March 12th, 2026Heinrich Advances Legislation to Build More Housing & Lower Costs for New Mexico Families

WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced Senate passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, bipartisan legislation to tackle the housing crisis in New Mexico and nationwide by increasing the housing supply and lowering the cost of housing for working families.
The median sale price of homes in New Mexicoincreasedfrom $216,500 in 2019 to $345,000 in 2024. At the same time, New Mexico’shousing inventorysankto half of its 2018 level. Rents in New Mexico have also increased since 2019, from $844 to $1,021 in 2023. Byone estimate, New Mexico is short 40,000 affordable rental housing units.
The housing crisis has been exacerbated by Wall Street landlordsartificially decreasing the housing supplyanddriving uphome prices and rents, andPresident Trump’s broad, cost raising tariffson critical homebuilding materials.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will help tackle the housing affordability and supply crisis in New Mexico.This bill invests in the construction of new homes and the rehabilitation of existing homes for working families. It will also help quickly bring affordable housing onto the market and cut bureaucratic red tape so families can get into homes faster.
The legislation provides rural renters with stable housing and rental assistance. It also makes it easier for New Mexicans to afford downpayments and finance accessory dwelling units, or casitas — increasing flexibility in housing options. And it prohibits large investors from buying single-family homes, getting housing out of the hands of corporate landlords and into the hands of New Mexico families.
“Too many New Mexicans are being priced out of a place to live. That’s unacceptable, and it’s something I’ve been working to fix. We need to bring housing costs down and put the American dream of home ownership within reach for more New Mexico families,”said Heinrich.“I’m proud the Senate passed our legislation to build more housing, expand down payment and rental assistance, and help more families find a safe, affordable place to call home. New Mexicans deserve housing they can afford, and I’m committed to making that a reality.”
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.
The legislation passed by the Senate includes four bills that Heinrich cosponsored:
The Choice in Affordable Housing Actimproves the federal government’s largest rental assistance program by making it easier to access Housing Choice Vouchers — often referred to as Section 8 vouchers — and attract and retain landlords to participate in the program. The bill allows units that pass inspections for other federal housing programs to automatically qualify for vouchers, reducing inspection delays from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As a result, eligible families will have greater housing options and safer places to live.
The HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Actprovides better support to state and local housing agencies to facilitate the construction of more affordable housing. The HOME Investment Partnerships Program is the largest federal affordable housing grant and supports a variety of needs from financing construction to funding down payment and rental assistance. This bill reauthorizes the program and expands it to account more for moderate-income Americans.
The Streamlining Rural Housing Actmakes it easier to build rural housing by streamlining environmental reviews between HUD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Rural housing projects often use federal funding sources from multiple agencies, but each agency requires slightly different environmental review and inspection standards. This bill requires HUD and USDA to enter into a memorandum of understanding to align review standards, streamlining the housing development and construction process in rural areas.
The Rural Housing Service Reform Actwill improve federal rural housing programs and increase affordable housing in small towns and rural communities.
The bill updates rules for rural multifamily housing to help keep homes in rural areas available and affordable. Currently, the USDA provides loans to construct affordable multifamily properties in rural areas. But once property owners pay off their loans, current rules prevent them from accepting rental assistance from tenants. This legislation fixes that problem by allowing owners of these properties to accept rental assistance, helping families remain in their homes and keeping units affordable. Most USDA-financed multifamily properties in New Mexico will have paid off their loans by 2039, making this change critical to preserving affordable housing in rural areas. Heinrich supported this policy as the Chair of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee.
For background on Heinrich’s actions to lower housing costs, address homelessness, and build more housing for New Mexico working families, clickhere.
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