Nunn Rural Housing Reform Bill Passes House as Part of Landmark Housing Package

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act, a landmark housing reform package to increase housing supply, lower costs for families, and modernize federal housing programs to better serve rural, suburban, and urban communities across America.

“Homeownership is at the heart of the American dream, and I hear from Iowans every day who are working hard but still feel that dream is slipping further out of reach,” said Rep. Nunn. “This is the most significant housing package Congress has passed in decades. It cuts through broken bureaucracy, brings housing policy into the 21st century, and helps put homeownership back within reach for Iowa families.”

The package includes key provisions from Rep. Nunn’s bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act, which modernizes long-outdated rural housing programs, improves accountability, and eliminates long delays that prevent rural families, seniors, and workers from repairing their homes or buying their first house.

“I made sure rural housing reform was front and center in this package,” continued Rep. Nunn. “My bill updates outdated rural housing programs so a young couple in Creston can buy their first home, and seniors in Osceola can stay in the communities they’ve built their lives in.”

The Housing for the 21st Century Act builds on these rural reforms with a broad, bipartisan package focused on increasing housing supply, lowering costs, and giving states and communities greater flexibility to meet local needs. The bill:

• Cuts red tape by streamlining duplicative federal reviews, aligning environmental standards, and speeding up project approvals.
• Modernizes housing programs to expand manufactured housing options and returns decision-making to states and local communities.
• Strengthens rural and community lending by updating outdated banking rules and reducing regulatory burdens so local banks can more easily finance home construction, especially in rural communities.
• Improves accountability and oversight across federal housing programs to ensure assistance is delivered efficiently and responsibly.

The legislation now awaits consideration in the Senate.

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