U.S. Financial Services Committee chairmen publish op-ed backing Housing for the 21st Century Act ahead of House floor vote

House Committee on Financial Services Chairman French Hill and Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance Chairman Mike Flood published a joint op-ed setting out the case for the Housing for the 21st Century Act, which they said is scheduled for consideration on the House floor on 9 February 2026. The chairmen framed the bill as a package to expand housing supply by streamlining development approvals, updating Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, and easing constraints on construction finance provided by community and regional banks. The op-ed cited an estimated national housing shortfall of as many as 5.5 million units and pointed to permitting delays, regulatory processes, zoning constraints, and rising construction costs as key drivers. Measures highlighted include faster permitting through the use of pre-approved home designs, simplified federal and local housing processes, modernization of HUD standards for manufactured and factory-built homes with HUD clearly designated as the lead, changes to the HOME Program to provide states and cities more flexibility and time, and reductions in “red tape” and tailored compliance requirements intended to support banks’ access to stable funding for housing-related lending. The next stated milestone is House floor action on the bill on 9 February 2026.