Key US Housing Affordability Bill Becomes Law Without Trumps Signature

The first major U.S. housing affordability bill in about 30 years became law at 12:01 a.m. ET on July 11, taking effect without President Donald Trump’s signature.The president said on his social media platform that he would not sign the sweeping bipartisan legislation—the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act—that passed both chambers last month.“I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” Trump said in a July 10 Truth Social post, referring to a voting reform bill.“THE SAVE AMERICA ACT’S non-passage is CRAZY, and a serious threat to any politician who votes against it!”After months of negotiations and back-and-forth amendments, lawmakers finally approved the housing bill in June: 85–5 in the Senate and 358–32 in the House.Trump had originally been scheduled to sign the legislation on June 24, but he abruptly canceled the signing ceremony, saying that the election-integrity bill should be passed by Congress first.The SAVE America Act would require voters to prove their U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections. The lower chamber approved the legislation, but the Senate has been unable to gather the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster.Trump has urged Senate Republicans to terminate the filibuster, warning that Democrats will do so once they regain congressional power.“If the Dumocrats, or any RINO (or worse!) working with them, do not allow a positive Vote on SAVE AMERICA, TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, and pass this, and every other Bill that true Republicans have ever dreamt of,” Trump wrote.He did not say he would veto the housing bill. If the president does not veto a bill within 10 days of receiving it—excluding Sundays—the legislation automatically becomes law.‘Big Yawn’In an earlier Truth Social post, Trump stated that the housing bill is “of minor importance compared to lower interest rates.” The president also told reporters at the White House that it is a “big yawn” compared with the voter ID law.“It’s so unimportant compared to the SAVE America Act. When I look at the bill, it’s a bill. When I look at the SAVE America Act, it’s about saving America,” he said.“It’s a yawn,” Trump added. “To me, compared to the SAVE America Act, just about everything is a big yawn.”The president’s opponents criticized his comments and accused him of refusing to act to ensure more Americans can afford to purchase a home.“Millions of Americans are being crushed by housing costs,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote in a July 10 X post.“Donald Trump called their crisis ‘a big yawn’—then refused to sign the most significant bipartisan housing bill in decades. His priorities couldn’t be clearer: higher costs for families and more power for himself.”Several provisions in the bill are designed to ease housing costs by expanding supply. A central measure would bar large institutional investors from buying single‑family homes. The package also strengthens access to modular housing and pushes local governments to build more by overhauling zoning rules and streamlining environmental reviews.President Donald Trump welcomes the Indiana University Hoosiers football team, the reigning NCAA champions, to the White House on May 11, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch TimesIndustry experts say the legislation marks a significant step toward restoring housing affordability. Because homeownership is a key driver of generational wealth, policymakers must move quickly to reduce barriers, said Joe Grassi, chief legal and risk officer at loanDepot.“With the right policy approach—one that supports increased supply, reduces friction, and expands access to financing—we can create a healthier, more accessible housing market for the next generation of homeowners,” Grassi said in a statement to The Epoch Times.“And the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents an important step in the right direction.”In the four weeks ending June 28, the median sales price of a home reached a record of nearly $409,000, according to Redfin data. The median monthly mortgage payment—at a 6.49 percent 30-year fixed mortgage rate—was $2,633.Jackson Richman contributed to this report.