Housing

The Department of Housing and Urban Development published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that would update the definition of a manufactured home and support innovative opportunities for multi-story manufactured housing as part of an effort to provide more affordable housing options. Comments are due Aug. 11.

A coalition of financial services organizations pressed the Federal Housing Finance Agency to expedite its work toward meeting housing policy goals described in a recent executive order issued by President Donald Trump, particularly those aimed at modernizing property valuations.

Fitch Ratings revised its 2026 outlooks for the U.S. homebuilding and North America Building Products sectors from “neutral” to “deteriorating” due, in part, to homebuilders facing weakening demand amid record-low consumer sentiment and a 30-year mortgage rate holding near 6.5 percent. Fitch expects rates to hold at that level through year-end.

Builders, remodelers and other housing industry professionals called on federal lawmakers to adopt zoning and land-use reforms, pass legislation to increase the workforce in the skilled trades and take steps to speed up the process to acquire a clean water permit in an effort to improve housing affordability and help builders to increase the production of attainable homes.

A recent analysis from ATTOM outlines the riskiest housing markets that were characterized by particularly high rates of unemployment and some of the worst foreclosure rates compared to the other counties included in the analysis.

With older Americans staying in their homes longer than in previous generations, National Association of Home Builders Chairman Bill Owens said it is “more urgent” to take steps to expand the housing supply.

The U.S. House voted 396-13 to pass its amended version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, sending the act to the Senate for approval. The National Association of Realtors and the Mortgage Bankers Association released statements of support following the act’s passage.

The House voted 396-13 to pass its amended version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on May 20. The ball is once again in the Senate’s court to determine what happens next with the bill, which has gained strong bipartisan support from lawmakers and within the financial services sector.

Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus introduced an eight-bill package that aimes to unlock tools to help meet the demand for homes and apartments and make housing more affordable across the state.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, announced that she and Chairman French Hill (R-Ariz.) reached a new bipartisan agreement to pass an improved version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to the Senate.