Bipartisan House and Senate Bills Would Boost Housing Production
The House and Senate have introduced identical bipartisan bills supported by NAHB that will improve the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and allow builders to increase production of badly needed affordable housing.
The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act was introduced in the Senate (S. 1557) by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).
The House bill was introduced by Reps. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), Don Beyer (D-Va.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). The House version of the legislation (H.R. 3238) has more than 60 bipartisan original co-sponsors.
“NAHB commends the House and Senate for introducing bipartisan legislation that addresses the need to boost housing production to ease the nation’s housing affordability crisis,” said NAHB Chairman Alicia Huey. “The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act will finance more than 2 million additional multifamily units over the next decade. And with nearly 11 million renter households severely cost-burdened, there is now more reason than ever to enact this legislation.”
The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would:
- Increase 9% credit allocations, which are generally reserved for new construction, by 50%.
- Prohibit states from requiring special approvals that treat affordable rental housing differently from any other multifamily project.
- Provide a 30% basis boost for properties in rural and Native American areas.
- Lower the 50% “financed by” threshold to 25% for private activity bonds to enable more bond deals. Private activity bonds are tax-exempt bonds issued on behalf of a state or local government to provide special financing benefits for qualified projects.
NAHB strongly supports this bill and will urge Congress to move quickly to pass this legislation.
Latest from NAHBNow
Sep 24, 2025
2026 Remodeled Show Home Goes Light on Demolition, Heavy on EfficiencyEven though The New American Remodel 2026 will not undergo major structural changes, the strategic design updates and modern product integrations will transform the property from a dated, energy-guzzling residence into a sustainable, high-performance gem.
Sep 24, 2025
New Home Sales Post Unexpected Large Gain in AugustSales of newly built single-family homes jumped 20.5% higher in August, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 800,000 from an upwardly revised reading in July, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales is up 15.4% from a year earlier. The three-month moving average of new home sales was 713,000, an increase from the 656,000 in July. New home sales remain down 1.4% on a year-to-date basis.
Latest Economic News
Sep 24, 2025
New Home Sales Post Unexpected Large Gain in AugustA modest drop in mortgage rates led to a surprisingly large jump in new home sales in August, though the figure may be revised downward in the coming month.
Sep 24, 2025
Single-Family Construction Loan Volume Falls BackThe NAHB Land Acquisition, Development and Construction (AD&C) loan survey in the second quarter reported tightening credit conditions for builders. Consequently, FDIC data reporting the outstanding volume of 1-4 family construction loans fell in the second quarter.
Sep 23, 2025
Beyond the Official Unemployment Rate: A Deep Dive into U.S. UnemploymentIn August, the official, or standardly referenced, unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.3%, up from 4.2% in July. This marks the highest level in nearly four years, though it remains historically low.