Senator Smith’s bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act would preserve up to 400,000 affordable homes in small towns and rural communities across the country, and more than 9,000 units in Minnesota, by making commonsense updates to programs at the USDA’s Rural Housing Service for the first time in decades.
Preserve up to 400,000 affordable homes in small towns and rural communities across the country by making updates to programs at the USDA's Rural Housing Service.
Occurrences
Senator Smith’s bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act would preserve up to 400,000 affordable homes in small towns and rural communities across the country, and more than 9,000 units in Minnesota, by making commonsense updates to programs at the USDA’s Rural Housing Service for the first time in decades.
She and Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota have championed bipartisan legislation to preserve aging rural housing units and ensure their continued affordability.
Smith’s legislation included: Rural Housing Service Reform Act, which would preserve affordable homes in small towns and rural communities by updating the Rural Housing Service and its programs for the first time in decades.
Senators Mike Rounds and Tina Smith reintroduced bipartisan legislation to improve federal rural housing programs and strengthen the supply of affordable housing in rural America. The Rural Housing Service Reform Act would represent the most significant reforms of the USDA’s Rural Housing Service in decades.
Senators Smith and Rounds reintroduced bipartisan legislation to improve federal rural housing programs and strengthen the supply of affordable housing in rural America. The Rural Housing Service Reform Act would represent the most significant reforms of the USDA’s Rural Housing Service in decades.
This legislation makes important improvements and updates to the Rural Housing Service that will create and preserve affordable housing opportunities in South Dakota. As we face an affordable housing crisis across the nation, I look forward to working with my colleagues to get these important, bipartisan updates signed into law.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Fight Against Trump Administration’s Cuts to Housing for Formerly Homeless Minnesotans November 17, 2025 MINNEAPOLIS, MN — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) led 41 of her colleagues in calling on the Trump Administration to immediately halt plans to cut housing funding for people who were previously homeless. 3,600 Minnesotans could lose their housing and be forced back into homelessness under the Trump Administration’s proposed changes to the Continuum of Care program. Minnesota received approximately $48 million in funding last year. Most of those funds are used to provide affordable housing with intensive, supportive services to people experiencing homelessness. The Senators requested that the Administration use existing authorities to renew grants and change course to...
Senator Smith’s bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act would preserve up to 400,000 affordable homes in small towns and rural communities across the country, and more than 9,000 units in Minnesota, by making commonsense updates to programs at the USDA’s Rural Housing Service for the first time in decades.
Her bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act aims to update USDA's housing programs and protect properties in rural communities from losing affordability.
Senator Smith’s bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act ... included in the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025 that passed the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee unanimously.
Evidence
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U.S. Senator Tina Smith announced that her bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act was included in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which passed the Senate with an 89-10 vote. This legislation aims to preserve up to 400,000 affordable homes in small towns and rural communities by updating programs at the USDA's Rural Housing Service.
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Senator Tina Smith's bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act was included in the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025, which unanimously passed the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Development Committee. This legislation represents the first comprehensive national housing reform since the 2008 financial crisis.
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Senators Mike Rounds and Tina Smith introduced bipartisan legislation to improve rural housing programs, including the Rural Housing Service Reform Act of 2023. This bill aims to preserve affordable housing in rural communities by updating USDA's Rural Housing Service programs.
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GovInfo identifies H.R. 6644 as Public Law 119-101, approved July 11, 2026; the public law’s table of contents includes Section 502, Rural Housing Service Reform Act, and the statutory text amends USDA rural housing authorities, including preservation of rental assistance contracts, RHS staffing and IT upgrades, permanent Housing Preservation and Revitalization Program authority, annual reporting, and rural voucher changes.
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Senator Smith’s office announced that her Rural Housing Service Reform Act was included in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and became law on July 11, 2026. The release states that the measure would preserve up to 400,000 affordable rural homes nationwide and more than 9,000 units in Minnesota through updates to USDA Rural Housing Service programs.
Assessments
Smith materially advanced the promised federal policy: her bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act provisions were included in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which became Public Law 119-101 on July 11, 2026 while she was still serving in the Senate. The enacted law updates USDA Rural Housing Service authorities tied to preserving rural affordable housing, matching the promised mechanism and stated scale of up to 400,000 homes.
Senator Tina Smith made a clear campaign promise to preserve up to 400,000 affordable rural homes by updating USDA's Rural Housing Service programs. Multiple pieces of evidence confirm she sponsored and advanced relevant legislation, and her bill passed the Senate and a key committee. However, there is no evidence the legislation has become law or been fully implemented. The serious legislative attempt and significant progress justify an 'effort' badge and a 'partial' rating, as the ultimate policy outcome is not fully achieved.
Senator Tina Smith introduced and successfully advanced significant bipartisan legislation — the Rural Housing Service Reform Act — to update USDA Rural Housing Service programs with the stated goal of preserving up to 400,000 affordable rural homes. The evidence shows that this bill and related provisions passed through committee and the full Senate as part of major housing reform packages. However, there is no evidence provided that the legislation became law or that the preservation of homes has been fully achieved; passage in the Senate and committee mark substantial legislative effort and progress but do not constitute full delivery.