Congressman Vicente Gonzalez’s Bill to Increase Housing and Lower Costs Passed Congress, Sent to President’s Desk 

Contact: Alexis Torres

Washington, D.C.—Yesterday, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34) voted to pass a bipartisan, bicameral housing affordability package, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, to increase housing supply, cut red tape, and lower costs for American families. This comprehensive legislative package includes H.R. 6327, the Rural Housing Regulatory Relief Act, a bill the Congressman co-led with Congressmen Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), Troy Downing (R-MT-02) and Mike Flood (R-NE-01) to streamline the construction of affordable housing on previously developed land. Currently, land with existing infrastructure is subject to duplicative National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews, which adds significant costs and slows construction. The bill now heads to the President’s desk for his signature. 

“South Texas is rapidly transforming, and we must meet the housing needs of our population,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “However, our region is facing an alarming labor shortage due to rising costs and a reckless ICE agency indiscriminately targeting construction sites and delaying the ability to build enough housing for families. There is still much work to be done to ensure that the workers who build our communities are protected at job sites and that every South Texan gets a fair shot at homeownership. We are making progress and I’m proud to have voted for this comprehensive housing affordability package, which includes a bipartisan bill I co-led to remove bureaucratic roadblocks and streamline the development of affordable housing in rural areas. I look forward to seeing it signed into law.” 

On Monday, June 22, 2026, the U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, sending it back to the U.S. House of Representatives for full consideration on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. By including the Rural Housing Regulatory Relief Act in this final legislative package, we will reduce unnecessary delays and costs, expand housing supply, and support homeownership, while preserving substantive environmental protections, including those that detect contaminants, toxins, or hazards. This bill only applies to land already served by existing infrastructure and explicitly excludes farmland, forests, and open space. 

This news builds on Congressman Gonzalez’s efforts to create more affordable housing in South Texas. In February 2026, he introduced the bipartisan Minimizing Outdated Restrictions that Exclude (MORE) Opportunities for Homeownership Act to amend the Federal Home Loan Bank Act and expand eligibility for federally insured credit unions to improve access to low-cost liquidity, collateralized advances, and affordable housing and community investment programs under the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) System. Modernizing this outdated distinction will strengthen community-based lenders, expand responsible mortgage lending capacity, and assist more families with achieving homeownership.