WASHINGTON — A sweeping bipartisan housing package became U.S. law on Friday after President Donald Trump declined to sign the measure and allowed the constitutional deadline to expire without issuing a veto, concluding weeks of uncertainty over legislation aimed at expanding housing supply and improving affordability.
The legislation, known as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, cleared Congress last month with overwhelming bipartisan support, passing the Senate by an 85-5 vote and the House of Representatives by a 358-32 margin. Because Congress remained in session and Trump neither signed nor vetoed the bill within the required 10-day period, excluding Sundays, it automatically became law under Article I of the U.S. Constitution.
Trump announced earlier Friday that he was withholding his signature in protest over the Senate's failure to pass the SAVE America Act, a separate elections proposal he has championed that would require proof of citizenship and other voting-related changes. In a social media post, the president said he would not sign the housing bill because of the Senate's inaction on that measure.
The White House did not veto the housing legislation despite Trump's criticism, allowing it to take effect automatically.
The new law represents one of the most significant federal housing initiatives in decades. Among its major provisions are measures intended to accelerate residential construction by streamlining portions of the federal review process, encourage additional homebuilding, expand opportunities for manufactured housing, and curb certain large-scale institutional purchases of single-family homes. Supporters say the package is designed to help address a longstanding shortage of homes that has contributed to rising housing costs nationwide.
The measure drew support from lawmakers in both parties after months of negotiations, an uncommon bipartisan achievement during a deeply divided Congress. Housing industry organizations and real estate groups had also backed many of the bill's provisions, arguing they would help increase supply over time, although analysts cautioned the law is unlikely to produce immediate reductions in home prices or mortgage costs.
Democratic leaders criticized Trump's decision to withhold his signature, arguing he had linked a broadly supported housing package to unrelated voting legislation. Republicans backing the housing measure emphasized that the legislation had already secured veto-proof majorities in both chambers, ensuring it could take effect even without presidential approval.
With the constitutional deadline now expired, federal agencies are expected to begin implementing the law's provisions according to the timelines established in the legislation.
