By Bernard Fulton, Vice President of Legislative Advocacy, NMHC
Bernard comes to NMHC from the Housing Policy Council where he was Vice President for Government Relations. Bernard has nearly thirty years of experience in and around Congress as a policy advisor, legislative analyst, lobbyist, strategist and political organizer.
On October 9, 2025, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the United States Senate agreed to pass the ROAD to Housing Act.
The ROAD to Housing Act is bipartisan legislation that will enact reforms designed to increase housing supply and lower housing cost for average households. Specifically for multifamily housing, key provisions include:
- The Build More Housing Near Transit Act (S. 2363), which would incentivize local governments to build more housing near federally funded transit projects;
- The Housing Supply Frameworks Act (S. 1299), which would direct HUD to publish guidelines and best practices for State zoning and local zoning frameworks;
- The inspection provisions from the Choice in Affordable Housing Act of 2025 (S.890); which would streamline the costly and time-consuming inspection process and lease-up voucher holders faster;
- The HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2025 (S. 948) would reauthorize the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, increase the authorized funding level for the program to $5 billion, and make several needed program improvements;
- Accelerating Home Building Act of 2025 (S. 2361) to overcome local regulatory cost burdens to affordable housing development by encouraging the use of pattern books of pre-reviewed construction designs at the local level; and
- Housing Affordability Act (S.1527), which increases the per unit loan limits on certain FHA multifamily insured properties.
The House of Representatives must also act on housing legislation before a final package can be signed into law either as part of NDAA or another legislative vehicle. Notably, the House Financial Services Committee has been reviewing the HOME Investment Partnership Program for reform and reauthorization and will likely be seek to put its own stamp on housing legislation.
Read our letter to Senate leadership.