CHLA calls the bipartisan deal a step forward while pushing Congress toward bolder entry-level housing policy
For community-based mortgage lenders, the bipartisan agreement on the 21st Century ROAD (Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream) to Housing Act is welcome, but not enough.
The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA), the national nonprofit representing small and mid-sized community mortgage lenders across the United States, endorsed the congressional deal this week while urging lawmakers to follow it with targeted tax policy and a national focus on entry-level supply, framing the moment as a test of how seriously Congress will address a generational homeownership gap.
"Today's agreement among Congressional leaders on the Road to Housing bill is a tribute to both parties' ongoing commitment to bi-partisanship in adopting housing policies," CHLA said in a statement.
"CHLA hopes this is a springboard to Congress adopting bold tax policies and a national focus on entry level housing, as part of a Moonshot Commitment CHLA called for last month to address Gen Z homeownership challenges."
The pressure behind that call is real. Baby boomers dominated the 2025 buying cycle, accounting for 42% of all purchasers, while the first-time buyer share dropped to a record-low 21%, according to the National Association of Realtors' 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report. That's the lowest figure since NAR began tracking the data in 1981.
Read more: Gen Z becoming increasingly worried about homebuying
What's in the deal
The agreement was brokered by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC), Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR), and Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA).
The bill combines elements of the House-passed Housing for the 21st Century Act and the Senate's earlier ROAD to Housing Act, while adding new provisions, including restrictions on large institutional investors purchasing single-family homes.
It also includes FHA appraisal flexibility, a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau study on loan officer compensation, and a three-year Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) authorization.
Read more: Senate and House seal deal on landmark housing affordability bill
Industry groups push for final passage
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) backed the deal with equal urgency.
"NAHB congratulates congressional leaders for reaching a bicameral and bipartisan agreement to move forward a final version of the 21st Century Road to Housing Act," said Bill Owens, NAHB chairman and a home builder from Worthington, Ohio.
"This landmark legislation would expand housing opportunities for buyers and renters, strengthen homeownership, and help tackle the affordability challenges facing communities nationwide. It's time for Congress to move this historic housing package across the finish line."
The National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL) was equally direct. "This is a landmark moment for affordable housing in America," said Sarah Brundage, NAAHL president and CEO.
"Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Warren, Chairman Hill, and Ranking Member Waters have come together in a genuinely bipartisan way to advance meaningful legislation that will expand housing supply, modernize federal programs, and unlock new private investment in communities across the country. This agreement is the result of years of advocacy, negotiation, and genuine cross-aisle commitment to solving one of America's most pressing challenges. NAAHL strongly applauds this agreement and urges swift final passage."
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