HOUSING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT

On 2026-02-09, Representative John W. Rose (R-TN-6) delivered a floor speech titled "HOUSING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered the environment, defense. It referenced legislation including HR6644, HR4544, HR5077, among other bills.

HOUSING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 27 (Monday, February 9, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 27 (Monday, February 9, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2050-H2074] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HOUSING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6644) a bill to increase the supply of housing in America, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 6644 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Housing for the 21st Century Act''. (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. TITLE I--BUILDING SMARTER FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Sec. 101. Housing Supply Frameworks. Sec. 102. Accelerating home building grant program. Sec. 103. Federal guidelines for point-access block buildings. Sec. 104. Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews. Sec. 105. Federal Housing Agency Application of Environmental Reviews. Sec. 106. Multifamily loan limits. Sec. 107. GAO study on workforce housing. TITLE II--MODERNIZING LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND RURAL HOUSING PROGRAMS Sec. 201. HOME Reform. Sec. 202. Community Development Fund Amendments. Sec. 203. Grants for planning and implementation associated with affordable housing. Sec. 204. Rural housing service program improvements. Sec. 205. Choice in Affordable Housing. TITLE III--EXPANDING MANUFACTURED AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE OPPORTUNITIES Sec. 301. Manufactured Housing Innovations. Sec. 302. FHA small-dollar mortgages. Sec. 303. Community investment and prosperity. TITLE IV--PROTECTING BORROWERS AND ASSISTED FAMILIES Sec. 401. Exclusion of certain disability benefits. Sec. 402. Military service question. Sec. 403. HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination. Sec. 404. Family self-sufficiency escrow expansion pilot program. Sec. 405. Reforms to housing counseling and financial literacy programs. Sec. 406. Establishment of eviction helpline. Sec. 407. Temperature Sensor pilot program. Sec. 408. GAO studies. TITLE V--ENHANCING OVERSIGHT OF HOUSING PROVIDERS Sec. 501. Requirement to testify. Sec. 502. Improving public housing agency accountability. TITLE VI--STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY BANKS' ROLE IN HOUSING Sec. 601. Community Bank Deposit Access. Sec. 602. Keeping Deposits Local. Sec. 603. Supervisory Modifications for Appropriate Risk-based Testing. Sec. 604. Tailored Regulatory Updates for Supervisory Testing. Sec. 605. Credit Union Board Modernization. Sec. 606. Systemic Risk Authority Transparency. [[Page H2051]] Sec. 607. Least cost exception. Sec. 608. Failing Bank Acquisition Fairness. Sec. 609. Advancing the Mentor-Protege Program for Small Financial Institutions. Sec. 610. American Access to Banking. Sec. 611. Promoting New Bank Formation. Sec. 612. Rural Depositories Revitalization Study. Sec. 613. Discretionary Surplus Fund. TITLE I--BUILDING SMARTER FOR THE 21ST CENTURY SEC. 101. HOUSING SUPPLY FRAMEWORKS. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Affordable housing.--The term ``affordable housing'' means housing for which the monthly payment is not more than 30-percent of the monthly income of the household. (2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' means the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. (3) Local zoning framework.--The term ``local zoning framework'' means the local zoning codes and other ordinances, procedures, and policies governing zoning and land-use at the local level. (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. (5) State zoning framework.--The term ``State zoning framework'' means the State legislation or State agency and department procedures, or such legislation or procedures in an insular area of the United States, enabling local planning and zoning authorities and establishing and guiding related policies and programs. (b) Guidelines on State and Local Zoning Frameworks.-- (1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall publish documents outlining guidelines and best practices to support production of adequate housing to meet the needs of communities and provide housing opportunities for individuals at every income level across communities with respect to-- (A) State zoning frameworks; and (B) local zoning frameworks. (2) Consultation; public comment.--During the 2-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, in developing the guidelines and best practices required under paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary shall-- (A) publish draft guidelines and best practices in the Federal Register for public comment; and (B) establish a task force for the purpose of providing consultation to draft the guidelines and best practices published under subparagraph (A), the members of which shall include-- (i) urban planners and architects; (ii) housing developers, including affordable and market- rate housing developers, manufactured housing developers, cooperative housing developers, and other business interests; (iii) community engagement experts and community members impacted by zoning decisions; (iv) public housing agencies and transit authorities; (v) members of local zoning and planning boards and local and regional transportation planning organizations; (vi) State officials responsible for housing or land use, including members of State zoning boards of appeals; (vii) academic researchers; and (viii) home builders. (3) Contents.--The guidelines and best practices required under paragraph (1) shall-- (A) with respect to State zoning frameworks, outline potential models for updated State enabling legislation or State agency and department procedures; (B) include recommendations regarding-- (i) the reduction or elimination of parking minimums; (ii) the increase in maximum floor area ratio requirements and maximum building heights and the reduction in minimum lot sizes and set-back requirements; (iii) the elimination of restrictions against accessory dwelling units; (iv) increasing by-right uses, including duplex, triplex, or quadplex buildings, across cities or metropolitan areas; (v) mechanisms, including proximity to transit, to determine the appropriate scope for rezoning and ensure development that does not disproportionately burden residents of economically distressed areas; (vi) provisions regarding review of by-right development proposals to streamline review and reduce uncertainty, including-- (I) nondiscretionary, ministerial review; and (II) entitlement and design review processes; (vii) the reduction of obstacles, regulatory or otherwise, to a range of housing types at all levels of affordability, including manufactured and modular housing; (viii) State model zoning regulations for directing local reforms, including mechanisms to encourage adoption; (ix) provisions to encourage transit-oriented development, including increased permissible units per structure and reduced minimum lot sizes near existing or planned public transit stations; (x) potential reforms to strengthen the public engagement process; (xi) reforms to protest petition statutes; (xii) the standardization, reduction, or elimination of impact fees; (xiii) cost-effective and appropriate building codes; (xiv) models for community benefit agreements; (xv) mechanisms to preserve affordability, limit disruption of low-income communities, and prevent displacement of existing residents; (xvi) with respect to State zoning frameworks-- (I) State model codes for directing local reforms, including mechanisms to encourage adoption; (II) a model for a State zoning appeals process, which would-- (aa) create a process for developers or builders requesting a variance, conditional use, special permit, zoning district change, similar discretionary permit, or otherwise petitioning a local zoning or planning board for a project including a State-defined amount of affordable housing to appeal a rejection to a State body or regional body empowered by the State; and (bb) establish qualifications for communities to be exempted from the appeals process based on their available stock of affordable housing; and (III) streamlining of State environmental review policies; (xvii) with respect to local zoning frameworks-- (I) the simplification and standardization of existing zoning codes; (II) maximum review timelines; (III) best practices for the disposition of land owned by local governments for affordable housing development; (IV) differentiations between best practices for rural, suburban, and urban communities, and communities with different levels of density or population distribution; and (V) streamlining of local environmental review policies; and (xviii) other land use measures that promote access to new housing opportunities identified by the Secretary; and (C) consider-- (i) the effects of adopting any recommendation on eligibility for Federal discretionary grants and tax credits for the purpose of housing or community development; (ii) coordination between infrastructure investments and housing planning; (iii) local housing needs, including ways to set and measure housing goals and targets; (iv) a range of affordability for rental units, with a prioritization of units attainable to extremely low-, low-, and moderate-income residents; (v) a range of affordability for homeownership; (vi) accountability measures; (vii) the long-term cost to residents and businesses if more housing is not constructed; (viii) barriers to individuals seeking to access affordable housing in growing communities and communities with economic opportunity; (ix) with respect to State zoning fram

Referenced legislation: HR4544, HR5077, HR6644, HR6773, HR6774