The Senate Banking Committee has unanimously approved the bipartisan Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025. U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) highlighted the bill’s inclusion of the Streamlining Rural Housing Act, which he introduced last week.
Ricketts addressed the need for more rural housing, referencing his experience as Governor of Nebraska. He noted that Nebraska had created a rural workforce housing fund to help communities and developers increase rural housing stock through a simple and successful program.
Ricketts explained that developers in Nebraska face challenges when working with both HUD and USDA Rural Development due to overlapping authorities. These agencies require separate processes for environmental review and housing inspections, leading to increased regulatory costs and project delays.
“The Streamlining Rural Housing Act will require the two agencies to enter into a memorandum of understanding to align the different housing standards,” said Ricketts. “This bill is the first step to enhance efficiency and eliminate conflicting requirements that delay approvals so we can build more housing in rural states like Nebraska and across the country.”
In addition to introducing the Streamlining Rural Housing Act, Ricketts co-sponsored several other measures included in the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025: the Housing Supply and Innovation Framework Act, Rural Housing Service Reform Act, VA Home Loan Awareness Act, and Veterans Affairs Loan Informed Disclosure (VALID) Act.
Senator Ricketts made these remarks during a business meeting of the Senate Banking Committee.
