{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-member-cleaver-chairman-flood-ranking-member-waters-and", "Ranking Member Cleaver, Chairman Flood, Ranking Member Waters, and Chairman Hill Release Bipartisan, Comprehensive Housing Package", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", "cleaver", "https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing & Insurance, Mike Flood (R-NE), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing & Insurance, Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services, and French Hill (R-AR), Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, unveiled the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act.\n\nThis bipartisan housing package will streamline housing development and affordability by updating outdated programs, removing regulatory roadblocks, and increasing local control.\n\n\u201cThe cost of living remains the most urgent challenge facing Americans in every region of the country, and tackling that crisis begins with bipartisan, comprehensive housing reform,\u201d said Ranking Member Cleaver. \u201cOver the past year, Ranking Member Waters, Chairman Flood, Chairman Hill, and I have worked with Committee members on legislation that cuts unnecessary red tape, accelerates the development of affordable housing, and reduces costs for hardworking families. I\u2019m proud of the bipartisan package we are introducing today and look forward to working with the House and Senate to advance critical housing legislation to the president\u2019s desk.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs housing gets more expensive, the American Dream of homeownership is slipping away for working families,\u201d said Chairman Flood. \u201cThis package is the product of bipartisan work in the Financial Services Committee to address some of the core issues driving up the cost of housing. I want to thank Chairman Hill, Ranking Member Waters and my counterpart on the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Ranking Member Emanuel Cleaver for working together to produce this strong, bipartisan package. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this legislation through the committee, move it across the House floor, and ultimately to get these critical reforms enacted into law.\u201d\n\n\u201cToday, I am pleased that our Committee is finally taking the lead on advancing meaningful housing legislation,\u201d said Ranking Member Waters. \u201cThe Housing for the 21st Century Act reflects a shared recognition that our affordable housing crisis demands real solutions and coordinated effort. This is a historic moment for our Committee, and I commend Chairman Hill for his leadership and Subcommittee Chairman Flood and Ranking Member Cleaver for joining in this effort. Under previous Republican Committee Chairmen, housing has either been ignored or put on the table for dismantlement. Through our partnership on this legislation, we are showing that housing is truly a bipartisan issue and that we can all come together to bring down costs and expand access to housing for all Americans. I also appreciate the work of my Senate colleagues in passing the ROAD to Housing Act, some of which is included in the House bill. While I was disappointed ROAD was not included in the NDAA, there is clearly broad bipartisan support in both Chambers to advance housing legislation. Our legislation, the Housing for the 21st Century Act, builds on my lifelong efforts to create long-term affordability and opportunity in housing, and represents an important first step towards finally solving our housing crisis once and for all. I want to be clear, however, that today\u2019s introduction is not a final product, as I know there are many more important, bipartisan ideas that I and other Members of the House will want to include as the bill advances. Nevertheless, when we pass the Housing for the 21st Century Act into law, we will move closer to a future where every family, no matter their income or ZIP code, has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. I look forward to moving this bill through the Committee process and to the House floor as quickly as possible. Millions of renters, homeowners, elderly, veterans and people experiencing homelessness are counting on us to act with urgency.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur Committee is dedicated to finding new ways to foster a home building and buying environment where achieving the American Dream is in reach for our families across the nation,\u201d said Chairman Hill. Our goal is to chart a path forward toward greater development capacity and a simplified regulatory framework. I\u2019m proud to advance this package with Ranking Member Waters, Subcommittee Chair Flood, and Ranking Member Cleaver to tackle housing costs and access challenges for American homeowners and renters. We look forward to moving this bill through regular order and working with our Senate counterparts in the new year to get a bill signed into law that reflects ideas from both chambers and delivers real results for American families.\u201d\n\nThe Housing for the 21st Century Act includes multiple reforms introduced by Ranking Member Cleaver and various colleagues, such as:\n\nHOME Reform Act: Introduced by Ranking Member Cleaver and Chairman Flood, the legislation is the most significant reform to the HOME program since authorization in 1990 and would increase the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing.\n\nRural Housing Service Program Improvements: The legislation includes sections of the Rural Housing Service Reform Act, introduced by Ranking Member Cleaver and Representative Zach Nunn (R-IA), representing the most significant Rural Housing Service reforms in decades. The included sections would allow for greater use of the Rural Housing Service Section 504 Home Repair Program, including expanding participation to include more low-income families, among other provisions.\n\nChoice in Affordable Housing Act: Introduced by Ranking Member Cleaver and Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY), the Choice in Affordable Housing Act is a major reform the HUD\u2019s Section 8 program that would streamline the program and increase the number of private landlords participating in the program.\n\nManufactured Housing Innovations: The legislation includes the Housing Supply Expansion Act of 2025, introduced by Rep. Cleaver and Rep. Rose (R-TN), which would update the federal definition of manufactured housing and allow for more efficient and cost-effective designs. Additionally, the housing package includes legislation introduce by Chairman Flood and Ranking Member Cleaver that would streamline energy efficiency and safety standards for manufactured housing.\n\nHUD Accountability Act: Introduced by Ranking Member Cleaver and Rep. Lawler, the HUD Accountability Act requires the Secretary of HUD to testify on an annual basis before Congress.\n\nOfficial text of the Housing for the 21st Century Act is available here.\n\nA one-pager for the Housing for the 21st Century Act is available here.\n\nA section-by-section of the Housing for the 21st Century Act is available here.\n\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-member-cleaver-chairman-flood-ranking-member-waters-and"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7848362438380718, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}