Two New Housing Laws — One Federal, One State — and What They Change
Greater Boston — where a new federal housing law and new state zoning rules arrived in the same week.
Two housing laws landed within days of each other this month. On July 9, Governor Healey signed the Massachusetts FY2027 budget, which carries zoning reforms aimed at getting more housing built.[5][6] On July 11, the federal 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — the first comprehensive federal housing package in years — became law.[2][4] Here is what each one actually says, and what it means depending on which seat you're sitting in.
The federal law: how it passed
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644) passed the Senate 85–5 on June 22, 2026, and the House 358–32 the next day.[1][3] The president declined to sign it, and under the Constitution's ten-day rule it became law without his signature on July 11, 2026.[2][4] The final bill folds in provisions from more than 60 separate pieces of legislation.[3] One important caveat up front: the act authorizes no additional funding for its own implementation, and many programs are pilots or studies — so its effects will arrive gradually, not overnight.[3]
What's in it — the provisions most likely to touch you
• Limits on large institutional buyers. Investors that own 350 or more single-family homes are restricted from buying new single-family homes, with an exemption for homes built specifically for the rental market. HUD will also stand up an outreach resource for tenants renting from large institutional owners.[3]
• Small-dollar mortgages. A four-year FHA pilot to expand access to mortgages under $100,000, plus federal studies on why so few small loans get written.[3]
• Faster building. Streamlined federal environmental reviews for housing projects, grants for cities that measurably increase housing supply (a $200 million-per-year innovation fund), grants for pre-reviewed home designs like ADUs and townhouses, and a pilot to convert vacant commercial buildings into housing.[3]
• Manufactured & modular homes. Eliminates the “permanent chassis” requirement for manufactured homes and raises FHA loan limits for them — changes intended to lower the cost of entry-level homes.[3]
• Appraisal rights. Lenders on federally backed mortgages must have procedures for borrowers to request a reconsideration of value or a second appraisal.[3]
• Renter-side changes. Lifts the Rental Assistance Demonstration cap by 100,000 units, makes it easier for landlords to accept Housing Choice Vouchers by streamlining inspections, and extends tenant protections in converted buildings.[3]
If you're selling
If you're buying
If you're renting
Massachusetts: zoning reform rides in on the budget
On July 9, 2026, Governor Healey signed the $63.4 billion FY2027 state budget without any vetoes.[5] Tucked inside are zoning reforms originally proposed by the Real Estate Bar Association of Massachusetts. The headline change: housing projects on land that is not zoned residential can now seek a “use variance” from a local Zoning Board of Appeals — a far shorter path than a full rezoning, which is how such projects had to proceed before.[6]
This builds on the Affordable Homes Act of August 2024, which authorized $5.16 billion for housing and made accessory dwelling units (ADUs) under 900 square feet legal by right in single-family zones statewide.[7]
What the state changes mean here
Laws like these set the rules; your street sets the price. If you want to talk through what any of this means for your specific home, building, or search — in English or Spanish — that's exactly the conversation I'm here for.
References
All references verified and retrieved July 13, 2026. Summaries reflect each source's own reporting and the bill text; provisions are subject to implementation, regulation, and change.
[1] U.S. Congress. “H.R.6644 — 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,” 119th Congress (2025–2026). Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6644/text
[2] NPR. “Largest housing affordability bill in decades becomes law without Trump's signature.” July 10, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/07/10/nx-s1-5885027/housing-bill-without-trump-signature
[3] Bipartisan Policy Center. “Inside the Deal: What's in the Final 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.” June 23, 2026. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/issue-brief/inside-the-deal-whats-in-the-final-21st-century-road-to-housing-act/
[4] CNN Business. “Sweeping housing affordability bill becomes law, despite Trump's delay.” July 11, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/11/economy/new-housing-affordability-law-heres-what-it-means
[5] WBUR. “Healey signs $63.4 billion state budget.” July 9, 2026. https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/07/09/massachusetts-fy2027-budget
[6] Chesto, Jon. “Zoning changes in state budget came from lawyers brainstorming about housing crisis.” The Boston Globe, July 13, 2026. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/13/business/massachusetts-budget-zoning-housing-lawyers/
[7] Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “Governor Maura Healey Signs Most Ambitious Legislation to Address Housing Costs in State History.” Mass.gov, Aug. 6, 2024. https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-maura-healey-signs-most-ambitious-legislation-to-address-housing-costs-in-state-history
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