Bipartisan housing package aims to unlock supply; members say effects will take years

California Democratic Congressman Sam Licardo and Nebraska Republican Congressman Mike Flood described a bipartisan housing package and its expected effects, while cautioning that market shifts and rulemaking will delay broad relief for homebuyers.

Licardo said the law consolidated roughly 50 provisions and included four bipartisan bills he helped shape that focus on expanding supply and removing procedural barriers to federal affordable-housing funding. "I showed up as a first-term member of the minority party...and I had several [ideas], and Mike and I were able to work on a couple of the bills that focused on expanding supply," he said.

Flood, who chaired the relevant subcommittee, pointed to regulatory changes that he said will immediately spur production in the manufactured-housing sector, such as eliminating a chassis requirement for mobile homes and allowing two-story manufactured houses. "That has already juiced the manufacturing housing industry. They're adding jobs," Flood said.

Both lawmakers emphasized implementation steps remain. Flood noted Department of Housing and Urban Development rulemaking will take time before communities feel the full effects. Licardo added that supply-side policies can take years to influence prices and warned that federal deficits and higher interest rates are also pushing housing costs up.

Licardo framed one legislative win for municipalities: the bill allows communities to use Community Development Block Grant funds "for home building," which he called "a huge win for municipalities."

The lawmakers gave specific examples of near-term friction: Flood cited a local cost comparison, saying a house that previously cost $275,000 now costs about $415,000 in Columbus, Nebraska, illustrating how construction and financing costs vary by market. Licardo said additional steps will be needed beyond the current package to address affordability at scale.

Next steps include federal rulemaking at HUD and local units of government adjusting program priorities; neither lawmaker provided a precise timeline for when average homebuyers will see lower prices.