The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), the National Apartment Association (NAA) and the Real Estate Technology and Transformation Center (RETTC) applaud the ROAD to Housing Act. This legislation offers significant steps toward addressing the nation’s housing crisis by promoting rental housing development and encouraging increased housing supply.
“The ROAD to Housing Act finally treats housing supply as critical infrastructure by pairing zoning reform with smart incentives near transit and modernizing outdated rules,” said NMHC President Sharon Wilson Géno. “By aligning federal investment with local pro housing policies, Congress can help renters see real relief while spurring the private capital needed to build 4.3 million new apartments this decade.”
This emphasis on zoning reform and investment is also echoed in efforts to streamline processes and cut red tape, ideally accelerating housing development.
“Renters and housing providers can no longer afford the gap between rhetoric and real solutions,” said Bob Pinnegar, President & CEO of NAA. “The ROAD to Housing Act takes critical steps forward by simplifying voucher inspections and cutting the red tape that delays projects. "This bill has the potential to drive faster production, reduce costs and expand opportunities across the country."
Beyond reducing regulatory barriers, this legislation also recognizes a need for modern and innovative solutions to respond to a rapidly evolving housing landscape.
“The ROAD to Housing Act is the pro-housing and pro-tech legislation we have long needed to spur housing development and remove barriers to affordability across the nation,” said Kevin Donnelly, Executive Director & Chief Advocacy Officer of RETTC. “Leveraging technology through the use of digital vouchers, enabling data-driven zoning best practices, reducing leasing friction, and helping housing providers streamline operations will enable a greater focus on building and preserving attainable homes for families when we need it most.”
To maximize the impact of this legislation, we urge the inclusion of additional provisions to address barriers to housing development and enhance housing choices, including reducing onerous land use policies and establishing a pilot program converting Housing Choice Vouchers to an electronic benefit transfer program.
For more than 27 years, the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and the National Apartment Association (NAA) have partnered on behalf of America's apartment industry. Drawing on the knowledge and policy expertise of staff in Washington, D.C., as well as the advocacy power of 141 NAA state and local affiliated associations, NAA and NMHC provide a single voice for developers, owners and operators of multifamily rental housing. One-third of all Americans rent their housing, and 40 million of them live in an apartment home.
