Amid Housing Challenges, Here’s a Bill Worth Your Attention
I remember back in grad school 30 years ago, cramming for an exam and committing to memory the date of the U.S. Standard State Zoning Enabling Act (SZEA). Now, the SZEA is over a century old. While the SZEA itself may appear neutral on its surface, it has been used as a tool to enable and perpetuate discriminatory intent in land use and housing policy. As well documented, over the last century, its influence has shaped local zoning codes that have significantly contributed to our country’s patterns of residential segregation based on race and income and led to the chronic underproduction of the types of housing we need most.
Finally, we have a chance to move forward. Section 203 of the ROAD to Housing Act (the Housing Supply Frameworks Act) recognizes a truth that planners and housing advocates have been saying for years:
“Zoning ordinances or systems of land use regulation that have the intent or effect of restricting housing opportunities based on economic status or income without interests that are substantial, legitimate, nondiscriminatory and that outweigh the regional need for housing are contrary to the regional and national interest.”
Section 203 directs the Assistant Secretary to publish guidelines and best practices within three years of the bill’s enactment to help states and municipalities modernize their zoning frameworks. The goal is to ensure every community can produce enough housing to meet demand and provide opportunities at every income level.
While Section 203 is a groundbreaking step, it is just one part of a much broader and more comprehensive bill. The ROAD to Housing Act also includes significant funding, regulatory reforms, and programmatic provisions designed to make progress in producing needed housing and lifting up people facing homelessness or at risk of housing instability.
Crossing the Line into Advocacy
I admit I have felt some hesitancy in writing this. As a professional planning consultant, I often focus on helping communities navigate complex processes from a neutral, facilitative position. But given the severity of the housing crisis and the challenges of current-day politics in the United States, I cannot sit by passively and simply watch what happens with this bill. The stakes are too high, and the opportunity too rare, to remain silent.
Why This Matters to Me
Housing affordability is not just a policy issue for me. It is personal.
I grew up in a multigenerational household, often in what planners call Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH). This is housing that is less expensive usually due to size, condition, age, location, or housing type. One of those homes was a rental apartment above a leather shop in Ridgewood, New Jersey. That home gave my family stability, access to good schools, and a sense of belonging in an otherwise expensive community.
We did not own that home, but it gave us something just as valuable. It gave us the security to build our lives together. My single mother, grandmother, and aunt shared responsibilities, pooled resources, and looked out for each other and me and my cousin. The right housing, in the right place, can change the trajectory of a family’s future.
Now, as a community planner working, I see how many families still need that kind of opportunity. I have watched communities transform when they have the tools and resources to act early and intentionally. That is the kind of transformation we could see all across nation with the right federal support.
That is why I support the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025 and wrote to my senators.
What is the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025?
The Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act is a bipartisan bill that tackles the housing shortage by giving communities flexible tools, funding, and support to create more homes that people can afford.
Some Key Points:
Innovation Fund — Competitive grants for communities that plan and build more housing along with needed infrastructure.
More Housing Options — Supports modular and manufactured homes by updating outdated rules and definitions.
Faster Approvals — Offers pre-approved housing designs and pattern books to speed up the building process while fitting the local look and feel.
Encourages Local Solutions — Grants tied to zoning flexibility and removing unnecessary barriers to development.
Supports Affordability — Funds for affordable housing, rural housing, home repairs, and first-time homeownership.
Why it matters: This is the most significant bipartisan housing effort in more than a decade. It is backed by planners, housing advocates, and industry leaders from across the political spectrum. It respects local decision-making while offering resources that help communities address their housing needs.
My Letter to Senators Warren and Markey
Dear Senator Warren and Senator Markey,
I am writing to thank you, Senator Warren, for your leadership and sponsorship of the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025. Your work to advance this bipartisan legislation shows a deep understanding of what is at stake for communities across Massachusetts and the nation.
Senator Markey, I urge you to join Senator Warren in supporting this bill. The ROAD to Housing Act represents one of the most significant bipartisan housing efforts in more than a decade, offering communities the tools, funding, and flexibility to address urgent housing needs while respecting local context.
My belief in housing choice comes from both my personal history and my professional life. I grew up in a multigenerational household, often in modest apartments that were affordable due to their size, condition, age, location, or type. One of those was a rental above a leather shop in Ridgewood, New Jersey. That home gave my family stability, access to good schools, and a sense of belonging in an otherwise expensive community. It allowed my single mother, grandmother, aunt, and cousin to pool resources, share responsibilities, and thrive.
I now work with towns across Massachusetts, helping them plan for housing that fits their scale and meets the needs of people at every stage of life. I have seen what happens when communities have the resources to act early and intentionally. That is the kind of transformation the ROAD to Housing Act can help make possible across the Commonwealth.
This bill is not just about buildings. It is about stability, opportunity, and the freedom for people to stay connected to their communities when their housing needs change.
Senator Warren, thank you for championing this legislation. Senator Markey, I hope you will join in supporting it so that Massachusetts can lead the way in creating stronger, more inclusive communities.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Goldson, AICP
How You Can Help
If you share my belief that everyone deserves a safe, stable, and affordable place to live, please consider writing to your senators. This bill is expected to be taken up by the Senate after the August recess. Your story matters. It is one of the most powerful tools we have to make change.
Here is how to get started:
1. Find your senators at: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
2. Tell them why this bill matters to you and share your own housing story if you can.
3. Ask them to support the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025.
The more our elected officials hear from us, the harder it will be to ignore the urgent need for solutions that work for every community.