Davids Votes to Pass Bipartisan Housing Package to Lower Housing Costs

Today, Representative Sharice Davids once again voted to pass the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, major legislation aimed at lowering housing costs, expanding affordable housing supply, and strengthening renter protections. Following years of work led in part by Davids, the bill passed both the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support and now heads to President Trump’s desk.

“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.”

Davids previously voted for the legislation when it passed the House in May. The updated version reflects years of bipartisan work to cut red tape and remove unnecessary barriers to new home construction, as well as providing needed relief to community banks. The legislation would:

• accelerate construction of multifamily, manufactured, and rural housing;
• expand access to small-dollar mortgages;
• prohibit large institutional investors that own 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 to help resolve 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.

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 forgo 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.

A section-by-section analysis of the bill can be found here. Bill text can be found here. A roundup of stakeholder support for the bill can be found here.