CARH Urges Congress to Include Rural Housing Reform in Final Legislation
On April 14, 2026, the Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH) joined more than 200 national, state, and local organizations in signing and releasing a coalition letter to congressional leadership urging that language from the Rural Housing Service (RHS) Reform Act be included in any final housing supply and affordability package.
The letter was sent to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Financial Services Committee at a critical moment, as Congress negotiates comprehensive housing legislation intended to address the nation’s severe housing shortages. The coalition’s message is clear and unified: any meaningful housing solution must fully include rural communities.
As a national organization representing owners and operators of affordable rural housing, CARH signed onto the letter and issued a statement in support of including the full RHS Reform Act. The Act reflects years of bipartisan work and would modernize USDA Rural Housing Service programs, strengthen preservation tools for existing rural housing, and improve program capacity to better meet today’s housing challenges.
With more than 200 organizations standing together, the letter underscores broad consensus around the need for rural housing reform and sends a strong signal that rural voices must be part of the final policy outcome.