THE STREAMLINING RURAL HOUSING ACT, INTRODUCED BY REP. STUTZMAN, PASSES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 9, 2026
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Marlin Stutzman’s (IN-03) legislation, H.R. 4989 - Streamlining Rural Housing Act, passed the House of Representatives under suspension as part of the House Financial Services Committee’s Housing for the 21st Century Act.
The bill requires HUD and USDA to evaluate the feasibility of joint environmental reviews and inspections for rural housing projects that utilize both departments' programs. Currently, projects that utilize both must undergo separate environmental reviews and inspections to receive funding. This creates unnecessary red tape for developers and drives up costs, ultimately contributing to the affordable housing shortage in rural communities nationwide.
This bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation, which will make affordable rural housing easier to build and cut burdensome government red tape, now heads to the Senate.
“I am proud to see my common-sense Streamlining Rural Housing Act take another step towards becoming law,” said Rep. Stutzman. “Streamlining environmental reviews and inspections to lower housing costs is a straightforward bipartisan issue that should pass the Senate without delay. Hoosiers and Americans across the country need more affordable housing, and the House of Representatives just delivered real results.”