During his annual meetings across Iowa, Senator Chuck Grassley says he often hears concerns about affordable housing from families, employers, and civic leaders. He emphasizes that homeownership is a key part of economic advancement and community engagement. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, Grassley states he has focused on promoting affordable housing while trying to eliminate wasteful spending in federal programs.
Grassley notes that President Trump recently addressed homeownership in his State of the Union speech, highlighting affordability as a major concern for many Americans. According to Grassley, “The Republican-led Congress is working to make housing more affordable without bloated government federal spending.” He describes the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act as a bipartisan effort that uses market-based strategies to help both renters and buyers by increasing housing supply and reducing regulatory costs.
He adds, “By making it easier for builders to build, lenders to lend and families to save, our bipartisan bill helps renters and buyers.” The legislation was developed with input from various industry stakeholders such as housing advocates, builders, realtors, and lenders. Its goals include expanding the housing supply, cutting regulations that increase building costs—citing figures that regulations account for about 25% of single-family home costs and 40% for multi-family developments—and addressing inefficiencies in government programs.
On rural communities, Grassley states: “Every American deserves the opportunity to secure the American Dream of homeownership, including in Rural America.” The proposed law aims to strengthen housing availability in these areas while maintaining local zoning control and updating rural housing initiatives. It would require joint environmental reviews by HUD and USDA for projects funded by both agencies—a move intended to reduce bureaucracy and speed up construction timelines.
The bill also seeks to modernize federal programs for the first time in thirty years by streamlining inspections and encouraging innovation. It prioritizes directing federal resources toward communities focused on affordability. Additionally, it includes measures intended to support lower-income families in building savings and moving toward ownership.
Veterans are expected to benefit through improved transparency from the Federal Housing Administration regarding mortgage disclosures. The bill also proposes excluding disability compensation from income calculations under certain rental assistance programs for veterans.
Grassley concludes by acknowledging the role of local advocacy efforts in shaping policy decisions on affordable housing: “Representative government is a two-way street… That’s why I’m supporting the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.”
