Florida CARH News
Government Shutdown Update – Rural Housing Service
Congress has yet to reach an agreement on any of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 funding bills or a short-term Continuing Resolution. As a result, the federal government has shut down, and the shutdown is now entering its fifth week. As CARH members know, the longer the shutdown continues, the greater the impact will be on affordable housing programs that rely on federal funding.
Flood, Cleaver Introduce HOME Reform Act
This week Chairman Mike Flood (R-NE) and Ranking Member Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee introduced the HOME Reform Act of 2025 (H.R. 5798) that would make numerous changes to the administration of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. A summary of the most significant changes included in the bill follows.
ROAD to Housing Act Included in NDAA Passed by Senate
On Oct. 9, the Senate passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which notably includes the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act, co-led by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). This marks the first major housing package to advance through the Senate in nearly 17 years, representing a significant bipartisan achievement for housing advocates nationwide.
FHFA Expands America’s Affordable Housing Supply in Rural and Underserved Communities; 2) Senate Passes FY 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
On August 5, FHFA issued a Press Release entitled, Consistent with the One Big Beautiful Bill, U.S. Federal Housing Expands America’s Affordable Housing Supply in Rural and Underserved Communities.
Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Unanimously Passes “ROAD to Housing Act” Bill – Rural Housing Provisions Included
On July 29, 2025, the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, by a unanimous vote of 24-0, passed legislation titled the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act (hereafter referred to as its short title, the “ROAD to Housing Act”).
CARH to Testify at House Committee Hearing on Rural Housing on June 12, 2025
The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on June 12 entitled, “Housing in the Heartland: Addressing Our Rural Housing Needs.” CARH will be there to testify.
House Narrowly Passes Budget Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed budget reconciliation tax legislation last week by a 215-214 vote. The bill includes key measures to expand affordable housing, extend the Opportunity Zones (OZ) incentive, and scale back certain clean energy tax credits. It now heads to the Senate.
Senators Tina Smith, Mike Rounds Reintroduce Bipartisan Rural Housing Legislation
On April 3, 2025, Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) issued a press release announcing that they reintroduced The Rural Housing Service Reform Act which would “improve federal rural housing programs, cut red tape, and strengthen the supply of affordable housing in small towns and rural communities.”