Lisa McClain (R-MI)
ROAD to Housing Act of 2025
A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The ROAD to Housing Act of 2025 aims to increase the supply of affordable housing across the United States through various reforms. The legislation proposes changes to housing counseling, financial literacy, and rental assistance programs to improve accessibility. It includes provisions to expand housing production through zoning guidelines, construction acceleration, and transit-oriented development. The bill also addresses manufactured housing by modernizing production, financing, and community infrastructure. Additionally, it establishes programs for whole-home repairs, disaster recovery, and the preservation of rural multifamily rental housing. Finally, the act seeks to improve mortgage loan limits, support veterans, and enhance the appraisal industry.
Yes· 3 of 24
- Scored +7
Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster?
The bill establishes a Long-Term Disaster Recovery Fund and a new Office of Disaster Management and Resiliency.
- Scored +6
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill provides significant improvements to VA loan awareness, rental assistance preservation, and income eligibility rules for disabled veterans.
- Scored +6
Is this likely to reduce homelessness?
The bill includes multiple provisions to preserve rental assistance, improve coordination of services, and incentivize local solutions to homelessness.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Would Black Americans be better off under this?
Work requirements for housing can disproportionately affect demographics that rely heavily on public housing assistance.
- Scored -2
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?
The mandate for work requirements may impact low-income Hispanic households utilizing public housing.
- Scored -2
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill uses federal guidelines and competitive grants to influence state and local zoning and land-suse decisions.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Housing Counseling Oversight: The Secretary can conduct performance reviews of participating agencies to ensure compliance, which may help ensure high-quality counseling services (Sec. 101).
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Increased Opportunities for Delinquent Borrowers: Borrowers with a mortgage loan that is 30 days or more delinquent may be given the opportunity to participate in available housing counseling (Sec. 101).
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Support for Housing in Opportunity Zones: The Secretary may give additional weight to applicants located in or serving qualified opportunity zones when awarding competitive grants for housing construction or preservation (Sec. 202).
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Zoning Reform Guidelines: The Assistant Secretary will publish guidelines and best practices to help state and local governments reduce regulatory barriers, such as reducing parking minimums and increasing building heights (Sec. 203).
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Financial Assistance for Home Repairs: The Whole-Home Repairs Act establishes a pilot program to provide grants to homeowners for repairs related to accessibility, safety, and energy efficiency (Sec. 204).
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Support for Small-Scale Housing Construction: The Accelerating Home Building Act allows for grants to help local governments select pre-reviewed designs for low-rise or mid-rise structures, such as duplexes or townhouses (Sec. 210).
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Modernized Financing for Manufactured Homes: The bill updates loan limits for the purchase of manufactured homes and provides for the construction of accessory dwelling units (Sec. 303).
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Community Improvements for Manufactured Housing: A competitive grant program would allow for improvements to community infrastructure, utilities, and resident health and safety in eligible manufactured housing communities (Sec. 304).
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Manufactured Housing Improvements: The bill allows for grants to fund land acquisition, infrastructure, and community services like eviction prevention and down payment assistance for eligible communities (Section (F), (G), and (H)).
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Increased Small Dollar Mortgage Availability: By requiring reports on compensation practices and allowing for rulemaking on points and fees, the bill aims to increase the availability of smaller mortgage loans (Section 401 and 402).
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Professionalized Appraisal Standards: The bill establishes specific requirements for appraiser certification, licensing, and education to ensure competency (Section 403(a)).
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Support for Trainee Appraisers: New provisions allow for the use of state credentialed trainee appraisers to assist certified appraisers (Section 403(c)).
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Savings Opportunities for Families: The Escrow Expansion Pilot Program allows families receiving assistance to place increased earnings into interest-bearing accounts to help them save (Section 404(3)(A)).
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Streamlined Housing Inspections: The bill allows for the satisfaction of inspection requirements through participation in other housing programs, which can speed up the process for low-income housing (Section 405(a)).
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Improved Disaster Recovery: The establishment of a Long-Term Disaster Recovery Fund and a new Office of Disaster Management and Resiliency aims to provide a more coordinated response to catastrophic events (Section 501(b) and 501(c)).
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Preservation of Rural Housing: The Housing Preservation and Revitalization Program helps preserve multifamily rental housing projects through loan restructuring and rental assistance renewals (Section 503(c) and 503(d)).
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Support for Rural Development: The establishment of a Rural Community Development Initiative provides grants to help rural communities improve housing, community facilities, and economic development (Section (b)).
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Enhanced Flexibility for Housing Vouchers: Tenants can request an interim review to recalculate their voucher amount if they experience a reduction in income, a change in family composition, or a change in rental rate (Section (k)(2)).
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Improved Veteran Loan Awareness: The bill requires a disclaimer on loan applications to inform potential borrowers that they may qualify for a VA Home Loan (Section 601(a)).
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Increased Benefits for Disabled Veterans: The bill excludes certain disability benefits from the income used to determine eligibility for supported housing programs (Section 603(a)(1)(iv)).
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New Protections in Appraisals: Consumers gain the right to request a reconsideration of value or a subsequent appraisal if they believe a report is unsupported, deficient, or discriminatory (Section 705(a)(2)).
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Support for Home-Based Child Care: The bill revises restrictions to exclude licensed or regulated home-based child care providers from certain loan restrictions (Section (q)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Risk of Loss of Counseling Capacity: The Secretary may require continued education, retesting, or permanent suspension of certification for counselors deemed to lack competence, which could impact the availability of local services (Sec. 101).
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Potential Loss of Assistance Renewal: The Secretary may deny the renewal of assistance to organizations or entities that do not comply with program requirements (Sec. 101).
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Mandatory Lease and Management Plans: Rental assistance conversion may require the adoption of a mandatory tenant lease and management plan addendum (Sec. 201).
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Requirements for Landlords in Repair Programs: Landlords receiving loans for repairs must comply with specific lease extension offers and cap annual rent increases at 5 percent of base rent or inflation for at least 3 years (Sec. 204).
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Potential Reduction in Community Development Funds: Under the Build Now Act, the Secretary may decrease the allocation of funds to recipients if their housing growth improvement rate is below the median (Sec. 206).
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Restrictions on Older Housing: Grants may not be used for the rehabilitation or modernization of manufactured housing units built before June 15, 1976 (Section (2)(A)).
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Increased Training Burdens for Appraisers: The bill introduces new requirements for verifiable education and specific certification/licensing that appraisers must meet (Section 403(a)(1)).
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Withdrawal Limits on Escrow Accounts: Families in the Escrow Expansion Pilot Program can only withdraw funds after a specific period of time, such as 5 or 7 years, unless specific conditions are met (Section s 404(3)(C)).
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Requirement for De-facto De-listing: In the rural housing program, the Secretary may permanently remove certain income restrictions from housing units (Section 503(c)(5)).
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Mandatory Annual Recertification: Tenants in certain voucher programs are required to annually recertify their family composition and income (Section (k)(3)(A)).
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Potential Consequences for Failure to Recertify: If a tenant fails to complete the required annual recertification within the required timeframe, they may face consequences (Section (k)(3)(B)).
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Matching Fund Requirements: Eligible intermediaries receiving grants for rural development are required to provide matching funds from other sources, which must be at least equal to the grant amount (Section (d)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill provides significant improvements to VA loan awareness, rental assistance preservation, and income eligibility rules for disabled veterans. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill provides set-aside grant opportunities for Indian tribes and tribally designated housing entities. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill establishes a Rural Community Development Initiative and creates new preservation programs for rural multifamily housing. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill provides grants for accessibility modifications to help seniors age in place. Would children be better off under this? — The bill prioritizes public housing agencies that serve families with children and youth aging out of foster care. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill expands rental assistance and loan amounts but introduces work requirements that create new obstacles for low-income households. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill provides improved financing options for various types of residential improvements and housing. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Work requirements for housing can disproportionately affect demographics that rely heavily on public housing assistance. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The mandate for work requirements may impact low-income Hispanic households utilizing public housing.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill establishes a Long-Term Disaster Recovery Fund and a new Office of Disaster Management and Resiliency. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill establishes a Rural Community Development Initiative and creates new preservation programs for rural multifamily housing. Does this improve buses, trains and other public transport? — The bill promotes transit-oriented development through the Build More Housing Near Transit Act. Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill includes provisions for energy efficiency in whole-home repairs and streamlines environmental reviews for housing projects.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — The bill includes multiple provisions to preserve rental assistance, improve coordination of services, and incentivize local solutions to homelessness. Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — The bill excludes certain disability benefits from income calculations when determining eligibility for supported housing. Does this make housing cost less? — While providing many expansionary provisions, the bill also introduces work requirements that could reduce housing stability. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill prioritizes competitive grants for opportunity zones and combatting blight which can benefit underserved communities. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill expands opportunities for affordable housing but introduces work requirements that may create barriers for low-income individuals.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill provides incentives for small-dollar mortgage loan originators and supports small-scale construction through pre-reviewed designs. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Increasing housing supply and construction activity is intended to support broader economic stability. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill encourages housing construction through zoning reforms and innovation grants which can stimulate construction jobs.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill enhances VA home loan awareness, expands rental assistance eligibility, and protects the housing stability of disabled veterans.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill promotes coordination between housing providers and mental health organizations to serve vulnerable populations.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates various annual reports to Congress and requires the publication of performance data on government websites. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill grants the Secretary of HUD authority to determine the implementation of work requirements. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill uses federal guidelines and competitive grants to influence state and local zoning and land-suse decisions.
- Education And Technology
- Does this get reliable internet to more people? — The bill authorizes funding for information technology upgrades within the Rural Housing Service.
- 5/20/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
- 12/1/2025
- Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans' Affairs, Appropriations, Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, the Budget, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
James HimesDemocrat · Connecticut