Crapo-Backed Housing Legislation Becomes Law

Washington, D.C.--On the heels of releasing a final report of his 2025 Housing Survey, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) celebrated the 21^st Century ROAD to Housing Act becoming law.

"Today marks an important step forward to restoring the American Dream of homeownership for families in Idaho and across the country," said Crapo. "The 21^st Century ROAD to Housing Act takes meaningful action to address affordability challenges by reducing unnecessary federal red tape, expanding housing opportunities, modernizing outdated programs for the first time in over 30 years and encouraging the development of more affordable housing options-all without spending a single federal dollar. More work remains, and I will use the feedback from my 2025 Housing Survey to continue to guide further actions in the Senate to strengthen housing opportunities for Idahoans."

As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, Crapo played a key role in shaping the comprehensive reforms package.

The Senator led or co-sponsored several provisions included in the final housing bill, including:

• The Housing Supply Expansion Act would modernize the federal definition of "manufactured housing" to include modular or prefabricated homes built without a permanent chassis, expanding consumer access to more efficient and cost-effective designs.

• The Rural Housing Services Reform Act would modernize and streamline the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service to improve homeownership opportunities in rural areas.

• The Reducing Homelessness through Program Reform Act would cut red tape and encourage local solutions to address homelessness, including reforms to the Housing Choice Voucher Program and improved coordination among local entities to deliver integrated support.

• The Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act would permanently exclude veterans' disability payments from annual income for housing assistance eligibility under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.

• The Helping More Families Save Act would create a pilot escrow account program to automatically enroll families in HUD's Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program.

• The Housing Supply Frameworks Act directs HUD to develop best practice frameworks for zoning and land-use policies, helping communities identify and overcome barriers to housing development.

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