Texas Apartment Association sends Letter to Congress regarding the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

On March 19, 2026, the Texas Apartment Association shared a letter with members of the Texas congressional delegation regarding the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

The letter raised concerns about Section 901 of the legislation, which limits ownership of single family homes to 350 properties. Under this provision, firms owning more than 350 build to rent units would be required to divest those properties within seven years. TAA emphasized that this threshold is arbitrary and not supported by analysis or data, and cited federal law requiring that such divestment thresholds be based on peer reviewed, empirical evidence.

TAA’s letter highlighted the importance of Build-to-Rent communities in Texas and across the country, noting that they provide an important affordable housing option and offer individuals an alternative to traditional apartments or homeownership.

On March 12, the U.S. Senate passed the bill by a vote of 89 to 10. While the broader package includes several pro supply provisions from earlier versions of the Housing for the 21st Century Act and the ROAD to Housing Act, it also contains policies that could negatively impact build to rent development.

The National Apartment Association and the National Multifamily Housing Council engaged with legislators ahead of the vote, but the provision remained in the final bill. In a joint letter, the organizations warned that the build to rent provision will “have an immediate chilling effect on housing supply, affordability, and investment.”

You can read the joint letter from NAA and NMHC here. 

Next week, members of NAA, TAA and AAA will be on capitol hill to meet with our legislators. While there are many issues related to housing that the industry is advocating for, the Build-to-Rent legislation remains top of mind, and we will be discussing it with our representatives, asking that they consider reviewing this provision.