Major bipartisan housing bill on hold as President ties signature to election bill

A landmark housing bill designed to make it easier to buy a home is on hold.

This week, lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan measure aimed at increasing the nation's housing supply and making it easier to build new homes.

Hours before President Donald Trump was scheduled to sign the bill into law, he announced he would not sign it until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. That bill would require voters to show identification and documents proving U.S. citizenship to vote.

Many lawmakers and local housing advocates are disappointed that the housing bill, which received overwhelming bipartisan support, is being tied to unrelated legislation.

Among its many provisions, the bill creates new programs for housing funding and home repairs. It would also streamline some federal reviews to help speed up construction and reauthorize programs that help organizations like Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity build new homes.

Ashley Brundage, CEO of Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, said the legislation would provide additional resources to help address the region's affordable housing shortage.

"A lot of new funding and reauthorization of current funding will help increase the supply of affordable homes and affordable apartments that we're able to put on the ground here in the city," Brundage said. "More homes is really what we need here. We've got a gap of 16,000 affordable homes for sale in the city of Dallas."

If the president neither signs nor vetoes the bill and Congress remains in session, the legislation could still become law after 10 days under the U.S. Constitution.