The House has opted to try to move its own housing legislation after President Donald Trump on Monday urged the swift passage of the Senate-passed ROAD to Housing Act, which received nearly 90 votes.
Trump wrote on Truth Social:
As I said at my State of the Union Address on February 25th, the American Dream of Homeownership is under attack. For example, Rachel Wiggins, a mom of two, from Houston, placed bids on 20 homes, and lost all of those bids to gigantic Investment Firms that bypassed inspection, paid all cash, and turned those houses into rentals, stealing away her American Dream — She was devastated! Stories like this are why I signed an Executive Order to ban large Wall Street Investment Firms from buying up single-family homes.
Also, in my speech, I called for Congress to save the American Dream of Homeownership, and ban these purchases, PERMANENTLY! Senators Bernie Moreno and Tim Scott have worked to ensure my call becomes a reality, and have a Bill which has passed the Senate with nearly 90 votes. I am asking Congress to pass that Bill, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which would ensure that homes are for people, not Corporations. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
“The American Dream doesn’t belong to the highest bidder on Wall Street. It belongs to the American people, who work hard, save up, and play by the rules. I applaud President Trump’s leadership on this issue and urge the House to pass this bill,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on X.
The ROAD to Housing Act seeks to allow for more affordable housing by cutting red tape, unlocking housing supply, lowering costs for families, and more.
House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) has reportedly led the opposition to the Senate housing bill, which passed through Congress’s upper chamber with nearly 90 votes.
When reached for comment, a spokesman for Hill said, “We remain committed to advancing a bicameral housing bill that reflects the views of both chambers to President Trump’s desk.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said that the House will continue to work on its own housing bill despite Trump’s call to pass the legislation.
“What we want to see is a bill that reflects a combination. Obviously, there are differences — key differences — between the House and Senate bill. And there’s a reason we passed the version we did,” Scalise said, noting that the president likes many of the aspect’s takes on housing legislation.
House lawmakers reportedly want to change the Senate bill’s language that aims to restrict institutional investors from buying single-family homes. House lawmakers believe that the legislation would disincentive housing construction.
Other Republicans in the House are unhappy with the legislation’s temporary ban on the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). Some Republicans have urged the permanent ban of a CBDC in legislation that would reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
In the other chamber of Congress, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the Senate Banking Committee Chairman, wrote, “By passing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, Congress will deliver on your agenda and ensure that 2026 is truly the year of affordability.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has urged the House to quickly pass the ROAD to Housing Act to focus on affordability ahead of the midterms.
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) wrote, “President Trump is RIGHT, the American Dream of homeownership is under siege thanks to corporate greed that steals opportunities from working Americans. President Trump signed an Executive Order banning large investment firms from buying up single-family homes, I led the charge to put that into legislation, the Senate passed it, and now he’s calling on the House to make it the law of the land. Homes are for people, not hedge funds and corporations.”
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