Key facts
- President Donald Trump will not sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act until the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act is passed.
- The 21st Century Road to Housing Act passed the House with a 358-32 vote and the Senate with an 85-5 vote.
- The housing bill aims to lower housing costs, improve affordability, and expand housing opportunity.
- The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require voters to provide photo ID to prove U.S. citizenship.
- Some House Republicans conditioned their vote on the housing bill on the passage of the voter ID legislation.
President Donald Trump announced he would not sign the bipartisan 21st Century Road to Housing Act until the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act is passed, effectively canceling a planned signing ceremony. The housing bill, which had garnered broad bipartisan support, passed the House with a 358-32 vote and the Senate with an 85-5 vote. It aims to address the nation's housing shortage and affordability crisis through measures including incentives for streamlined zoning and limiting institutional investors' ownership of single-family homes.
Trump stated on social media that the signing was postponed until the "SAVE AMERICA ACT," which he considers a national emergency, is passed. This act would require voters to provide photo identification to prove U.S. citizenship. Some House Republicans had previously conditioned their vote on the housing bill on the passage of this voter identification legislation. Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Trump's decision, calling the housing bill significant federal legislation and highlighting that his policies have increased costs.
House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged meeting with Trump and stated he still expects the president to sign the housing bill within the 10-day window before it lapses. Johnson described the housing bill as of minor importance compared to the SAVE AMERICA Act. Concerns remain about the bill's provisions, particularly regarding potential ambiguity in language related to build-to-rent investors, though a previous seven-year requirement for selling new builds was removed. Industry groups like the National Multifamily Housing Council have expressed support for the bill's enactment.