NCSHA Blogs
Appropriations Lapse; Federal Government Shuts Down; Agencies Operating Per Contingency Plans
As of today, October 1, as a result of a lapse in appropriations at the conclusion of Fiscal Year 2025, the federal government is shut down and agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Housing and...
Banking Committee Advances Comprehensive Housing Bill; HOME Reauthorization Included
The Senate Banking Committee this morning unanimously passed a wide-ranging affordable housing package containing dozens of proposals introduced by Senators from both parties. The bill — titled “Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act of 2025,” or “ROAD to Housing Act” — is the first bipartisan housing bill to advance through the Banking Committee in more than a decade, and the most substantial as well. It is the product of months of discussions between Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-SC) and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Bipartisan FY26 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Funding Bill
Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee marked up and approved by a broadly bipartisan vote of 27–1 its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations bill. This follows earlier consideration of FY26 THUD legislation by the House Appropriations Committee, which passed on a party-line vote of 35–28.
House Appropriations Committee Approves FY26 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Funding Bill
Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee marked up and approved by a vote of 35 – 28 its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations bill. The THUD Appropriations Subcommittee previously considered and approved nearly identical legislation on Monday.
House Passes Reconciliation Bill with Permanent Housing Credit Volume Cap Increase, 25 Percent Bond Financing Threshold
The House this afternoon passed the budget reconciliation bill, the same version the Senate passed earlier this week. President Trump plans to sign the bill into law tomorrow. The vote for the bill was 218 – 214, with all Republicans but Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) and Thomas Massie (KY) supporting it and all Democrats opposed.
Annual JCHS Report Finds Housing Affordability Challenges Persist; Issues Strong Call for Action
The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) earlier today released its annual State of the Nation’s Housing Report for 2025. The report, of which NCSHA is a sponsor, states clearly that housing affordability in the United States “remains in crisis.” The report documents how, despite slight increases in inventories of for-ownership and rental housing, housing costs still increased and remained unaffordable for many working families. JCHS calls on federal, state, and local government leaders, as well as the private sector, to explore solutions to address the affordable housing shortage.
House Appropriations Committee Approves FY26 USDA Appropriations Bill
On Monday, the House Appropriations Committee voted to advance the FY26 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill 35–27 in a party-line vote. The debate around the bill was contentious, requiring three separate committee meetings over the course of two weeks. Dozens of amendments offered by Democrats to supplement the bill went unadopted, with only three amendments added to the bill that advanced out of the subcommittee earlier this month.
Senate Tax Bill Makes Permanent Housing Credit Volume Cap Increase, 25 Percent Bond Financing Threshold
Late yesterday afternoon, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) released the much-anticipated text of the tax and Medicaid portion of the Senate’s reconciliation bill, with significant differences from the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Like the House bill, the Senate text includes a major expansion of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit) resources, providing a permanent 12 percent increase in Housing Credit authority for the 9 percent program and permanently lowering the bond financing test from 50 to 25 percent. The House bill would increase Housing Credit authority by 12.5 percent and lower the bond financing test to 25 percent, but in both instances those changes would be applicable for just four years. The Senate bill does not include new basis boosts for properties in rural and Native American communities, as is included in the House-passed bill.
White House Releases Additional FY26 Budget Documents
The Trump Administration has released additional supporting materials for its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Budget Request. These new materials, including an appendix from the Office of Management and Budget and “Congressional Justifications” for individual agencies such as the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Agriculture, expand on the limited information provided earlier in the so-called “skinny” budget. However, much information still has not been released, including descriptions of tax proposals and potential housing finance reform ideas. Overall, the changes proposed in the FY26 budget envision a dramatic reduction in federal support for affordable housing and a major restructuring of how the remaining federal assistance is delivered.
