WASHINGTON—With Congress down to its last week before adjourning until 2026, credit unions are continuing to back housing legislation that has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
Earlier, the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025 was introduced by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), which passed the Senate unanimously in late 2025 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and which was meant to boost housing supply, affordability, and access by streamlining zoning and encouraging building. That bill was later stripped from the NDAA.
In the House, the American Homeownership Opportunity Act, also has bipartisan support. It proposes tax credits for first-time buyers and builders and contains other provisions meant to help more people get into houses. That legislation continues to be worked on as the House Financial Services Committee meets this week and marks up legislation.
Credit Unions Need to be ‘Heavily Included’
“Anytime (Congress) can come together and return to regular order and begin moving legislation on a bipartisan basis, we’re going to applaud those efforts,” Stverak said. “ We are going to advocate to the committee that they ensure credit unions are heavily included in helping solve America’s housing crisis and, in particular, defense-related credit unions as they help military members and their families…as they are forced or required to move as part of their permanent change of station. We’re looking for affordable housing all across this country.”
DCUC has stressed in its letters to the Hill that credit unions assist members by securing competitive mortgage options, down payment assistance, and overall guidance throughout the home-buying process. Many work with housing authorities and nonprofits to increase access to affordable housing, the association said.
Asked by The CU Daily where credit unions might specifically play a greater role in addressing housing-related issues, Stverak said there are opportunities to be more involved in smaller commercial projects, but it would require amending and lifting the current cap on commercial lending.
America’s CUs Also Backs Bill
Similarly, Brad Thaler, vice president of legislative affairs with America’s Credit Unions, said during a call with the media that the trade group is also engaging with the House Financial Services Committee on numerous bills, particularly the bipartisan housing package, which it supports.
Other DC News This Week
In addition to the above:
- Stverak said the focus in Congress and by the OCC on “debanking,” or whether some financial institutions have been making or have in the past made decisions to whether or not to provide financial services to particular industries or individuals as the result of political views, “highlights the need for the ability for more people to join credit unions.
In response, he said DCUC will continue to work to “raise the issue is the need for a field of membership expansions for credit unions so that if you are not happy with the institution that you’re with based upon how you’re being treated, then you should have an expanded ability to join a local or other credit unions to meet your needs.” - Stverak said with the House Financial Services Committee engaged in marking up bills this week, most of the legislation is “targeted for the banking industry and, once again, credit unions seem to be left on the sidelines.
“We’re going to continually advocate very strongly that as Congress starts the new session in January that credit unions and credit union priorities be given parity with the banking and banking related issues,” he continued. “Nearly one-third of America is a member of a credit union and the issues that impact those institutions should be given higher importance and be heard by the committee moving forward.”
