America’s housing crisis stems from decades of local government policies that have made building new homes expensive, complicated, and legally difficult. This has created a severe supply shortage, with estimates placing the national deficit between 4 million and 7 million housing units. Young families increasingly find themselves priced out of neighborhoods where they work.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, introduced by Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), represents “the most serious attempt to address partisan divisions on homeownership.” The bill represents a test for market-focused advocates to maintain consistency on housing policy despite political complexities.
The legislation’s strongest provisions focus on supply-side reforms drawn from over a dozen previously introduced measures. These include streamlining the NEPA review process for federally assisted housing and tying Community Development Block Grant funding to actual permitting and production rather than merely stated intentions.
