Davids Votes to Advance Bipartisan Housing Package to Lower Costs, Expand Affordable Housing

Today, Representative Sharice Davids voted to pass the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, legislation aimed at expanding affordable housing supply, lowering housing costs, strengthening renter protections, and supporting community financial institutions that help Kansans access homeownership and housing development opportunities.

“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.”

The updated House package — an amended version of the Senate bill — preserves nearly 90 percent of the Senate’s approach while restoring several bipartisan housing provisions the House previously passed and that Davids supported this year. It also addresses concerns raised about the Senate version by maintaining protections against large institutional investors purchasing single-family homes, while preserving new rental housing construction and preventing forced home sales that could lead to unnecessary evictions.

The legislation includes provisions to:

• accelerate construction of multifamily, manufactured, and rural housing; 
• expand access to small-dollar mortgages;
• prohibit large institutional investors owning 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 for resolving renter 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. 

The House version also removes Senate provisions opposed by housing advocates that could weaken tenant protections and federal oversight in public housing programs. More than 30 national housing organizations urged House leaders to pass the updated package, and several housing industry groups that previously opposed the Senate bill announced support for the amended House version in recent days.

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 forego 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.