Bipartisan housing affordability bill becomes law without Trump’s signature

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law without President Donald Trump’s signature after Congress cleared the bill with an 85-5 Senate vote on June 23 and a 358-32 House vote on June 24. Under the Constitution, Trump had 10 days excluding Sundays to sign or veto the measure, and by letting the deadline lapse, he allowed it to take effect automatically at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday, July 11, 2026.

Trump withheld his signature in protest over the Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE America Act, a separate election bill requiring photo ID and documentary proof of citizenship. He had already canceled a planned White House signing ceremony in June and brushed off the housing measure as “a yawn” and “so unimportant” compared with his voting bill push.

The legislation will increase supply, lower costs for renters and buyers, and cut barriers to homebuilding by streamlining environmental reviews and directing the Department of Housing and Urban Development to guide zoning and land-use reform. It also limits institutional investors from buying certain single-family homes, creates a four-year pilot to make FHA loans under $100,000 more viable, relaxes rules on manufactured housing, and adds support for veterans and an innovation fund for communities that expand housing supply.

National Association of Realtors data show the median price of an existing home sold in June 2026 hit $440,600, a record high. For renters, first-time buyers, and households looking at loans under $100,000, the bill offers a path to relief, but the effect will not be immediate if cities, counties, lenders, and federal agencies move slowly.

Bruce Marks, founder and chief executive of the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, has spent more than 30 years as an advocate for affordable homeownership and against predatory lending and corporate landlords. NACA has served 3 million people, helped 500,000 homeowners, arranged 75,000 mortgages, and handles 30% of all HUD housing counseling.