WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch The Senate Housing Bill Backed by Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren
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Mar 11, 2026 Alicia Finley, WSJ opinion columnist and policy analyst, breaks down the sprawling 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and why its grants and pilots may be more political than practical. She explores the new ban on big investor home purchases and why zoning, mortgage rates, and Fed policy drive affordability. Later she explains the legal challenge to Trump's Section 122 tariffs and what courts might consider.
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Investor Ban Was A Political Add On
- The Senate version adds a ban on large investors owning more than 350 homes, a last-minute deal struck with Elizabeth Warren and the White House.
- Finley says the provision is politically targeted while the rest of the bill offers marginal supply effects.
Many Small Pilots Instead Of Big Reforms
- The bill creates many narrowly scoped pilot programs: repair grants, infill incentives, regional planning grants, vacant-to-housing conversions, and pre-approved design pattern books.
- Kyle Peterson reads the section-by-section list to illustrate the bill's patchwork approach.
Modest Regulatory Fixes Could Help
- Some modest reforms could help, like right-sizing NEPA reviews for small infill projects and updating manufactured-housing definitions to spur cost-saving innovation.
- Builders have long complained manufactured units no longer need a permanent chassis.