DALLAS, Texas — Advocates say a recent bipartisan vote in the U.S. Senate could help tackle North Texas’s rising housing costs and limited availability.
On March 12, senators approved the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, a sweeping package aimed at expanding the housing supply and making homes more affordable. The bill passed 89 to 10, reflecting rare bipartisan support.
Key provisions include:
- New funding streams for developers to increase housing construction.
- Support for innovative building technologies to reduce construction costs.
- Restrictions on large-scale investors, allowing them to buy homes but limiting indefinite ownership of rental properties.
- Incentives for local governments to consider zoning reforms to encourage housing growth.
Bryan Tony, head of the Dallas Housing Coalition, said the region’s housing pressures now extend beyond low-income households.
“It’s no longer just people who are working two jobs or single-parent households, but middle-class families that are also being impacted by housing,” Tony said. “They’re wondering where their kids are going to move out and rent or be able to afford their home one day. So it’s now impacting everybody.”
The bill still must pass the U.S. House of Representatives before it can become law, but supporters hope it will signal a turning point in addressing housing challenges in North Texas and nationwide.
