Blue Dogs Secure Housing Wins in Landmark Legislation

WASHINGTON D.C. - Today, the Blue Dog Coalition issued the following statement after the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law. This comprehensive housing package includes several provisions aimed at reducing regulatory barriers to construction, increasing supply, and supporting housing in rural communities.

"This marks an important step toward fixing the onerous permitting process that has hamstrung homebuilding in our country for decades and driven up housing costs for hardworking Americans. Blue Dog members successfully secured several provisions in this package that advance commonsense, fiscally-responsible policies to support working families and strengthen our communities. The reforms championed by Blue Dog members are critical to ensuring our government does not needlessly constrain housing construction and delivering reforms to unlock new housing development opportunities in rural communities. We are glad this legislation succeeded with overwhelming, bipartisan support in both chambers - a testament to what Congress can accomplish when it focuses on delivering results over partisan posturing."

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which became law on July 11, 2026, includes the following provisions led by Blue Dog members:

• The BUILD NOW Act, co-led by Co-Chair Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), incentivizes localities to clean up their complex web of permitting rules by boosting Community Development Block Grant funding when they improve their track record on building more housing, and modestly adjusting it when they do not.
• The Rural Housing Regulatory Relief Act, led by Co-Chair Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), cuts through red tape and streamlines the construction of rural housing on previously developed sites while preserving substantive environmental review requirements.
• The Housing Supply Expansion Act, led by Co-Chair Lou Correa (CA-46), Chair of the House Real Estate Caucus, removes an outdated federal requirement that has unnecessarily raised the price of manufactured housing by requiring them to have a metal chassis.
• The Housing for America's Middle Class Act of 2026, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), requires the Government Accountability Office to recommend a definition for workforce housing and study how to develop new affordable housing for working Americans.
• The Rural Depositories Revitalization Study Act, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), requires federal banking agencies to study how to strengthen rural banks and their ability to provide credit to farms, families, and other businesses in their communities.

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ABOUT THE COALITION: The Blue Dog Coalition is an official caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives composed of fiscally-responsible Democrats, who are leading the way to find common-sense solutions. They are pragmatic Democrats, appealing to mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to pursuing fiscally-responsible policies, ensuring a strong national defense for our country, and transcending party lines to get things done for the American people.