The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act would make it easier to build much-needed housing by strengthening and reforming proven programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released this statement regarding Senate passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:
“The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will go a long way in helping tackle the affordable housing crisis we are confronting in our states,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This legislation will expand housing supply by streamlining and modernizing critical federal affordable housing programs. It builds on the strong bipartisan work we have done to expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) by increasing the statutory cap limiting banks’ public welfare investment authority, which will unlock additional equity for LIHTC properties and other economic revitalization projects. The bill also makes important enhancements to HUD and USDA housing programs and enhances the flexibility of the HOME Investment Partnerships program. As the bill now heads back to the House, I look forward to delivering a strong housing package for the President to sign.”
A report, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes, released just last week by the National Low Income Coalition (NLICH), revealed that in the State of Washington a full-time worker must earn an hourly Housing Wage of $41.11 to afford the average Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom rental home in the state ($2,138). To afford this rent, plus utilities – without paying more than 30% of income on these expenses – a household must earn $85,501 annually. The Housing Wage assumes the individual works 40 hours per week for all 52 weeks of the year.
According to NLICH, developers and landlords in Washington state often cannot build or operate rental homes at prices affordable to these households because what they can afford to pay for rent is not enough to cover the costs to build and operate these properties.
Sen. Cantwell has long advocated for the need to increase the availability of affordable housing and is the leading LIHTC advocate in the Senate. In April 2025, she introduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, a bill to expand the LIHTC program and increase the number of affordable homes built in the United States. The bipartisan bill had 30 total original cosponsors, with an equal split of Democrats and Republicans, and elements of the legislation were included in the July 2025 reconciliation package.
Sen. Cantwell previously introduced the Affordable Housing Credit Act in 2021 and in 2023, along with Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA, 01), and led efforts to build a bipartisan, bicameral coalition in support of that legislation. Last Congress, Sen. Cantwell’s legislation was joined by 308 Members – 58% of the entire Congress – including 170 Democrats and 139 Republicans.