Lawmaker urges housing reforms to boost supply and limit corporate homebuying

A lawmaker on the Senate floor urged passage of housing reforms aimed at cutting regulatory red tape, boosting housing supply and keeping houses "for people and not for corporations." He framed his remarks with personal memories of growing up in North Charleston and said the bill includes provisions to better target incentives to places that build homes.

Speaking to the chamber, the lawmaker said young Americans are delaying marriage and children because "housing prices are too darn high and housing supply too low," and said the age of the typical first-time homebuyer has risen to about 40. He listed cutting regulatory barriers and increasing supply among the bill's central goals.

The speaker highlighted two provisions he said would make housing more affordable: a White House-backed element he summarized as ensuring homes remain in the hands of individuals rather than large corporate buyers—"Houses should be for people and not for corporations"—and language from Senator John Kennedy and the ranking member that would reallocate incentives to jurisdictions that actually build more housing. "If you build more housing, you should get more incentives. If you don't build more housing, you should lose those incentives," he said.

He also said the House version of the legislation contains priorities intended to increase community banks' involvement in mortgages, which he argued would help "the primary place you go for a mortgage" be more engaged in housing finance. He framed the measure as bipartisan and bicameral.

Throughout the speech the lawmaker drew on his upbringing in a small rented unit and later a small apartment—describing roughly 700- and 600-square-foot dwellings—to illustrate both the personal stakes and broader policy need. He closed by urging colleagues to listen to constituents and bring results that expand opportunity and hope for families in similar circumstances.

The speech did not record a formal vote or motion; it was delivered as floor remarks urging support for the legislation and explaining its policy rationale.