Rep. Flood-backed housing bill advances to Senate

By Michael Shively

WASHINGTON — A sweeping, bipartisan housing package aimed at rising home prices is heading to the U.S. Senate after passing the House by an overwhelming margin, the result of years of work.

The Housing for the 21st Century Act cleared the House in a 390–9 vote. The legislation was led in part by Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska, chair of the House Housing and Insurance Subcommittee.

Flood said the bill represents the most significant effort by Congress to address housing affordability in more than a decade. He pointed to rising costs in his district, where he said the price of a home has more than doubled over the past five years.

The package combines several measures intended to increase housing supply, reduce regulatory barriers and modernize federal housing programs. Flood’s office said the congressman authored six of the bills included in the final package. 

The legislation was developed through a yearlong bipartisan effort involving leaders of the House Financial Services Committee, including Chairman French Hill of Arkansas and Ranking Member Maxine Waters of California.

Flood said the vote demonstrated bipartisan support for addressing the nation’s housing shortage, which he said has made homeownership increasingly out of reach for many Americans.

The Housing for the 21st Century Act now moves to the Senate for consideration.