JERSEY SHORE – An interview scheduled with United States Senator Andy Kim about the passage of a major bipartisan housing package took on added significance after President Donald Trump canceled plans to sign the legislation just hours before the ceremony was expected to take place.
Trump had been expected to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on June 24, but canceled the ceremony, later saying he would not sign the measure until Congress passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
The legislation passed the Senate on June 22 by an overwhelming 85-5 vote and cleared the House the following day by a 358-32 margin. Both New Jersey senators, Democrats Kim and Cory Booker, supported the measure, as did the Republican congressmen who represent this area, Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew.
Kim, who serves on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, helped shape portions of the package through his committee work. In discussing the legislation, he highlighted several provisions he said could have particular significance for Ocean County, where residents continue to grapple with escalating housing costs, limited housing inventory, rising rents and an aging population increasingly concerned about affordability.
Under the Constitution, legislation generally becomes law ten days after being presented to the president, excluding Sundays, if Congress remains in session and the president takes no action. The legislation passed by margins well above the two-thirds threshold required for Congress to potentially override a veto.
Despite Trump’s decision to postpone signing the measure, Kim expressed confidence that the legislation would ultimately become law. “First and foremost, this bill will become law,” Kim said. “I think the president is really just misjudging this situation. The American people are demanding this. They absolutely need this.”
Addressing Housing Supply
The package has been described as the most significant federal housing legislation approved in more than 30 years. It combines provisions from more than 60 separate housing bills, including 36 with bipartisan sponsorship, and seeks to address what lawmakers from both parties view as the nation’s primary housing challenge: a shortage of homes.
“The number one issue I hear about is housing and the cost of housing in New Jersey,” Kim said. “One in every four people, 25 percent of our state, are paying 50 percent or more of their earnings towards housing. That’s crazy.”
The legislation includes grants to convert vacant commercial buildings into housing, creates a pilot program for FHA-backed loans under $100,000 and establishes a $200 million annual grant program for communities that increase housing production through zoning reforms and streamlined permitting.
Additional provisions seek to modernize manufactured housing rules, expand access to smaller mortgages and simplify participation in federal housing voucher programs. Lawmakers from both parties have argued that increasing housing supply is essential to reducing long-term affordability pressures.
The package also includes measures intended to curb institutional investor activity in the single-family housing market, an issue Kim said frequently arises in discussions with prospective homebuyers. “These big private equity companies, these big Wall Street investment companies, they just can’t come in and start buying up all these single-family homes,” Kim said. “We can’t have families in Ocean County going up against Wall Street. That’s not fair.”
Sandy Lessons
Kim said his committee work enabled him to help shape several provisions included in the final package, particularly those related to disaster recovery and housing development.
Among the provisions Kim highlighted were permanent authorization of the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program through the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act. The legislation also establishes an Office of Disaster Management and Resiliency within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to oversee future disaster recovery efforts.
Although New Jersey received approximately $4.2 billion in disaster recovery funding following Superstorm Sandy, existing rules prevented much of that money from being used to build affordable housing. The legislation would, for the first time, permit municipalities to use certain Community Development Block Grant funds to construct new housing.
“We were not allowed to use any of that for rebuilding homes and for the development of affordable housing, and that really tied our hands,” Kim said. “That’s something I heard from communities all across the state, and I’m proud that I was able to deliver that in this bill.”
Kim said the change could prove especially important for shore communities seeking to address housing shortages while preparing for future storms.
The package also incorporates portions of the bipartisan BUILD Housing Act, which streamlines parts of the federal environmental review process by allowing HUD to delegate certain review responsibilities to state and local governments and simplifying reviews for some housing projects. Supporters contend the changes could reduce delays and lower construction costs while preserving environmental protections.
Potential Impact On Seniors
Our region’s large senior population could also benefit from several provisions in the legislation, including updates to longstanding federal housing programs frequently used to develop and preserve affordable and senior housing. Supporters hope those changes will accelerate construction while reducing administrative barriers.
The package also includes the Whole-Home Repairs Act, establishing pilot programs that would allow states and local governments to provide grants and forgivable loans for critical home repairs and accessibility improvements. The funding could help older adults remain safely in their homes by paying for modifications such as wheelchair ramps, grab bars and other safety improvements.
The legislation also directs the Government Accountability Office to study barriers older adults and people with disabilities face in obtaining affordable housing. It does not however provide direct rent relief or create new rent-control measures, meaning many residents facing immediate affordability challenges may see little short-term impact.
Kim acknowledged that the legislation will not immediately solve New Jersey’s housing affordability challenges. “I don’t want people to think that this bill is a magic wand. It’s not,” he said. “We have real problems when it comes to housing affordability and construction, and in New Jersey it’s particularly pronounced because we know that our housing was already very expensive.”
Kim said the package nevertheless demonstrates that bipartisan cooperation remains possible on issues affecting families across the political spectrum.
“There definitely were compromises,” Kim said. “I, for one, think that the government should have been able to put more money directly into affordable housing building, but when we’re trying to get bipartisan support, we’re trying to find other ways to be able to get that done.”
