US Senate passes major housing affordability

By Sahil Kapur, Melanie Zanona, Ryan Nobles and Julie Tsirkin
NBC News
March 12, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a bill Thursday aimed at boosting the supply of housing and bringing down prices, marking a rare bipartisan breakthrough on a major issue. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, written by Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., won 89 votes. Ten senators voted against it. Scott is the chairman of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Warren is the ranking member. The 303-page legislation creates a series of grants and pilot programs for housing construction, while revising federal definitions to encourage more housing units and prevent Wall Street from buying up tons of single-family homes. Such a big, bipartisan vote is increasingly unusual in Congress and the bill aims to tackle a major affordability issue for voters ahead of the midterm elections. But it is uncertain if it can pass the House as is, and President Donald Trump has signalled he wants voting legislation first.

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