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The issue of housing affordability has been on the minds of many across the United States, and the 5th District, for some time. This is an issue that has persisted for years, and has been exacerbated by incompatible regulations, short-sighted zoning policies, and slanted land use.

The Watauga Democrat has covered this many times before, and how everyone from small business owners to renters to homeowners has felt the squeeze. Some may dub this as a “housing crisis”, though I believe it would be better referred to as a “housing catastrophe”.

I’ve worked alongside my Republican and Democrat colleagues in Washington to set this right through consensus, collaboration, and viable solutions. One such solution that we reached was enacted into law in July of this year: the 21st Century Road to Housing Act. In both the People’s House and the United States Senate, the 21st Century Road to Housing Act received overwhelming bipartisan support, including mine as my Republican and Democrat colleagues voted to advance it.

In doing so, we helped open the door to new homeownership opportunities for Americans and their families. Everyone should agree that Americans deserve a fair shot at being able to purchase a home, and that opportunity should always be within reach.

For a moment, zoom out and consider the following: the United States’ housing supply has not kept pace with demand. Because of this, our nation has found itself short by as many as 5.5 million housing units. This is not an insignificant number — it reveals how, over time, there have been cogs jamming up the wheel of production. But what exactly are these cogs? We can look at regulatory stalls, outdated zoning limitations, and construction costs that have ballooned.

What’s more, we can observe how small and medium sized banks have been hamstrung over time from regulatory snares that prevent them from financing new construction loans.

Last Congress, I joined a bipartisan cohort of my colleagues in the People’s House in supporting the Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act, that worked to patch up severe inefficiencies — and a lack of transparency –within federal grant programs that were originally designed with the intent of broadening community development that included affordable housing initiatives.

I’m particularly pleased to see how the bipartisan framework and thrust of that bill was incorporated within the 21st Century Road to Housing Act this Congress.

One can see this reflected in the provisions that accelerate homebuilding via streamlined federal and local housing processes, strengthening local housing operations, and even the modernization of the HOME program, the largest federal block grant program for states to bolster the supply of affordable housing.

As a result of bipartisan efforts, the 21st Century Road to Housing Act has become law. Our unified efforts will bring the appropriate caliber of relief for so many across our area, state, and nation. Housing affordability is no longer a longshot — it’s now within reach for Americans and their families.

Published in the Watauga Democrat