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Ohioans rally to support Haitians living with temporary protected status after Supreme Court ruling

john@issuemediagroup.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Hundreds of Ohioans rallied in Springfield Thursday to support Haitians hours after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump can end legal status for Haitians who’ve left the violence in their home country.

More than a dozen people spoke at a rally outside of Springfield’s City Hall Thursday night.

“We had hoped that this would be a time of celebration, but it has become a time of lament,” said Carl Ruby, pastor of Springfield’s Central Christian Church.

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“This is not a time to throw a punch or a rock, it is the time to turn the other cheek. It’s a time to go the extra mile to sacrifice our comfort and to suffer if need be to protect the lives of others.”

People cried and hugged each other. Several held signs saying ‘Immigrants Make America Great,’ ‘Springfield is for everyone,’ ‘Love thy neighbor,’ and ‘We are commanded to welcome strangers.’

Some of the speakers prayed for the Haitians and Springfield. The World House Choir from Yellow Springs lead the group in songs.

Mia Perez, founder of Voices of Immigrants, urged Haitians to act now.

“Do not wait until ICE is at your door,” she said. “Gather your documents, keep copies of your immigration papers, work permit, passport, court notices.”

Many of the speakers emphasized this is the time to help Haitians.

“You must also prepare,” said Katie Kersh, an attorney with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality in Dayton.

“You need to decide what you stand for and what you are willing to fight for in the coming days.”

Springfield Neighbors United has launched an emergency food and diaper drive, said Rev. Dr. Marian Stewart, one of their volunteer leaders.

“There are a lot of babies in town,” she said. “Let me tell you, we need to take care of them in this hard time. These days, I ask you, follow your heart, put kindness, empathy, and compassion in the center.”

Ruby thanked Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who was born in Springfield, for his support and asked him for help.

“We need resources to provide translators, we need resources to help with food, and anything the state can do would be deeply appreciated,” Ruby said.

About 30,000 Haitians with temporary status live in central Ohio and an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians call Springfield home, with a mixture of temporary protected status, citizenship, and other legal status.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a program that allows people from specific countries in conflict or facing natural disasters the chance to live and work in the United States for a set period of time.

“Haitians who came to this country with the promise of safety, who follow the law and apply for TPS and often asylum have now been left with no TPS protection,” Kersh said.

This means Haitians can theoretically be detained by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at any moment, she said.

“These individuals followed the law, and the law abandoned them,” Kersh said.

She recommends Haitians living in the U.S. talk to an immigration attorney for a consultation to evaluate their options.

Haitians can apply for asylum, but the Trump administration put an indefinite freeze on processing all asylum applications at the end of 2025.

“Our immigrant neighbors and community members need to prepare,” Kersh said. “They need to make a plan, they need to decide what will happen to their children if they are detained.”

More than 1,000 children born in Springfield with American citizenship have Haitian parents, Viles Dorsainvil has previously said.

“I’m not sure the school district will know how to deal with it,” Dorsainvil said on Thursday. “And the parents as well, they do not know if they will continue to send their kids to school.”

Dorsainvil came to the United States from Haiti in 2020 and is the executive director of the Haitian Support Center in Springfield.

“This decision has brought fear, uncertainty, and pain to countless families who have built their lives, contributed to the communities and called the United States home,” he said.

Dorsainvil spoke directly to his fellow Haitians.

“We will not allow fear to define us,” he said. “Our resilience has carried us through these many hardships before, and it will continue to carry us through this one as well.”

Dorsainvil also thanked the Springfield community.

“You have welcomed your neighbors, spoken out against injustice, defended vulnerable families, and refused to let hate and division have the final word,” he said.

“Your friendship and your courage has given hope to many people during one of the most difficult chapters of their lives as we face this unsettling moment.”

“We want you here,” someone shouted from the crowd while Dorsainvil spoke.

Springfield experienced a shrinking population for decades as manufacturing jobs disappeared, but Haitian immigrants have grown Clark County’s workforce by more than 10,000 workers.

“You cannot remove our neighbors without us feeling the hurt,” said Rev. Michelle Boomgaard with Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield.

“You cannot remove children from our children’s classrooms, their friends, without us feeling hurt, you cannot remove star athletes from our sports teams without us feeling the hurt.”

Haiti is currently plagued by gang violence and instability, with many fleeing the small Caribbean nation to the United States for their lives. A top security official and chief of staff to the nation’s defense minister was recently kidnapped.

Many of the Haitian refugees in America have no homes to return to in Haiti. The U.S. Department of State currently has a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti.

“Many of them cannot safely return to Haiti,” said Biassu Pierre, a community organizer for Advocates for Basic Legal Equality.

“They came to the United States to escape violence, stability, and danger. Going back to Haiti is not simply returning home, it’s good men returning to a place where their lives are at risk today.”

Ohio state Rep. Munira Abdullahi, D-Columbus, said this is the time for people to come together.

“Are we going to let them take our neighbors away from us? Absolutely not,” she said.

Hundreds of people in Springfield, Ohio rallied to show their support for Haitians after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump can end legal status for Haitians who’ve fled the violence in their home country on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

People in Springfield, Ohio rallied to show their support for Haitians after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump can end legal status for Haitians who’ve fled the violence in their home country. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

The World House Choir from Yellow Springs, Ohio leads people in song at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

A woman holds up a sign at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

Ohio state Rep. Munira Abdullahi, D-Columbus, speaks at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

Jen Casto, with Indivisible Springfield, speaks at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

Rev. Michelle Boomgaard with Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield (left) and Rev. Dr. Marian Stewart with Springfield Neighbors United (right) speak at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

A woman holds up a sign at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

Viles Dorsainvil speaks at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. He came to the United States from Haiti in 2020 and is the executive director of the Haitian Support Center in Springfield. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

A member of the World House Choir from Yellow Springs, Ohio leads people in song at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

Biassu Pierre, a community organizer for Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, speaks at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

People hold up signs at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

Katie Kersh (left) and Biassu Pierre (right) speak at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. Both of them are with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality in Dayton. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

A sign at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

Signs at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

Carl Ruby, pastor of Springfield’s Central Christian Church, speaks at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

Signs at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

A sign urging people to donate at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

A sign at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

A man holds up a sign at a rally for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on X or on Bluesky.

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Ohio cities brace for impact of Supreme Court allowing Trump to take legal status away from Haitians

john@issuemediagroup.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

The Ohio cities of Columbus and Springfield are bracing for impact after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump can end legal status for Haitians who’ve fled the violence in their home country.

About 330,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians are living in the United States with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program that allows people from specific countries in conflict or facing natural disasters the chance to live and work in the United States for a set period of time.

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“The Supreme Court’s decision means that many, many people are going to die violent, needless deaths,” Geoff Pipoly, one of the attorneys representing Haitian plaintiffs, said during a press conference immediately following the Supreme Court ruling.

“Please express to all the Haitians in Springfield just how broken our hearts are by this, and that we wish there was more we could have done, but we did everything that the law allowed us to try to do.”

Viles Dorsainvil came to the United States from Haiti in 2020 and said Thursday was the saddest day he has had in the U.S.

“I understand that now being in America is a dealing with a system that just doesn’t want you,” said Dorsainvil, who is the executive director of the Haitian Support Center in Springfield.

Many Haitians and advocates expect United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement will do raids in Springfield and other cities with a big Haitian population.

“We maybe we can try to navigate this together, but that won’t prevent ICE to deport folks, that won’t prevent ICE to separate families, and we know a lot of things awaiting us now that we will have to make sure that we are ready for this,” Dorsainvil said.

Many of the Haitian refugees in America have no homes to return to in Haiti.

The U.S. Department of State currently has a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti and Syria.

“Changing the immigration status of these individuals is not in the best interest of the United States nor Ohio,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who was born in Springfield, said in a statement.

The DeWines helped support the Becky DeWine School in Haiti, named after their late daughter, but the school had to close due to gang activity in 2024.

“Today’s decision is painful,” said Carl Ruby, pastor of Springfield’s Central Christian Church.

US Supreme Court rules Trump administration can end legal protections for 350,000 Haitians

“But our calling has not changed. Scripture teaches us to stand with the vulnerable, tell the truth about our neighbors, and refuse to let fear have the final word. Haitian families belong in our community, and we will continue to stand beside them with courage, compassion, and conviction.”

This is a tragedy for Springfield, Ruby said.

“We are a city that had been in decline for 50 years,” he said. “When Haitians arrived, that was the first time we grew in half a century. … (This is) going to hurt businesses in Springfield. It’s going to lead to economic decline. It’s going to hurt our county. It’s just awful. … It will create an economic and humanitarian disaster for Springfield.”

Springfield experienced a shrinking population for decades as manufacturing jobs disappeared, but Haitian immigrants have grown Clark County’s workforce by more than 10,000 workers.

“I grieve for our city, I grieve for our businesses, obviously, I grieve most of all for our Haitian friends,” Ruby said.

Deporting Haitians in Springfield would eliminate roughly $300 million in annual spending from Clark County, with an estimated economic loss projected to exceed $400 million.

“Many of the individuals affected by this decision are our neighbors, coworkers, business owners, taxpayers and parents,” Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said in a statement.

“They contribute to our local economy, support our schools, strengthen our neighborhoods and have become part of the fabric of Springfield. … We value every person in our community and remain committed to maintaining stability and support for those who call our city home.”

Springfield became a flashpoint in the 2024 Election when Trump and JD Vance spread racist lies about Haitian immigrants there.

Haitian TPS holders will now lose their work permit and driver’s licenses.

“If folks cannot commute, and if they cannot go to work, that would put us in a very bad situation,”Dorsainvil said.

Thousands of Haitians living in Springfield will need help with rent assistance, food, and attorney fees, Ruby said.

“Our hearts are broken by the opinion today, and don’t know exactly where to go,” he said. “The only thing I can say is, we will not abandon the Haitian people who are in Springfield, Ohio.”

Haitians were initially granted temporary protected status after Haiti’s earthquake in 2010 killed 222,570 people.

The Biden administration extended Temporary Protected Status to Haitians in 2021 after the assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moïse.

Syria was first granted TPS in 2012 and the country continues to experience ongoing armed conflict, terrorist violence, kidnapping, hostage taking, and crime.

Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s Executive Director Lynn Tramonte is calling on DeWine, Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno and Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted to do something.

“You cannot let Haitian-Ohioans be deported to a country where they will be killed,” she said in a statement.

“They are our family members, co-workers, friends, and neighbors. They are our people now. You cannot sit back and let this happen. You have power.”

Immediately following the Supreme Court’s decision, Moreno posted on X “TEMPORARY protective status is temporary.”

Ohio Democratic U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes said she is outraged by the ruling.

“The Court has put hundreds of thousands of people, including families living in Ohio, at risk of deportation back to dangerous and unstable conditions,” she said in a statement. “These are neighbors who have built lives here, and they deserve dignity and protection, not fear and uncertainty.”

At the federal level, the U.S. House voted in April to extend TPS for Haitians through 2029. The bill is now in the U.S. Senate, but the White House said President Donald Trump would veto the bill.

TPS for Haitians was set to expire Feb. 3, but U.S. District Court Judge Ana C. Reyes blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end temporary protected status for Haitians living in the United States.

The Trump administration quickly appealed the decision and lower courts blocked its efforts to end Haiti’s TPS.

Haitians can apply for asylum, but the Trump administration put an indefinite freeze on processing all asylum applications at the end of 2025.

“People should absolutely still apply for asylum if they’re afraid to live in Haiti,” said Katie Kersh, an attorney with ABLE Advocates for Basic Legal Equality in Dayton.

Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on X or on Bluesky.

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Records: Rural Michigan ‘overlooked’ in Michigan’s $6B subsidy spending spree

john@issuemediagroup.com — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Michigan spent $6 billion on business growth plans since 2022, with less than 1% going to northeast Michigan
The disparity gap was $71 per person in the northeast compared to $854 in west Michigan
The gaps may fuel to disagreement over the state’s economic development strategy

Tom Wdowik is relieved these days by waves of vacationers visiting cabins, restaurants and hotels along Lake Huron, despite worries that high gas and food prices this year could stall tourism.

The region relies heavily on travel, and Wdowik wonders if he’d have less anxiety if the state spent more to diversify the economy on the sunrise side of Michigan.

“We’re often the overlooked corner of the state,” said Wdowik, who owns Sandcastle Beach Resort in Oscoda.

Indeed, Michigan has spent $6 billion since 2022 on business support and attraction through its Michigan Economic Development Corp. — and a Bridge Michigan analysis found a wide disparity in spending.

In the northeast Lower Peninsula from Grayling and Oscoda to Cheboyan and Alpena, the state spent $71 per resident during that time on programs from business subsidy grants and small business support to increasing entrepreneurship and capital access.

The west Michigan region anchored by Grand Rapids received $854 per resident.

The median across all 10 Michigan regions is $525.

All told, 49 of 83 Michigan counties — including many that are losing population and posting lower incomes in the struggling state — receive less business development funding than their share of the population.

“Some people take the viewpoint that in some of these distressed areas, there’s nothing you can do to help them,” said Tim Bartik, an economist and economic development subsidy expert at the Upjohn Center for Employment Research in Kalamazoo.

“I don’t think that’s inevitable.”

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Economic development needs to ensure that “residents of Michigan are better off,” Bartik said.

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The MEDC tracks spending by region, spokesperson Danielle Emerson told Bridge. However, it has no specific budget allocated by community, and its programs largely respond to local requests.

“MEDC’s role is to be a partner, not a driver, of the market,” she said.

Bridge’s findings underscore a longstanding debate in economic development: Should government investments reflect geographical fairness or go where they can do the most good?

For years, many in Michigan have advocated concentrating spending in its biggest cities, but growing research from the Brookings Institution and others highlights the need for more investment in struggling communities.

Whatever the case, the geographic disparity comes amid debate about the effectiveness of Michigan’s business growth policies. Under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, data shows business incentives led to lower-than-promised job creation and high numbers of low-paying jobs.

Lawmakers have noticed: Her signature large-scale subsidy fund, SOAR, was defunded last fall. The MEDC’s business subsidy budget also was cut, going from $100 million to $59 million, amid some lawmaker calls to disband the public-private partnership. Further, the legislature initiated no new subsidies in 2025.

Finding the disparity

Bridge analyzed MEDC spending awards since 2022 made to communities in the MEDC’s 10-regions of the state.

The money came from the key state-funded programs to increase jobs, small business support, community development as reported on the MEDC’s online project map as well as $2.4 billion in subsidies and site preparation funding for Whitmer’s signature economic development plan, the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve.

Records show regional disparities affected most of the state’s land area:

The northeast Lower Peninsula received $14 million since 2022, about 0.24% of the funds, despite having 2% of the state’s residents.
The Traverse City region, which has 3% of the population, received less than 1% of funding.
The six-county region around Ann Arbor, home to 10% of the population, received 4% of money, $219 per person.
The Flint area, home to 8% of residents, received 6% of funds — a share inflated by a single, $261 million project that doubled the region’s total funding.
Metro Detroit, which has 39% of the state population, received 41% of the spending.
Grand Rapids’ 13-county region, with 17% of the population, received nearly 25% of awards.

The state says it does not treat its regions the same because it coordinates investment with public and private partners, spokesperson Emerson told Bridge.

“Every community and region is at a different stage of growth and barriers to overcome,” Emerson said.

And while it seeks “regional impact” across the state, it does not use geography to set its budgets for such as the Michigan Business Development Program and Michigan Community Revitalization Program.

“We work closely with local partners to grow our pipeline of project applications from the region,” Emerson said. “And our ability to identify and support good deals for the state depends on that pipeline.“

Solutions for ‘serious trouble’

The discussion on how Michigan spends economic development money comes as policymakers urge a reckoning of the state’s declining prosperity.

The state is ranked 49th in population growth; 40th in per capita incomes — a drop from 18th just 25 years earlier; 50th for GDP growth.

The situation was bleak enough that a theme of the recent Mackinac Policy Conference was “The House is on Fire,”

“We’re in serious trouble,” said co-chair Bob Riney, CEO of Henry Ford Health System.

Michigan needs to maximize its business growth funding, Bartik said.

It makes sense to target areas with lower rates of employed people ages 25-54, Bartik added, “which in Michigan would be many of the rural areas, and would also include places like Flint.”

Lou Glazer, president of Michigan Future Inc., questions whether any MEDC business growth spending can lift the state.

“There’s very little evidence that those (MEDC-funded) projects add up to improving people’s economic outcomes,” Glazer said. “The conversation needs to be what should we be spending money on that really drives increases.”

Michigan will elect a new governor in November who could retool Michigan’s economic development plan.

State economic advocates call for some specific steps to pair the spending with increased prosperity.

Michigan needs “a talent-based economic strategy, not an enterprise-based economic strategy,” Glazer said.

Bartik and Glazer also advocate for that targeting specific business development funding to less populous regions, instead of the MEDC’s existing strategy.

“There’s no silver bullet” for the rural areas of the state while all of Michigan grapples with concerns about prosperity, Eric Lupher, president of the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council.

But improvement will come from “recognizing that having those vibrant cities of all sizes” are a foundation for the state’s future.

Lupher said he’s looking for an overall strategy that emphasizes both innovation and helping existing businesses thrive.

Lawmakers need to ask if Michigan has an active plan for that, Lupher said, or whether the low spending across much of the state signals “economic fishing by putting the hook out and seeing who bites.”

The Northeast still hopes for more

In Oscoda, Wdowik is excited to see some new businesses open in the community of about 8,000, like a boutique and an indoor golf facility.

Wdowik, a leader of the Oscoda Area Convention and Visitor Bureau. calls the disparity in state business funding “not good,” even as he understands larger areas can attract larger businesses.

“But by the same token, you can’t let the rural areas just stand alone,” he said.

The MEDC’s Region 3 covers 11 counties, roughly along I-75 to West Branch up to the Mackinac Bridge and east to the Lake Huron shore. Communities like Oscoda, Alpena, Cheboygan, Gaylord and Grayling are among the largest, spread across hundreds of miles.

The area has the state’s lowest median wage, $20.20, more than $2 per hour less than the average.

Statistically, nine of the counties have the oldest residents in the state — and the region is tied with the Thumb in having the lowest percentage of residents with bachelor’s degrees.

Getting fewer resources to grow and support businesses means everyone has to struggle more, said Jennifer Riggs, executive director of county economic development group Develop Iosco.

“How do you spread that across 11 counties and get the same outcome?” Riggs asked. “You can’t. It’s impossible to make the same impact.”

To be sure, MEDC funding is generating some wins. In Grayling, for example, Saab committed to a munitions factory, with $5.6 million in MEDC support. The new, five-story Sawmill Lofts apartment building added retail space downtown, too. It received $1.3 million from the state.

In Oscoda, the Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport offers growth potential; it’s already the largest employer in the northeast with 3,000 workers. The facility received a $500,000 SOAR grant in 2024 to repair former Air Force taxiways and add capacity.

But the expanse of the area and the seasonal business nature of many businesses makes the work that much harder, Riggs emphasized.

And it means even the smallest changes matter.

“Every time you add a new employer, you have new jobs, you’re giving choice to your residents on where they work,” Riggs said.

Landing just two dozen new jobs would “trickle down” across the community as workers buy gas and groceries, and become a customer base for year-round businesses, she said.

That many jobs may make one or two new daycares possible. New houses could come next. And they’d keep people shopping in the small businesses that remain rooted in Michigan’s smallest cities.

Michigan as a state needs to pursue success and shape a solid economic development plan, Riggs said.

While doing that, she added, “we need to put a focus on making sure that our Huron Coast is getting the same resources.”

A rare bipartisan housing victory faces a bigger problem – Americans still can’t afford housing

john@issuemediagroup.com — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

By Kirk McClure, University of Kansas and Alex Schwartz, The New School

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed what could become the most significant housing legislation in decades. But even supporters say it doesn’t do enough to ease America’s housing affordability crunch.

On May 20, 2026, the House passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act by a lopsided, bipartisan vote of 396 to 13. The vote took place 10 weeks after the Senate overwhelmingly approved a somewhat different version of the bill.

If the two chambers can reconcile their differences, the legislation would be one of the few substantive bills approved by Congress in recent years.

Many of the 56 provisions in the wide-ranging bill are regulatory in nature, such as streamlining environmental impact reviews and reducing the frequency of inspections for homes with tenants receiving federal rental assistance. Others seek to make it easier for homebuyers to acquire financing.

These elements and more could help move the needle on the nation’s housing morass.

But as housing policy scholars, we believe the improvements will be only marginal. That’s because the reforms do not address the main source of the nation’s housing problem: that millions of renters and homeowners lack the income necessary to cover their housing costs.

Promising changes

The bill does include several important reforms.

The provision that has received the most attention would limit the ability of private equity firms and other institutional investors to acquire and operate single-family homes as rental properties.

Although institutional investors account for about 2% of all single-family rentals nationally, they have a bigger presence in certain housing markets, mostly in the South. These firms will typically purchase homes in cash, disadvantaging individual homebuyers who need to take out a mortgage. They’ve also been known to more aggressively raise rents and initiate eviction proceedings than other landlords.

The legislation also includes several measures aimed at reducing home prices and increasing housing supply.

One would reduce the cost of manufactured housing – often known as mobile homes – by eliminating the requirement to include a steel chassis that can be attached to wheels. This would reduce building costs by around US$5,000 to $10,000, or about 4% to 8% of the average cost of a new unit.

Other cost-saving elements include streamlining environmental reviews for proposed housing developments and encouraging new designs for midsize apartment buildings that would allow for just one stairway. Fire safety regulations have long required multifamily buildings to contain two or more staircases so that residents can exit their homes safely if one staircase is impassable because of smoke or other reasons. However, improvements in fire safety have largely eliminated the need for the second staircase in midsize buildings. By eliminating the two-stairway requirement, developers can reduce their construction costs and have more flexibility in their architectural designs.

Another component would require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to issue guidelines and “best-practice frameworks” for zoning and land-use policies, presumably to nudge cities and towns to allow developers to build smaller homes on smaller lots.

To further facilitate housing construction, the bill would require local governments that receive federal funding for community development to publish a “searchable online database of undeveloped land parcels,” which would make it easier to identify potential low-cost development sites.

Finally, the Federal Housing Administration and other lenders would be encouraged to issue “small dollar mortgages” of less than $100,000. Currently, when low-priced homes are available, it can be difficult for interested homebuyers to obtain financing because it is more profitable for lenders to underwrite larger mortgages.

While most of the legislation focuses on homeowner housing, a couple of provisions would address important challenges for subsidized rental housing. One seeks to encourage landlord participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Program by making it easier for landlords to satisfy the federal government’s housing inspection requirements.

Another provision would help protect low-income rural renters from losing their homes when the federally funded mortgages on their buildings expire. Currently, these rent subsidies, which are provided by the Department of Agriculture, can only be used in the buildings it finances. Many of these mortgages are due to expire over the next few years, putting residents with rental assistance at risk of eviction. The legislation would enable these households to remain in place or move to other buildings without federally funded mortgages.

Americans are still being crushed by costs

Yet as sweeping as the bill is, its impact is likely to be modest.

Nearly all of the legislation involves regulatory changes. The bill does not increase subsidies available to low-income renters and homeowners, or to potential homebuyers.

The majority of all renters are cost burdened, meaning they currently spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Over a quarter of all homeowners are cost burdened, too. The legislation almost certainly will not diminish this affordability crisis.

Several measures aim to reduce the cost of new housing. But with few exceptions, they are contingent on the support and participation of states, cities and suburbs.

For example, nothing in the bill would require localities to change their zoning and building codes to allow more apartment buildings or smaller single-family homes to be built at higher densities. Homeowners are usually strongly opposed to development if they fear it will change the character of their community or lower the value of their property. Existing homeowners do not want – and almost certainly will not allow – a wholesale erosion of their home equity. They will continue to fight to preserve the valuations of their homes.

Nor does the House’s passage of the bill mean that Congress has become more supportive of low-income housing. On the same day that the housing bill passed, the House Appropriations Committee released its fiscal year 2027 budget proposal for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. It included cuts to public housing, Community Development Block Grants, the Home Investment Partnership Program and the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

If the Senate and House come to an agreement on the final version of the bill and President Donald Trump signs it into law, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will hopefully accelerate reform efforts. But on its own, it’s less a speedway that will supercharge housing supply and provide immediate relief for the most cost-burdened Americans, and more a modest on-ramp that reflects the limits of what’s politically feasible in a divided and polarized Congress.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Kirk McClure, University of Kansas and Alex Schwartz, The New School

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Kirk McClure received funding in the past from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Alex Schwartz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.