Lowering Housing Costs and Advancing Main Street Community Banks

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Haridopolos, for organizing this evening's event.

I am proud to say that this body just passed the Housing for the 21st Century Act in a strong bipartisan manner. Owning a home is the American Dream. It is one of the best investments any person can possibly make here in America.

At a time when too many American families are struggling to afford a home, House Republicans are taking meaningful action to address one of the most pressing challenges facing our country.

Indiana remains one of the most affordable States for homeownership in the country, but I know the dream of owning a home is still out of reach for many Hoosiers. Every day, I hear from families that work hard, save their money, and still cannot find a place to call their own. Unfortunately, this is true not just for families in my district, but for the families across the country, as well.

House Republicans have heard these concerns and responded with legislation that will directly help more Americans achieve the dream of homeownership.

Instead of throwing more taxpayer dollars at ineffective government programs, we are restoring housing affordability by getting government out of the way.

Included in this package are many commonsense, bipartisan reforms. Among them is my Streamlining Rural Housing Act. I thank Chairman Hill for including it in this package.

Today, rural housing projects in Indiana and across the country that rely on both HUD and USDA programs must undergo two separate environmental reviews. This duplicative process drives up costs for developers, delays construction, and discourages the very investment we need to expand affordable rural housing.

My bill requires HUD and USDA to establish a joint environmental review process so that these projects no longer face redundant oversight. The result is simple: fewer delays, lower costs, and more homes built for working families across the country.

This package also delivers several other important housing reforms. One such reform led by my colleague on the Committee on Financial Services from Tennessee, Mr. Rose, removes the permanent chassis requirement for manufactured homes. This simple fix will reduce unnecessary costs and help families move into new homes more quickly on day one.

The package further modernizes longstanding programs so that Federal housing tools better match our current market realities. It provides local communities with greater flexibility to invest in housing solutions tailored to meet their needs and encourages private investments to expand supply where it is needed the most.

Mr. Speaker, this is what a Republican Congress and President Trump were elected to do, and we are delivering results for the American people. We are cutting red tape, and we are restoring the American Dream of homeownership.

I am proud to have supported the Housing for the 21st Century Act, and I look forward to its swift consideration in the Senate.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source