Provide grants and forgivable loans to help homeowners repair and weatherize their properties.
Provide grants and forgivable loans to help homeowners repair and weatherize their properties.
Occurrences
- Whole-Home Repairs Act: Authorizes a pilot program to help thousands of working families afford essential, costly home repairs through grants and forgivable loans.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act ... includes measures such as the Whole-Home Repairs Act, authorizing a pilot program to assist families with home repairs through grants and forgivable loans.
Sec. 5204. Whole-Home Repairs Act.
Evidence
On July 29, 2025, Senator Tina Smith announced that two of her major bipartisan bills aimed at combating America's housing crisis were included in a package that passed unanimously (24–0) out of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Development Committee. The package, titled the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025, represents the first comprehensive national legislation on housing since the 2008 financial crisis. Among the provisions included in the package is the authorization of grants and forgivable loans to help homeowners repair and weatherize their properties.
On March 12, 2026, 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 comprehensive housing supply legislation, the first in 30 years, includes provisions such as the Whole-Home Repairs Act, authorizing a pilot program to help thousands of working families afford essential home repairs through grants and forgivable loans.
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 in an 89-10 vote. The package also includes the Whole-Home Repairs Act, authorizing a pilot program to help thousands of working families afford essential home repairs through grants and forgivable loans.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which passed the Senate with an 89-10 vote, includes provisions authored by Senator Kevin Cramer. The bill aims to increase housing supply and includes measures such as the Whole-Home Repairs Act, authorizing a pilot program to assist families with home repairs through grants and forgivable loans.
Assessments
The evidence shows Smith materially advanced related housing legislation during her Senate term: provisions for grants and forgivable loans for home repair/weatherization were included in a broader housing package that passed committee and then the Senate in March 2026. However, the record provided does not show final enactment into law, appropriation, or implementation of grants or forgivable loans. Senate passage and authorization language are a serious legislative attempt, but they do not by themselves fulfill the promise to provide the assistance.
The evidence confirms that Senator Tina Smith made significant legislative progress toward providing grants and forgivable loans for home repairs and weatherization. Her provisions were included in major housing acts that advanced through the committee and passed the Senate. However, the evidence references authorization of pilot programs and inclusion of provisions, without confirming full, nationwide implementation or sustained funding. This constitutes a partial fulfillment of the promise.