House Financial Services Committee Passes Bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act and Respect State Housing Laws Act

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 By modernizing outdated federal programs, streamlining unnecessary regulatory barriers, and expanding financing options for manufactured and affordable housing, this legislation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.