The United States Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan housing bill in an 89–10 vote aimed at expanding housing access and lowering costs as the nation continues to face a shortage of available homes.

The legislation, negotiated by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Tim Scott, includes a range of measures intended to reduce regulations, increase investment in affordable housing, and adjust how federal housing funds can be used to build new homes and rental units.

“We have a housing shortage all across America,” Warren said after the vote. “We need more housing of every kind.” She argued the bill would help drive down housing prices by encouraging construction and improving access to financing for affordable developments.

Scott, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, said the bill represents one of the most significant bipartisan housing efforts in years. “The Senate will do what so many people failed to do in this legislative body for the last few decades,” he said before the vote, “and that is pass consequential legislation that makes it easier to become a homeowner.”

The measure now returns to the United States House of Representatives, which passed its own version earlier this year. House leaders have signaled they may seek a conference process to reconcile differences between the two bills rather than adopt the Senate version outright.

Even if Congress ultimately sends a final bill to the White House, its future remains uncertain. Donald Trump has expressed support for the housing effort but recently said he would not sign new legislation unless Congress first passes a separate measure requiring proof of citizenship to vote and restricting most mail-in ballots.

The housing bill addresses multiple factors behind the nation’s supply shortage. It would give local governments more flexibility in housing development, allow banks to invest more heavily in affordable housing projects, and lift limits on the number of public housing units that can receive private financing through Section 8 programs to rehabilitate properties.

The legislation also seeks to streamline certain environmental reviews and inspection requirements that can delay construction. In addition, it would eliminate a requirement that manufactured and modular homes be built on a permanent chassis, a change supporters say could reduce building costs and expand housing supply.

Another provision would restrict large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. The bill defines such investors as entities that own 350 or more single-family houses. Those investors could continue renting out homes but would be required to sell them to individual buyers after seven years.

Supporters say the provision could ease competition between large investors and ordinary homebuyers. Critics argue the rule could reduce rental inventory and push rents higher by discouraging investment in housing development.

The legislation comes as the U.S. housing market continues to struggle with high prices and limited supply. Home sales have remained sluggish in recent years after mortgage rates rose sharply from pandemic-era lows, while home prices have climbed faster than incomes in many parts of the country.

Although rents have declined slightly over the past two years, housing costs remain elevated. Data from Realtor.com shows the median U.S. monthly rent is still more than 15 percent higher than it was at the start of 2020, underscoring the ongoing affordability challenges facing renters and prospective homeowners.