Shaheen Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan Housing Package Including Three of Her Bills to Lower Housing Costs

**Senate passes bipartisan housing package including three Shaheen-led bills with broad bipartisan support** (Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), applauded Senate passage of a bipartisan housing package to address the high cost of housing and increase the supply of affordable units in the Granite State and across the country. The 21st Century Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act includes three of Shaheen’s bills—the Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act , the Streamlining Rural Housing Act and the Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative in Community Enhancement (PRICE) Act —that will preserve affordable rural housing, make it easier and less expensive to build new housing and protect lower-income renters. The bipartisan package now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives, where committee leaders have indicated their support. “With affordable housing options out of reach for far too many working Americans, people are looking to Congress to cut red tape, expand our housing supply and lower costs. With the passage of this bipartisan, bicameral housing package, we’ve taken a major step towards lowering the cost of housing for families across the nation,” said Senator Shaheen. “This bill is the largest piece of housing legislation in decades and I’m proud that three provisions I championed to reduce bureaucracy, build rural homes faster, preserve federal funding for affordable housing and support manufactured housing were included. The housing crisis didn’t emerge overnight and it won’t be solved immediately, that’s why I’m going to continue to push for action at all levels – federal, state and local – to bring down costs for Granite State families.” The Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act , which Shaheen has championed for years, preserves housing units in rural areas and ensures that hundreds of thousands of low-income tenants in rural areas are able to maintain access to safe and affordable housing. Shaheen's bill would protect access to affordable housing for families in rural areas that are often elderly or disabled, who are at risk of losing rental assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by allowing rental assistance to continue even after the USDA mortgage on the property is paid off. The Streamlining Rural Housing Act aims to cut red tape and streamline rural housing regulations between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and USDA by requiring the two agencies to enter into a memorandum of understanding to align housing standards. The bipartisan bill would simplify the process to build housing, lowering the cost and shortening project timelines for developers. The Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative in Community Enhancement (PRICE) Act would permanently authorize a grant program to invest in manufactured housing communities, especially resident-owned communities, providing funding for home improvements and community upgrades like roads, water or sewer systems for thousands of Americans each year. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act would also: Create a pilot program at HUD to offer grants and forgivable loans to low and moderate-income homeowners and small landlords to address home repair needs and health hazards. Establish new HUD programs to share best practices for zoning and land-use and work with communities to establish preapproved housing designs to help expedite local construction processes and build more homes. Empower states, local governments and Indian tribes to streamline environmental reviews and speed up housing construction by simplifying the review process, especially when converting existing buildings. Lower costs and support financing for lower cost building methods, including manufactured homes, modular housing and accessory dwelling units. Improve inspections for housing vouchers by allowing other recent inspections to qualify units as eligible, lowering costs for owners and making it easier for families to use their vouchers. Help veteran homebuyers compare financing options by requiring that mortgage notices include information about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ home loan program. Authorize new, flexible funding for communities that are building more housing supply, which can be used to improve community infrastructure, build housing and supplement water and sewer grants. Prevent large institutional investors from purchasing existing houses to ensure they’re available to families looking to buy a home. As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies (Ag-FDA) Subcommittee, Shaheen has continually worked to ensure New Hampshire communities have the federal funding needed to tackle the housing affordability crisis. In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Ag-FDA Appropriations bill that was signed into law, Shaheen fought to fully fund the Rental Assistance program. The bill also includes key provisions from the Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act. Additionally, the FY 2026 appropriations bills invest $1.25 billion in the HOME Investment Partnerships Program to help build new housing across New Hampshire and support grant programs that aid state and local efforts to remove barriers to housing construction. Shaheen recently visited the Village at Crafts Hill to underscore the importance of preserving New Hampshire’s housing supply and to discuss policy solutions to lower costs and protect rural housing, including her Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act . Earlier in the year, Shaheen visited the Normandin Square Apartments to tour ongoing renovation efforts with officials from the Laconia Housing Authority. Shaheen secured $750,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the renovation project in the bipartisan fiscal year 2026 government funding legislation. ###