Congress passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (P.L. 119-101) after months of debate and revisions. The president did not sign or veto the bill, and it quietly became law on July 11, 2026.
Two titles of the law are especially relevant to states, as they modify existing grant programs and create new programs for state and local governments to increase the supply of affordable housing. Other titles seek to:
- Reform housing counseling and financial literacy programs
- Increase the supply of manufactured housing
- Reform some requirements of small-dollar mortgage lending
- Exclude veterans’ benefits when determining eligibility for veterans’ housing programs
- Expand oversight of public housing agencies
- Encourage community banks to take a greater role in housing
This Issue Brief summarizes key provisions of the law that affect states and localities, including the first-ever authorization of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program (CDBG-DR), changes to the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and the Community Development Block Grant, and the authorization of new grant programs for which states are eligible.