Housing Legislation Becomes Law Without Presidential Signature

Washington — A housing bill passed by Congress took effect at midnight Saturday after President Trump did not sign or veto the measure within the constitutional 10-day period. The legislation, titled the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, addresses housing supply and costs through regulatory changes and new programs.

The bill received approval from both the House and Senate with bipartisan majorities before being sent to the White House. President Trump had scheduled a signing ceremony but canceled it and stated he would withhold his signature until the Senate acted on separate legislation known as the SAVE America Act. That measure proposes new requirements for voter registration and identification, including proof of citizenship and photo identification.

On Friday, President Trump posted on Truth Social that he would not sign the housing bill in protest of the Senate’s failure to pass the elections legislation. He noted polling support for the elections bill among Republicans and others. The Constitution provides that a bill becomes law if the president neither signs nor vetoes it within 10 days, excluding Sundays.

Senate Democratic leader Elizabeth Warren, a primary sponsor of the housing legislation, issued a statement attributing the delay to the president’s priorities. She contrasted the housing provisions with other matters and stated that the president showed no interest in measures to reduce housing costs for families. Republican congressional leaders have indicated that the SAVE America Act lacks sufficient votes for passage in the Senate.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, met with the president on the housing bill and transmitted it to the White House on June 29, beginning the 10-day review period. Johnson described the legislation as containing multiple provisions beneficial to housing affordability and said he had encouraged the president to sign it. He also noted that the president had other matters under consideration and that the elections legislation represented a higher priority for the administration. Johnson stated that the housing bill would become law regardless of the signature decision and that its outcomes would benefit the public.

President Trump described the housing measure as less important than the elections legislation when asked about it by reporters. The bill’s enactment follows extended negotiations and occurred ahead of midterm elections, during a period when housing costs ranked among voters’ primary concerns.

The new law contains more than 45 sections directed at increasing housing development. Provisions include streamlined environmental reviews, removal of certain regulatory barriers to construction, and a pilot program allowing conversion of vacant commercial properties into residential units. Additional measures expand federal support for factory-built housing, eliminate a requirement that homes be constructed on a transport chassis, and establish an innovation fund for localities that expand housing supply. The legislation also includes targeted support for veterans’ housing and restricts purchases of existing single-family homes by institutional investors while leaving incentives for investment in new construction intact.

Supporters of the investor restrictions stated that the limits aim to reduce competition for existing homes without discouraging new building. The measure represents one of the broader housing packages enacted in recent decades.