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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Pressley-Led Bills Would Address Bias in Home Appraisals, Expand Affordable Housing, Strengthen Oversight of Corporate Landlords, and Help Families Reach Financial Stability

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, issued a statement upon Congress’s passage of her four bills to address the housing crisis and increase pathways to equitable and affordable housing. The robust package passed by the House of Representatives today includes her legislation to address bias in home valuations, expand affordable housing, strengthen oversight of corporate landlords, and help families reach financial stability.

“I’m proud that Congress has passed my bills to confront racial bias in home appraisals, protect renters from abusive corporate landlords, expand access to affordable housing, and help families build long-term financial stability,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “Housing is a human right, and these bills move us closer to a more just America where everyone has a safe, healthy, and affordable home.”

Rep. Pressley’s bills in the Congress-passed housing package include:

• The Appraisal Modernization Act. This bill would promote equity and combat systemic bias in the home appraisal process that has disadvantaged many current and aspiring homeowners—especially homeowners of color. 
• The Innovation Fund Act. This bill would establish a grant program to reward communities that are taking innovative steps to increase housing supply.
• The Renter Resource Center Act. This bill would protect renters and strengthen oversight of corporations by creating a database of institutional investors that buy single-family homes, requiring HUD to provide resources to renters, and more.
• Helping More Families Save Act.This bill would help families receiving federal housing assistance achieve financial independence as a pathway to wealth building by modernizing and expanding HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program.

In January 2026, Rep. Pressley, alongside Congresswomen Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05) held the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ (CPC) Lowering Costs Taskforce’s first shadow hearing, titled “Building the New American Dream: Lowering Housing Costs for All.” The shadow hearing brought together housing experts and CPC Members to advance solutions to lower costs by building more affordable, public, and market-rate housing; cracking down on corporate and landlord greed; and expanding federal assistance for low-income families.

As a Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance of the House Financial Services Committee (FSC), Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for policies that affirm housing as a human right and center the dignity and humanity of all people.

• In May 2026, during Fair Housing and Second Chance Month, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) reintroduced the Housing for Formerly Incarcerated Reentry and Stable Tenancy (Housing FIRST) Act of 2026, bold legislation to help people who are formerly incarcerated and those with criminal histories access safe and stable housing. The bill would advance housing justice and help disrupt the prison-to-homelessness pipeline by removing unjust barriers to housing and limit tenant screening criteria for criminal records in background checks.
• In April 2026, Rep. Pressley along with Rep. DeLauro and Rep. Gomez, founder and co-chair of Congressional Renters Caucus, introduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act to protect tenants facing illegal evictions, crack down on credit reporting of evictions, and more.
• In March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Financial Services Committee Democrats in a comment letter condemning HUD’s proposed mixed-status families rule, which would increase evictions, separate families, and increase homelessness across the country.
• In December 2025, Rep. Pressley convened local advocates and community partners to sound the alarm on the housing crisis created by Donald Trump.
• In December 2025, Rep. Pressley underscored the need to support grandfamily and kinship households, which are vital to preventing homelessness and keeping families and communities whole.

• In November 2025, Rep. Pressley joined House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (CA-35) and 52 colleagues in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner, calling on him to rescind a recent HUD decision to slash essential Continuum of Care (CoC) program funding. 
• In November 2025, Rep. Pressley introduced the Appraisal Modernization Act, legislation to promote equity and combat systemic bias in the home appraisal process that has disadvantaged many current and aspiring homeowners—especially homeowners of color.
• In May 2025, Rep, Pressley, along with Representatives Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), and Greg Casar (TX-35), reintroduced the Tenants’ Right to Organize Act, legislation to protect the power of tenants, including those with federal vouchers, to organize.
• In June 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Maxine Waters (CA-43) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), re-introduced the Tenant Empowerment Act, bold legislation to strengthen HUD tenant protections and provide renters with the tools necessary to improve the quality of their homes.
• In March 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Mayor Wu, visited Roxbury to celebrate the $1,000,000 in federal funding she secured to provide emergency childcare support for families experiencing homelessness in the City of Boston.
• In March 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Senators Warren and Markey, applauded the final passage of $850,000 in federal community project funding for The Pryde, an affordable housing development for LGBTQ+ seniors in Hyde Park.
• In March 2024, Rep. Pressley urged Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to cut interest rates to boost home affordability and construction of affordable housing.
• In January 2024, Rep. Pressley, during a House Financial Services Committee Hearing, highlighted the growing housing crisis and how appraisal bias and discriminatory tenant screening practices exacerbate the racial wealth and homeownership gaps, especially for Black communities.
• In January 2024, Rep. Pressley celebrated the $2.4 million in federal funding she secured to support the community-led transformation of the Clarendon Hill housing community, an ethnically, linguistically and economically diverse neighborhood in Somerville.
• In December 2023, Rep. Pressley requested the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide data on housing needs for Medicaid beneficiaries and feedback on challenges the agency is having in covering housing support for people requiring home and community-based services (HCBS).
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), reintroduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act, critical legislation to provide much-needed assistance to those facing eviction amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 
• In September 2021, Rep. Pressley joined Rep. Bush and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in introducing the Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021 to enact an urgently needed nationwide eviction moratorium. 
• On July 2021, ahead of the expiration of the previous CDC eviction moratorium, Reps. Pressley, Bush, Gomez and their progressive colleagues sent a letter renewing their calls for President Biden and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky to extend the federal eviction moratorium and prevent the historic and deadly wave of evictions that would occur if the government failed to do so. 
• On July 30, 2021, Rep. Pressley joined House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) in introducing the Protecting Renters from Evictions Act of 2021, legislation to extend the eviction moratorium through the end of the year. 
• In June 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Reps. Gomez and Bush, led over 40 of their colleagues on a letter urging President Biden and CDC Director Walensky to extend and strengthen the moratorium for the duration of the public health crisis. 
• In June 2021, Congresswoman Pressley, along with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), re-introduced the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, a bill to institute a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
• On May 18, 2021, Reps. Bush and Pressley sent a letter to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calling on the CDC to strengthen and extend the federal moratorium on evictions, ensuring families can remain safely in their homes for the duration of the COVID-19 global health emergency.
• On July 28, 2020, Rep. Pressley, Rep. DeLauro and Sen. Harris introduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act to provide much-needed, layered assistance to those facing eviction amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On July 24, 2020, in a Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley discussed the unprecedented financial cliff facing millions of renters and homeowners, the economic consequences of millions losing their homes, including the ability to return to work, and why funding for legal representation is so critical.
• On May 11, 2020, Reps. Tlaib, and Joe Neguse (D-CO) urge House and Senate leadership to include $11.5 billion in funding for Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) in the next relief package to aid the nation’s homeless population who are experiencing heightened vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On April 10, 2020, Rep. Pressley urged Congressional leadership to prioritize recurring monthly cash payments to those most at-risk during the COVID-19 crisis. This funding would allow people to cover all their bills, including rent.
• On April 17, 2020, Reps. Pressley, Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and colleagues introduce the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, a bill to institute a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
• On March 23, 2020, Reps. Pressley and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) introduced the Public Health Emergency Shelter Act of 2020, legislation to provide critical funding to states and local governments responding to the needs of families and individuals experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis. This legislation was included and passed through the HEROES Act and H.R. 7301, the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020.
• On March 19, 2020, Rep. Pressley, along with progressive lawmakers and organizations, introduced the Housing is a Human Right Act to authorize more than $200 billion in federal spending over 10 years for crucial housing infrastructure and reduce homelessness.
• On March 18, 2020, Reps. Pressley, Katie Porter (D-CA) and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) wrote to HUD calling for a moratorium on evicting renters during the coronavirus pandemic.
• In July 2019, Rep. Pressley announced legislation that would prohibit the use of biometric recognition technology in most public and assisted housing units funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), protecting tenants from biased surveillance technology. 
• In November 2019, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Tlaib wrote to HUD blasting the agency for ignoring low-income tenants seeking to save their homes.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes numerous bills introduced by Ranking Member Emanuel Cleaver

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

The Congressman highlighted the consequences of public health cuts, the failure to address toxic heavy metals in baby food, and the weakening of efforts to combat youth vaping

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

WASHINGTON — Today, the House of Representatives voted on final passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, sending the most significant federal housing legislation in a generation to the President’s desk. The final bill includes provisions authored by Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) to expand access to affordable housing through cooperative ownership models and tighten congressional oversight of public housing authorities operating under federal monitorship.
 
Velázquez’s provision explicitly authorizes housing cooperatives as eligible participants in federal housing programs, fixing vague statutory language that had left co-ops at risk of being excluded from programs they qualify for.
 
“Cooperative housing remains one of the best tools we have to increase affordability and ensure working families can stay in their neighborhoods,” said Velázquez. “In a city like New York, where rising costs are pushing families out, resident-owned cooperatives offer stability and a buffer against rent hikes. This bill will ensure cooperatives play a prominent role in our national affordable housing strategy.”
 
Cooperative housing supports more than 1.5 million families across the country and is a cornerstone of affordable homeownership in New York City.
 
Velázquez also secured oversight and transparency requirements aimed at public housing authorities operating under a federal monitor or receiver. The provision was developed in response to persistent maintenance failures at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the court-appointed federal monitor’s limited engagement with New York’s congressional delegation. Under the new requirements, monitors and receivers must deliver annual reports and testimony to Congress. Velázquez’s language will strengthen congressional oversight and help the federal government direct resources where they are needed most.
 
“For years, NYCHA residents have lived with conditions no family should have to tolerate, while the court-ordered federal monitor operated with little input from the representatives who serve those communities,” said Velázquez. “This law changes that. Requiring monitors and receivers to report and testify before Congress means we can better equip NYCHA and struggling housing authorities nationwide to make repairs and improve residents’ lives.”
 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Nebraskans are resilient, but they shouldn’t have to navigate unnecessary red tape while recovering from disaster.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) voted in favor of H.R. 6644, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 352 to 32. This legislation, which passed the Senate on June 22, 2026, now heads to President Trump to be signed into law. 

“For too long, the idea of home ownership has increasingly become out of reach for countless American families. Today, the House took meaningful action to help working families pursue the American Dream and enter the housing market,” said Congressman Guthrie. “By reducing unnecessary red tape, increasing access to home loans, and prioritizing individual homebuyers over large corporations, this housing package will help Americans achieve their dream of home ownership.”

Background:  

H.R. 6644, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:  

• Removes unnecessary regulatory barriers to streamline housing development and affordability by allowing the use of ready-to-use, pre-approved home designs so builders can get permits faster and build homes more quickly, 
• Addresses concerns about large investors unfairly competing with individual homebuyers by limiting investor purchases to no more than 350 single-family homes,  
• Modernizes outdated banking regulations to expand local lending while maintaining financial responsibility by simplifying bank exams and updating thresholds so well-run banks can focus more on lending and less on paperwork, and 
• Expands community and rural banks’ access to stable deposits so they can lend locally and support small businesses, farmers, and households. 

A one pager provided by the House Financial Services Committee can be found HERE. 

A section-by-section summary of H.R. 6644 compiled by the House Financial Services Committee can be found HERE.  

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

Today, Representative Sharice Davids once again voted to pass the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, major legislation aimed at lowering housing costs, expanding affordable housing supply, and strengthening renter protections. Following years of work led in part by Davids, the bill passed both the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support and now heads to President Trump’s desk.

“Rising housing costs are hitting families across Kansas, and people are tired of feeling like homeownership or affordable rent is moving further out of reach,” said Davids. “This bipartisan bill takes practical steps to build more housing, strengthen protections for renters and homeowners, and crack down on large corporate investors buying up homes. It’s the kind of commonsense work Congress should be focused on to help lower costs and create more stability for families.”

Davids previously voted for the legislation when it passed the House in May. The updated version reflects years of bipartisan work to cut red tape and remove unnecessary barriers to new home construction, as well as providing needed relief to community banks. The legislation would:

• accelerate construction of multifamily, manufactured, and rural housing;
• expand access to small-dollar mortgages;
• prohibit large institutional investors that own more than 350 single-family homes from purchasing additional single-family houses;
• strengthen protections for families living in federally assisted housing;
• establish a renter complaint hotline and public resource center to help resolve disputes with large institutional investor landlords; and
• support community banks, credit unions, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), and rural lenders that help finance housing projects and mortgages.

Across Kansas, there is a shortage of rental homes that are affordable and available to low-income households, causing many families to spend more than half of their monthly income on housing. It’s estimated that in 2021, Kansas had more than 55,000 fewer rental homes than needed. Also, currently 40 percent of renters in Johnson County are housing cost-burdened, meaning these families and others across the state must forgo necessities — food, healthcare, childcare — to afford rent.

Last year, Davids released her Housing Affordability Agenda, outlining a path forward for bipartisan legislation in Congress to ensure every American has access to safe, decent, affordable housing and the amenities needed to thrive. Her agenda centers on expanding supply, reducing cost burdens, and strengthening consumer protections in the housing market.

In February, Davids convened local housing and community development leaders in Olathe to discuss strategies to expand affordable housing access for Kansans. Also, she and former Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-KS-02) previously urged U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to schedule a vote on bipartisan legislation that boosts affordable rental housing options in rural, suburban, and urban Kansas. Davids has also secured federal funding for multiple housing projects across Kansas’ Third District, from rural to urban to suburban communities.

A section-by-section analysis of the bill can be found here. Bill text can be found here. A roundup of stakeholder support for the bill can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Judy Chu (CA-28) and Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), as well as Reps. Cohen (D-TN), Gottheimer (D-NJ), Raskin (D-MD), Schrier (D-WA), and Suozzi (D-NY), are introducing legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Americans who were active in rescuing and aiding Jewish refugees and others during the Holocaust. The Medal will be displayed at the U.S. Holocaust Museum.

Among those recognized include the War Refugee Board, who were responsible for saving the lives of 200,000 Jewish refugees and 20,000 non-Jews, as well as Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the United States, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Harold Ickes, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and Congressman Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr., of Maryland, the father of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.

“I’m so proud to reintroduce this legislation with Senator Schiff and my Democratic colleagues to award a congressional gold medal to Americans who rescued Jews and other refugees facing near certain death during the Holocaust,” said Rep. Chu. “These heroes risked their own lives to save others and, in doing so, exemplified what it means to fight for a more just and more equal world. As we continue to face rising antisemitism, bigotry, and authoritarianism in our country and worldwide, our bill represents our unyielding commitment to ensuring the lessons of the past are never forgotten.” 

“It is more important than ever to commemorate the efforts of hundreds of individual Americans and the many organizations that aided and rescued European Jews and others facing Nazi persecution during the Holocaust. We commemorate the courage and sacrifice of these hundreds of Americans who saved thousands of lives – sometimes at grave personal risk and with U.S. public opposition at the time toward resettling Jewish refugees,” said Sen. Schiff.  

“The individuals and organizations who risked everything to rescue tens of thousands of Jews from near-certain death during the Holocaust are true heroes,” said Rep. Suozzi. “I am proud to help lead this effort to honor their tremendous courage with a Congressional Gold Medal. In a new era of rising antisemitism, their legacies inspire us to do everything in our power to stand up to this vicious hate wherever it arises.”

“It is right for Congress to honor those who rescued countless Jews and other refugees during the Holocaust. Awarding Congressional Gold Medals to individuals and groups responsible for saving tens of thousands of lives is a well-deserved honor and is long overdue,” said Rep. Cohen. 

“During the Holocaust, anti-fascist Americans stepped up to rescue thousands of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi mass murder,” said Rep. Raskin. “With antisemitism and authoritarianism on the rise globally, we must remember undaunted American activists who fought for safety and human rights for persecuted and scapegoated people. I am proud to join my colleagues to push for a Congressional Gold Medal to honor American heroes who helped save lives at great personal risk.”

Background: The resolution awards hundreds of Americans and relief organizations who were responsible for saving thousands of Jewish refugees and others during the Holocaust. In 1939, Congress rejected proposals to offer asylum to 20,000 Jewish children. In the same year, the United States refused asylum to Jewish refugees aboard the S.S. St. Louis, who were forced to return to Europe, and 254 of whom died in the Holocaust. 

This bill is cosponsored by: Reps. Bonamici (D-OR), Carbajal (D-CA), Friedman (D-CA), Goldman (D-NY), Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Jacobs (D-CA), Landsman (D-OH), Lee (D-PA), Levin (D-CA), Moskowitz (D-FL), Sherman (D-CA), Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). 

The bill is endorsed by The Institute for the Study of Rescue and Altruism in the Holocaust. 

The full text of the legislation can be found here.  

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO-02)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, released the following statement after she voted for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:

“Missouri families need and deserve relief from the high costs of everyday life, and I have been proud to work with my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee to directly address increasingly unaffordable housing prices. Today’s bipartisan vote will advance generational reforms to expand access to housing and help families in Missouri and across the country find the home they love. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will modernize and streamline outdated regulations, making it easier to build homes that families can afford.

“After months of bipartisan negotiations, the House and Senate came together to craft a bill that puts families first and will help Missourians achieve a stable living so they can put down roots and focus on raising their families.  I am looking forward to the President signing this critical legislation into law so we can continue to bring down costs in our St. Louis region and support the parents and families who make our community so great.”