Housing bill set to pass without Trump’s signature. Here’s what it means locally
A landmark affordable housing bill is set to become law despite President Donald Trump refusing to sign the bill.
The bipartisan legislation, known as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, is intended to lower housing costs for Americans while increasing housing supply. Trump was initially set to sign the bill in June, but abruptly canceled saying he would only sign off if Congress passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. The SAVE Act would require voters to provide proof of citizenship before casting their ballots.
Under the U.S. Constitution, the president has 10 days to sign or veto a bill before is automatically becomes law. Trump received the legislation on June 24 triggering the 10-day clock before the bill becomes law at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Eastern time. As of Friday morning, Trump said he will not sign the bill and had not indicated plans to veto it, according to a Politico report.
“This landmark legislation, a rare bipartisan agreement at the federal level, would make generational progress toward addressing the housing crisis,” Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello said in a June press release. “It’s a shame that the president is playing politics with this bipartisan legislation that will benefit millions of Americans.”
The bill, which passed with overwhelming support in both the House and Senate, aims to make homeownership affordable by limiting how many private-equity large investors can buy single-family homes, streamlining permitting and environmental reviews for certain housing activities, and creating flexibility for how HOME Investment Partnership Program funds can be used.
The HOME Investment Partnership Program is a federal block grant provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to local and state governments to create affordable housing.
According to Pierce County spokesperson Kari Plog, by 2044, Pierce County needs more than 100,000 new housing units to meet projected housing demand with 77,000 of those designated as affordable units.
Plog said that Pierce County receives about $1.2 million to $1.5 million each year to support subsidized affordable housing from the HOME Investments Partnership Program. She explained that the bill allows the funds to be used for housing-related infrastructure that tends to drive up production costs.
“For example, the proposed Frederickson project could use HOME dollars to help cover sewer infrastructure, one of the largest expenses on that site,” Plog wrote in the June press release.
The Frederickson South project, located at 200th Street East and Knoble Road East, will be turned into 28 affordable homes available for those earning below 80% of the Area Median Income, or $96,650 annually for a family of four, with families projected to move in by 2029.
Additionally, Plog said the legislation offers grants and forgivable loans for home repairs and modifications through a new HUD pilot program, and allows HUD to give more weight to grant applicants located in Opportunity Zones. Opportunity Zones are federally designated low-income areas where investors receive tax incentives to build out local businesses and real estate in order to spur economic growth.
Plog said that Pierce County is in the process of seeking several Opportunity Zone designations in the Parkland-Spanaway area.
Maria Lee, spokesperson for the city of Tacoma, said that housing affordability is one of the biggest challenges Tacomans face, far too big for local governments to solve alone.
“While no single bill will solve the housing crisis, this legislation is an important step in the right direction and demonstrates the kind of federal partnership communities need to meet today’s housing challenges,” Lee wrote in an email to The News Tribune.
