- Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
Scott Leads Banking Committee in Unanimously Advancing Comprehensive Housing Legislation
Since serving as Ranking Member in the 118th Congress, Sen. Scott has prioritized solutions to reverse decades of failed policies and put more Americans on the path towards homeownership
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, alongside Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led their colleagues in advancing the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025 in the committee’s first bipartisan housing markup in over a decade. The comprehensive housing package takes important steps to increase access to affordable housing for Americans across the country by expanding and preserving housing supply, improving housing affordability, and increasing oversight and efficiency of federal regulators and housing programs.
Since serving as Ranking Member in the 118th Congress, Sen. Scott has prioritized solutions to reverse decades of failed policies and put more Americans on the path toward homeownership.
Sen. Scott’s opening remarks as delivered:
As many of you already know, this issue of housing is a really important issue to me personally. Having grown up in a single parent household, mired in poverty, our first place that we lived was a rental unit with my grandparents when I was about seven years old, where we shared a bedroom and a bed with my mother and my brother for a few years. Then my mother was able to afford a small, 650-square-foot apartment for the three of us to move into.
And, so many Americans are frustrated by the rising costs of housing and it seems to be a problem that is so elusive that no one seems to find, not a solution to it – because there’s not a solution to it – but even a step in the direction of solving a problem that is so persistent, so pervasive, that every place in the nation consistently deals with the struggle of increasing supply and lowering prices at the same time.
For far too long, Congress believed this problem was too big to solve. Today, we’re taking not a step – but we’re taking a leap in the right direction in a bipartisan fashion. Many people around the country are frustrated with the way we do American politics wonder, is there any issue that brings this nation together and I’m here to say, halleluiah! We have found one – it is housing. And halleluiah is a southern term, but it’s a term of endearment.
Let us remember that today we are doing something that, I frankly, hope that we get more of. We’ve had this bipartisan coalition working together on issues of fentanyl, that we did last Congress. I hope that this is a start and a spark for more cooperation on both sides. Thank you for the Ranking Member for participating and rolling your sleeves up and really getting into the nitty gritty so we would be in a position where we could get something done – not just make a point – but make a difference.
Thank you to the contributions of every single member on this committee, which is really remarkable that we have a comprehensive housing bill where every member around this dais has made a significant investment in making America’s housing crisis better, and that is such a blessing.
We have so many provisions – 40 in total – that it would take more time than I have, more time than I’m permitting myself to have, to deal with these issues. But let me just highlight a few of them.
Senator Crapo, the Housing Supply Frameworks Act equips cities and states with the tools to upgrade their zoning and land use policies, without stifling federal mandates. Thank you for leading with Senator Blunt Rochester on this important issue.
Senator Rounds, for years, you and Senator Smith have advocated for rural housing. Today, we are getting your legislation out of committee. Thank you both for your work and your interest in rural housing.
Senator Tillis, as Carolinians, we both know how important it is to ensure that a natural disaster, when it hits, our constituents can count on relief to arrive quickly. Your Reforming Disaster Recovery Act will make the CDBG Disaster Recovery program work as intended.
Senator Kennedy, you and Ranking Member Warren took a novel idea to reward communities for the good work they have done to increase housing supply and turned it into legislation. Thank you both for working on an innovative approach called the Build Now Act.
Senator Hagerty, for too long, NeighborWorks has been without an Inspector General. That will end because of you. Thank you for providing the type of oversight that will allow our efforts to be real and have the accountability that is necessary.
Senator Lummis, thank you for introducing the Whole-Home Repairs Act, because no one should have to live in a home with mold, faulty wiring, or a leaky roof. This pilot program will be critical in providing help for housing programs and protect the long-term health of our neighborhoods.
Senator Britt, your Helping More Families Save Act puts families first by promoting economic mobility and creating a pathway to build financial stability. This is a critical step towards long-term opportunity and generational wealth creation.
Senator Ricketts, your Streamlining Rural Housing Act will enhance efficiency and eliminate duplicative regulatory requirements. This is an important component on the legislation we will vote on today.
Senator Banks, your work on the RESIDE Act – incredible in helping these strip malls see a better, brighter future. And that means less blight in our local communities.
Senator Cramer, the Choice in Affordable Housing Act streamlines inspections across federal programs. Your bill ensures that families aren’t left waiting for housing just because there is a lack of coordination across the bureaucracy.
Senator Moreno, you and I led the Community Investment and Prosperity Act, which will unlock billions of dollars of investments in affordable housing. Thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and we’re glad that you won your race and you’re here to provide more investment in communities that need it desperately.
And finally, Senator McCormick, your HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act directs these agencies to work together to improve housing program implementation. Your bill will make government work better for those who need it most, and I thank you for your service in the military and I thank you for your service to your country as a United States Senator.
I look forward to working with my colleagues, outside stakeholders, HUD, FHA, and other federal agencies to ensure all participants in this crucial industry are treated fairly.
Since taking over as Ranking Member of this committee last Congress, I pledged to make housing a top priority, and now, as Chairman, I have an opportunity to work with you all to deliver on that promise.
Fortunately, my colleagues and I, on both sides of the aisle, share this vision. Today marks a very important first step toward jumpstarting our housing development and making a real difference in the lives of Americans across the country.
I want to thank my colleagues to the left for your hard work. There’s so many, every piece of legislation I’ve mentioned, almost every single one is a bipartisan bill. Working together as a committee proves to the American people that we can get things done, and it requires, frankly, bipartisanship, to get to the president’s desk. So that is an exciting thing.
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