Senate housing emergency bill aims for construction of 4 million homes

The National Housing Emergency Act recently unveiled by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., calls on President Donald Trump to declare a national emergency concerning the state of the nation’s housing supply.

It would invoke the Defense Production Act to boost domestic production of materials used for building and refurbishing housing. The bill also asks the federal government to prohibit state and local governments from imposing regulations that place “a substantial burden” on housing production during the “period of the emergency” that lasts until 2031 or until the 4 million goal is met.

The share of first-time homeowners fell to a record-low 21% in 2025, while the average age of a first-time buyer reached a record-high 40. Homelessness also climbed to never-before-seen highs in 2024, according to the text of the Act.

Federal attention to the housing issue gained steam in 2025 with the introduction of dueling housing production bills in both the House and Senate. Trump also recently used social media to call on the federal government to purchase $200 billion in mortgage bonds to reduce mortgage rates.