Senator John Hoeven announced on Mar. 12 that he joined his colleagues in passing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at increasing access to affordable housing and supporting homeownership across the country.
The legislation is intended to address challenges faced by Americans seeking affordable homes, with measures designed to expand housing stock, reduce regulatory barriers, and promote construction and rehabilitation efforts. These steps are seen as important for making housing more available and accessible for families nationwide.
Key provisions of the act include prohibiting institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes—with certain exceptions—streamlining National Environmental Policy Act compliance for specific U.S. Housing and Urban Development projects, providing grants for whole-home repairs for low-income homeowners, amending the Community Reinvestment Act to encourage bank investments in public housing, reforming the Community Development Block Grant program to boost housing production, launching a pilot program to convert blighted buildings into affordable units, and improving support through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service for rural communities. The bill also reauthorizes the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and seeks to improve veterans’ access to home loans.
“This legislation will bolster our efforts in North Dakota and across the nation to build more affordable housing and help Americans secure the dream of homeownership,” said Hoeven. “The reforms included in this bill aim to expand our country’s available housing stock, including by keeping more existing homes on the market, reducing regulatory hurdles for housing projects and supporting home construction, repair and rehabilitation. These are important steps to make housing more abundant, affordable and accessible for everyday Americans.”
Hoeven holds several committee assignments including service on the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, as well as Committee on Energy and Natural Resources according to his official website. He represents all of North Dakota in the U.S. Senate according to his official website.
In addition to legislative work on housing issues, Hoeven addresses priorities such as agriculture, energy policy, veterans’ services, Native American communities, and economic development according to his official website. He also engages with constituents through newsletters, town halls, and public events as noted on his official website.
