Housing for the 21st Century Act - H.R.6644

Detected February 26th, 2026

Summary

The House of Representatives passed the Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R.6644), which revises federal housing programs. Key provisions include expanding financing for affordable housing, modifying HUD's HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and excluding veterans' disability benefits from VASH program income calculations. The bill has moved to the Senate for consideration.

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What changed

H.R.6644, the Housing for the 21st Century Act, has passed the House and is now before the Senate. The bill introduces significant changes to federal housing programs, notably by increasing statutory maximum loan limits for FHA multifamily mortgage insurance and adjusting the inflation index used for these loans. It also raises the maximum eligible income for HUD's HOME Investment Partnerships Program and establishes a new grant program for regional, state, and local entities to develop affordable housing strategies. Additional provisions include exemptions from environmental review for certain residential construction and improvements, exclusion of veterans' disability benefits from VASH program income eligibility, and a pilot program for temperature sensors in federally assisted housing.

Regulated entities involved in federal housing programs, including public housing agencies, owners of federally assisted housing, and potentially manufacturers of manufactured homes, should review the specific provisions of H.R.6644. While the bill has passed the House, its progress through the Senate and potential enactment into law require monitoring. Compliance officers should prepare for potential adjustments to financing, eligibility criteria, and program requirements. Specific actions may include updating internal policies related to income verification for housing assistance programs and assessing the impact of revised loan limits on development plans.

What to do next

Monitor Senate progress of H.R.6644
Review specific provisions related to FHA loan limits and HOME program eligibility
Assess impact of excluding veterans' disability benefits from VASH income calculations

Source document (simplified)

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H.R.6644 - Housing for the 21st Century Act 119th Congress (2025-2026) |

Bill

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| Sponsor: | Rep. Hill, J. French [R-AR-2] (Introduced 12/11/2025) |
| --- | --- |
| Committees: | House - Financial Services; Veterans' Affairs |
| Committee Meetings: | 12/16/25 10:00AM |
| Committee Reports: | H. Rept. 119-457 |
| Latest Action: | Senate - 02/24/2026 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 343. (All Actions) |
| Roll Call Votes: | There has been 1 roll call vote |
| Tracker: Tip | This bill has the status Passed House

Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Introduced
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became Law |

Subject — Policy Area:

Housing and Community Development
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CRS Reports on H.R.6644

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Summary: H.R.6644 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) All Information (Except Text)

Listen There is one summary for H.R.6644. Bill summaries are authored by CRS.

Shown Here:

Reported to House (01/15/2026)

Housing for the 21st Century Act This bill revises federal housing programs, including by expanding available financing for affordable housing and providing grants for planning and community development activities.

For example, the bill increases the statutory maximum loan limits for mortgage insurance programs administered by the Federal Housing Administration for multifamily homes and requires the use of a more specific inflation index for such loans.

The bill also increases the maximum eligible income for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) HOME Investment Partnerships Program (grants to states and localities to support housing for low-income households) and establishes a grant program to assist regional, state, and local entities with strategies to support affordable housing.

In addition, the bill

exempts certain housing-related activities from the environmental review process, including certain construction, improvement, or rehabilitation of residential buildings;
excludes veterans' disability benefits from being considered as income for purposes of determining eligibility for the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program;
establishes a pilot program to provide grants to public housing agencies (PHAs) and other owners of federally assisted housing to test the efficacy of temperature sensors to support compliance with temperature requirements;
eliminates the requirement that manufactured homes must be constructed with a permanent chassis; and
authorizes HUD to conduct performance reviews of organizations that provide housing counseling services. The bill also expands oversight of HUD and PHAs, such as by requiring PHAs to post information about contracts on their websites.

For more information about this bill, see CRS Report R48849.