Commission Cautious But Encouraged by Housing Aid Potential of New U.S. Law

August 11, 2026

MOSCOW – A wide breadth of housing assistance possibilities was discussed by the Moscow Fair & Affordable Housing Commission at its Thursday meeting.

Commissioner Randy Baukol briefly took the board through the federal 21^st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which automatically passed into law in July after President Trump did not sign it. “Our role as a commission,” Baukol said, “is to interact with local developers and homeowners so they know the resources that are available.”

Among the areas discussed were: Home building and revitalizing incentives, streamlined permit and planning processes, limits on corporate housing investors, the “use it or lose it” nature of some incentives, and taking advantage of the city’s location in a housing “opportunity zone.”

Although pleased by the act’s potential for promoting affordable, accessible housing, the commission conceded that funding had not been provided for the incentives. Which areas may or may not be funded likely won’t be decided until after November’s midterm elections, noted City Councilman Evan Holmes, the council’s liaison to the commission.

A summary of the housing act may be found at https://bipartisanpolicy.org/issue-brief/inside-the-deal-whats-in-the-final-21st-century-road-to-housing-act/

In other business, the housing commission:

* Unanimously approved its two questions for the fall citywide citizen survey. One question asks about housing cost as a percentage of income. The second asks respondents to rank the importance of considerations such as yard size, parking and walkability.

* Tentatively discussed inviting local housing lenders, then perhaps builders and insurers, to participate in a 2026-27 housing forum. The commission unanimously tabled the discussion until a future meeting.

* Reviewed the posters, handouts, giveaways, activities and staffing for its outreach table at the Sept. 19 Moscow Farmers Market. The board planned to finalize the details at its next regularly scheduled meeting on Sept. 3.