Senator Coons celebrates Senate passage of bipartisan housing package to expand supply and lower costs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) today celebrated passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, bipartisan legislation designed to increase the nation's housing supply and improve affordability for families across the country. Senator Coons and the vast majority of his colleagues voted to pass the legislation by a vote of 89-10.

The 21^st Century ROAD to Housing Act is the largest legislative housing package in 30 years. The bill contains a range of proposals that will do everything from offering flexible funding for communities committed to building more housing to cutting red tape to get homes built faster. The comprehensive housing package includes a measure introduced by Senator Coons: the Choice in Affordable Housing Act, aimed at streamlining rental assistance programs for affordable housing.

"America is in a housing crisis, and we need a homebuilding boom," said Senator Coons. "I'm proud to have supported the ROAD to Housing Act to address the biggest cost for many families, and I'll keep working with whomever I can to make Delaware a more affordable place to live. I urge the House to pass this as soon as possible so Congress can start delivering relief on American families' number one cost."

The package includes Senator Coons' Choice in Affordable Housing Act with Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), which aims to reduce bureaucratic barriers that discourage landlords from participating in the Housing Choice Voucher program. By cutting unnecessary red tape, the bill helps make it easier for landlords to rent to families using housing vouchers and expands access to safe, affordable housing.

While it was not included in the final bill, Senator Coons also introduced the Housing Tariff Exclusion Act as an amendment to the broader housing package. He originally introduced the legislation earlier this year with U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). The legislation would exclude key homebuilding materials from President Trump's tariffs in order to lower the cost of building homes. The amendment would automatically exempt many homebuilding materials from current and future tariffs and establish a process allowing importers to apply for tariff exclusions on additional materials.