Survey: nearly nine in 10 voters support the ‘ROAD Act’ in limbo

As the fate of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act hangs in the balance, a new poll found that roughly nine in ten voters support the main provisions of the legislation. 

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) formally sent the bipartisan housing package back to the White House on June 29, setting in motion a 10-day countdown for President Trump to sign the bill, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature. With Sundays excluded from the countdown, the expected deadline for action is July 10.

After clearing the Senate, the latest version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives on June 23 by a margin of 358-32. The next day, President Donald Trump delayed a planned signing of the legislation, insisting that he would withhold action on the bill until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, which is aimed at strengthening voter ID requirements. 

Days after the delayed signing, President Trump may have ruffled some feathers in the housing industry when he referred to ROAD as “a big yawn” in comparison to the SAVE America Act. While Trump acknowledged that the SAVE America Act has dim prospects in Congress, he has still not signed ROAD into law. 

Still awaiting the Trump verdict, polling from the American Property Owners Alliance indicates that fully backing the legislation would be a political winner. 

Broad bipartisan support

The poll, which surveyed 800 registered voters between June 25 and June 27, presented respondents with five main goals of the bill:

• Increase the supply of affordable housing
• Convert vacant and abandoned buildings into housing
• Expand access to small-dollar mortgages and lower-income buyer options
• Restrict large corporate investors from buying single-family homes
• Improve housing options and home loan access for veterans

After reviewing the proposals, 89% of voters said they support the comprehensive housing legislation, reflecting broad bipartisan backing. The measure drew strong support from across the political spectrum, including 87% of Republicans, 92% of Democrats and 91% of independents.

Another poll from the Bipartisan Policy Center, released in May, similarly found that 89% of voters agree that the House and U.S. Senate should work together to pass a bill aimed at lowering housing costs and building more affordable homes. Nearly 80% of respondents said that housing is their biggest expense, and that housing is an extremely or very important issue for them. 

The poll also asked voters about four key provisions in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:

• 84% support expanding access to affordable home financing, including new and reformed lending programs. 
• 77% support reforming federal rental assistance and other housing programs to more effectively help families afford housing. 
• 76% support streamlining federal regulations to reduce costs and delays in building new homes. 
• 65% support incentivizing state and local governments to change zoning and land-use policies to allow for more housing construction.