It was unanimous. The ROAD to Housing Act of 2025 advanced through a bipartisan Senate Banking Committee markup, passing 40 provisions to present to the Senate.
Officially cited as the “Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act of 2025,” the bill was led by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who chairs the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the ranking member of the committee. It aims to increase the supply of affordable housing in the United States.
The votes were tallied after opening statements from Warren and Scott. When the totals were announced as “24 ayes and zero nays,” Scott asked playfully, “Can you say that one more time?”
The chamber was filled with laughter and applause.
“Let us pray,” Scott continued, leading to additional laughter, before turning to the Democratic Senator from Georgia, the Rev. Raphael Warnock. “Will you lead us, Rev. Warnock?”
Overall, the bill is 315 pages of proposals from every different member of the committee, all targeting different areas of problems within the housing industry. Each constitutes a section of the total bill which would be passed as a whole.
“For years, the American people have called on their elected officials to act to reduce housing costs,” Warren said near the conclusion of her opening remarks. “The Scott-Warren legislation represents what is possible when both parties put families ahead of politics. It’s a significant step in the right direction.”
Scott shared why the issue of housing is so important to him personally, having been brought up in poverty.
“For far too long, Congress believed this problem was too big to solve. Today, we’re taking not a step, but we’re taking a leap in the right direction in a bipartisan fashion,” Scott said. “Many people around the country are frustrated with the way we do American politics, and wonder, is there any issue that brings this nation together? And I’m here to say, ‘Hallelujah! We have found one! It is housing!’”
The Senators had the opportunity to discuss their added provisions. Among the many topics covered were efforts to build more housing; reduce homelessness; improve Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s disaster preparedness; preservation and expansion of housing options for renters and homeowners, including for veterans and rural communities; preservation of long-term affordability in manufactured housing communities; zoning upgrades; and home repairs support.
Warnock said that working across the aisle gave them a good chance to get the policy done right. “Let’s be honest, a lot of those zoning policies harken back to a much darker period in our nation’s history, and so we’re still haunted by those old ghosts. That’s part of what we have to address. But I’m grateful for this bill.”
He said that while he is excited about the bill, it is just a first step.
“Our housing system is broken. We are short nearly 7 million homes. Generational wealth is trending in the wrong direction, and too many young Americans find home ownership out of reach,” he said, explaining the amendments he had filed with the bill that would have capped how much renters pay, help cover the cost of a down payment and work to keep private equity from buying up so many homes.
“I hope this committee will treat this bipartisan bill like a first step towards transformational housing policy that will truly end our affordable housing crisis, and I look forward to supporting it on the Senate floor,” Warnock said.
