Essential Advocacy Points for May 2026

What’s Happening in Congress

On March 12, the Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act as a substitute amendment to H.R. 6644 by a bipartisan 89–10 vote, sending the package back to the House for further consideration. The House previously passed the Housing for the 21st Century Act, which advanced by an overwhelmingly bipartisan 390–9 vote. Those vote totals show that lawmakers in both parties are hearing the same message from communities across the country: housing supply, preservation, affordability, and federal program performance all need attention.

The House is still determining how it will address the overall 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The large housing package combines major pieces of the Senate’s ROAD to Housing Act with the House-passed Housing for the 21st Century Act, creating a broad package focused on housing supply, preservation, program efficiency, disaster recovery, rural housing, and rental assistance administration.

NAHRO members should pay close attention to how this bill develops. The package contains provisions that touch several areas PHAs and local housing leaders work with every day, including RAD, Housing Choice Voucher inspections, HOME, CDBG-DR, rural housing, manufactured housing, homelessness programs, and federal housing program administration.

The package is largely focused on housing policy and program administration rather than a broad new appropriations bill, but it could still shape how federal housing programs operate in communities across the country.

The bill is not finished. Because the House and Senate versions are not identical, lawmakers in both chambers must now determine the path forward. The House could pass the Senate version, amend it and send it back to the Senate, or negotiate a final bicameral package.

Looking ahead, members of both parties will have priorities they want to protect, improve, or clarify. The challenge now is to keep the bipartisan momentum going while making sure the final product works for the communities, residents, agencies, and partners who will have to implement it.

The Funding Conversation Is Moving, Too

At the same time, Congress is moving through the FY 2027 HUD appropriations process. While the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act focuses largely on housing policy and program administration, the appropriations process will determine funding levels for core housing and community development programs.

That includes programs NAHRO members work with every day: Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Homeless Assistance Grants, HOME, CDBG, and related HUD accounts.

The administration’s FY 2027 HUD budget request is the starting point, not the final word. NAHRO’s May 11 update notes that the White House request proposes $73.5 billion in discretionary budget authority for HUD for FY 2027, a $10.7 billion, or 13 percent, decrease from the FY 2026 enacted level. Congress will now decide how to respond as the House and Senate develop their own appropriations bills.

That distinction matters for PHAs. A policy bill can change how programs are structured or administered. An appropriations bill determines the resources available to run them. Communities need both: workable policy and stable funding.

As appropriators review HUD funding levels, NAHRO members can help connect federal budget decisions to local outcomes: vouchers leased, units preserved, properties maintained, resident services supported, and partnerships sustained.

Why This Moment Matters for NAHRO Members

As Congress continues reviewing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and moves through the FY 2027 appropriations process, NAHRO members can help lawmakers understand what is working, what needs improvement, and what stable federal housing support means in real communities.

This is not a partisan message. Offices on both sides of the aisle need clear, local examples: families waiting for assistance, properties needing preservation, voucher holders trying to lease up, residents benefiting from housing stability, and communities using federal tools to meet local needs.

Housing policy can sound straightforward in Washington, but implementation is where the details matter. A change that looks simple on paper can affect inspection timelines, redevelopment plans, resident communications, staff capacity, funding decisions, or local partnerships. A funding level that looks workable in a federal budget table can look very different to an agency trying to lease vouchers, preserve aging housing, or maintain services for residents.

That is why this is the right time for NAHRO members to engage.

How NAHRO Members Can Take Action

NAHRO members can use this moment to help Congress connect federal policy decisions to local outcomes.

A few practical steps:

• Use NAHRO’s Action Alert Center. Send a message to your members of Congress urging support for strong federal housing and community development programs.
• Share a local example. A short story about a resident, redevelopment effort, voucher challenge, preservation need, or community partnership can help congressional staff understand what is at stake.
• Invite lawmakers to visit. Site visits remain one of the best ways to show how federal housing programs work in practice.
• Connect funding to outcomes. When speaking with congressional offices, explain what HUD funding supports locally: vouchers leased, units preserved, properties maintained, resident services provided, or partnerships sustained.
• Bring in local partners when appropriate. Residents, local officials, service providers, and community partners can help show the broader impact of housing investments.
• Stay engaged as both tracks move. As Congress considers next steps on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and FY 2027 HUD funding, NAHRO will continue sharing updates and advocacy opportunities.

Bottom Line

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a major bipartisan housing package, but the final bill is still being shaped. At the same time, Congress is moving through the FY 2027 HUD appropriations process, where funding levels for core housing and community development programs will be debated. For NAHRO members, now is time to engage! Lawmakers need practical, local input from the people who administer programs, serve residents, preserve affordable housing, and understand what federal housing policy looks like once it leaves Washington.