocating for the swift confirmations of Cassidy, Gormley, and Hill, emphasizing their deep expertise and experience at a time when the U.S. housing market faces a severe affordability crisis. FHA, Ginnie Mae, and FDIC play critical roles in stabilizing and expanding access to housing by insuring loans for low- and moderate-income borrowers (FHA), guaranteeing mortgage-backed securities to attract investment in affordable housing (Ginnie Mae), and safeguarding consumer deposits to maintain trust in the financial system (FDIC). Together, they help ensure the liquidity, affordability, and resilience necessary to address the affordable housing crisis.