Bipartisan poll backs housing policy as ROAD Act awaits Trump

Most Americans across party lines want the federal government to do something about housing costs. Whether Washington, DC will make this happen is another question.

About 4 in 5 U.S. residents, or 79 percent, believe there should be tax breaks for first-time homebuyers, and 77 percent say there should be policies that make housing more affordable. This is evident from a study by Redfin conducted by Ipsos in May 2026 among 4,000 US adults.

There is support for all political preferences. Eighty-three percent of Democrats say policies should be introduced to make housing more affordable, as do 74 percent of Republicans, the survey found. Eighty-five percent of Democrats support tax breaks for first-time buyers, compared to 77 percent of Republicans.

Three-quarters of respondents support rent increases, 75 percent support home-building initiatives for low-income families and 74 percent support down payment assistance programs.

A bill that suits the moment

These numbers are consistent with the broad support behind the ROAD to Housing Act, which Congress passed on June 23. The legislation addresses the nationwide affordability crisis by increasing housing supply, streamlining construction processes and expanding access to affordable homeownership, including through provisions to expand manufactured housing by reducing federal regulations.

But the bill has not yet been converted into law. President Trump canceled a planned signing ceremony on June 25, saying he would not take up the legislation until the Senate passes an unrelated voter restriction bill. according to reports from The New York Times. Trump has described the housing measure as “minor.” The times reported, even though members of his own party promoted it before the November midterm elections.

What happens next

Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday he would formally send the bill to Trump after meeting with the president at the White House, a move that sets up a 10-day constitutional mandate — excluding Sundays — during which Trump must sign or veto it.

Daryl Fairweather | Redfin

If he takes no action, it would become law without his signature, although legal questions remain about whether a pocket veto could occur during a congressional recess that begins July 3. The times reported.

“For more than a decade, the prevailing view was that housing was a local issue best left to city councils and mayors – but that housing affordability has become a national crisis,” said Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist. “By passing this bill 24-0 through the Senate Banking Committee, both Republicans and Democrats showed that affordability is a priority. The great achievement of the bill itself is that it uses solutions like zoning reform and improved permitting to prove that public policy can make people better off without spending a lot of money.”

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