On February 9, 2026, with a vote of 390-9, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed HR 6644, the Housing for the 21^st Century Act. This comprehensive, bipartisan legislation is the House response to the Senate’s ROAD to Housing Act, which was incorporated into Division I of Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year (FY) 2026.

LeadingAge has been monitoring both bills very closely and was encouraged by the inclusion of a requirement for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study barriers to scaling the affordable housing supply for older adults through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program in the House-passed legislation. Expanding the supply of affordable housing for older adults continues to be a top priority for LeadingAge as rates of housing insecurity in the aging population increase.

“The passage of the Housing for the 21st Century Act includes real, bipartisan solutions to expanding supply, lowering costs, and providing families with more options,” House Committee on Financial Services Chairman French Hill (R-AR) said after the vote.

Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) also agreed, stating, “The passage of H.R. 6644, the Housing for the 21st Century Act, is a historic first step toward confronting a housing crisis that is squeezing families and communities nationwide. While more must be done, including real federal investments to meet the scale of this housing crisis, HR 6644 provides a strong foundation to build on.”

The House and Senate will now work to merge their two bipartisan housing bills. LeadingAge looks forward to working with Congress on these important issues for our members.