Key facts
- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) supports the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644).
- The bill aims to address housing affordability and supply shortages.
- Key provisions include streamlining regulatory reviews and improving FHA access.
- The legislation also seeks to increase FHA multifamily loan limits and enhance the Rural Housing Service program.
- Bill Killmer, MBA Senior Vice President, praised the bill in a letter to House leadership.
Bill Killmer, Senior Vice President for Legislative and Political Affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), has discussed the potential impact of elections on the mortgage industry and housing policy. In a HousingWire Daily podcast, Killmer spoke with Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler about the MBA's work on various issues across the political aisle.
More recently, on February 5, 2026, the MBA announced its endorsement of the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644). The association urged House members to pass the bill, which aims to improve housing affordability, expand access to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) programs, and modernize federal housing initiatives. The bill is scheduled for a House floor vote.
The Housing for the 21st Century Act, co-crafted by House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill and Ranking Member Maxine Waters, along with subcommittee leaders Mike Flood and Emmanuel Cleaver, has been combined with provisions related to community banking. Its objectives include streamlining regulatory reviews, enhancing access to FHA small dollar mortgages, and increasing FHA multifamily loan limits to better reflect current construction costs. The legislation also seeks to strengthen the Rural Housing Service program and improve interagency coordination between HUD, the VA, and the USDA on housing policy.