What the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Means for Housing Affordability in Broward County

Housing Is the Foundation for Financial Stability — and United Is the Way to Making It Happen

by Kathleen Cannon, President and CEO, United Way Broward


Housing affordability has become one of the defining challenges facing Broward County. Young professionals, seniors on fixed incomes, essential workers, and working families are finding it increasingly difficult to secure housing they can afford.


Few places illustrate the importance of housing affordability more clearly than Broward County. Rapid population growth, increasing demand, and rising housing costs have created significant challenges for renters and homeowners, and the wages for many essential occupations have not kept pace with the increased costs of living.

United Way Broward confronts these challenges every day, and we are responding with practical, community-based solutions to expand housing opportunities and empower residents with long-term financial stability.


Addressing this escalating crisis requires strategic, coordinated local actions supported by meaningful federal investment. Recent legislation by the U.S. Congress represents a tremendous step forward. The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — with ROAD as an acronym for Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream — was enacted in July 2026 and introduces the most comprehensive federal housing reforms in decades. The legislation will increase housing supply, modernize federal housing programs, expand prospects for homeownership, and reduce barriers to housing affordability.


Although national in scope, the success of the ROAD to Housing Act ultimately will be measured in communities like ours, where the demand for housing affordability continues to outpace supply.


United Way Broward plays a central role in mobilizing local governments, nonprofits, businesses, developers, philanthropic organizations, and residents to align resources, identify local priorities, and execute results-driven solutions to support both immediate housing needs and long-term community resilience.


The need for the kind of collective power we are generating is unquestionable when we consider how deeply housing affordability affects every aspect of daily life. Although housing affordability generally is viewed as an issue affecting only households with limited incomes, it really touches every single part of Broward County.


When housing costs consume a large share of a person’s income, there is little to no money available for healthcare, transportation, childcare, education, food, retirement savings, and emergency expenses. This burden puts individuals and families in a position to make difficult decisions. Financial stress contributes to poorer health outcomes, workforce instability, lower educational achievements, and greater reliance on public assistance.


Employers also feel the impact. Businesses across Broward County increasingly struggle to recruit and retain employees because many workers cannot afford to live near their jobs. Teachers, healthcare professionals, first responders, hospitality employees, nonprofit staff, and retail workers often face long commutes or difficult housing choices.


Because of limited affordable housing, communities experience increased traffic congestion, higher infrastructure costs, reduced economic competitiveness, and slower long-term growth. Housing affordability therefore is an economic development issue, a workforce issue, a public-health issue, and a quality-of-life issue.


The far-reaching consequences of the housing shortages are why federal policymakers have advanced reforms to support communities confronting these challenges.


The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act seeks to:

  • encourage construction by reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers
  • modernize U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing programs
  • expand financing tools to support affordable housing development
  • improve access to affordable rentals
  • stimulate innovation through manufactured and modular housing
  • enhance planning for disaster recovery and community resilience
  • preserve paths to homeownership for first-time and moderate-income buyers by restricting institutional investments in the single-family housing market


The federal priorities outlined in this legislation closely complement the work United Way Broward already is achieving and align with United Way Broward’s long-term vision that housing is the foundation for financial stability and economic well-being.

Our United for Housing program recognizes housing affordability requires more than supportive services. Financial coaching, employment support, benefits navigation, and case management help families achieve greater stability, but tangible results depend on creating and preserving affordable homes. Because developing housing requires significant capital investment, this work often is more difficult to fund than providing service coordination, even though both are essential.


This strategy for capital investment is being demonstrated in United Way Broward’s acquisition, preservation, and operation of affordable housing communities, including Middle River Villas in Fort Lauderdale — protecting existing affordable homes from redevelopment and preventing displacement of longtime residents. At the same time, United for Housing is: 

  • expanding transitional and workforce housing support for people in ALICE households
  • creating pathways to generational wealth through homeownership
  • delivering a variety of services related to financial coaching, employment support, benefits navigation, and case management


One of the features of the ROAD to Housing Act is encouraging partnerships among nonprofit organizations, local governments, developers, and philanthropic investors to maximize available federal and state resources.


For decades, United Way Broward has been a mobilizing force among these multiple stakeholders, and the breadth of our work with United for Housing includes several interconnected priorities:

  • Public Policy and Advocacy: Public policy shapes housing availability, transportation, workforce development, and community investment. United Way Broward actively participates in statewide and federal advocacy actions, facilitates collaboration among community stakeholders and elected officials, and amplifies a wide range of community voices to promote practical, evidence-informed housing solutions.
  • Financial Stability: Housing stability, financial stability, and economic mobility go hand in hand. Financial education, workforce development, employment services, and access to community resources help residents build long-term economic security and reduce barriers to stable housing.
  • Community Resilience: South Florida must prepare for environmental, economic, and social challenges. Affordable, resilient housing helps neighborhoods recover from disasters, reduces displacement, and supports lasting neighborhood stability.


Housing affordability is an underlying factor in nearly every issue affecting community well-being. Children perform better in school when housing is stable. Workers are more productive when they live near employment. Older adults enjoy greater independence when they can be safe in their communities. Businesses benefit from a reliable workforce. Healthcare outcomes improve when housing insecurity declines. Neighborhoods become stronger when residents build long-term financial security.


This incredible range of community benefits is exactly why United Way Broward approaches housing as the foundation for opportunity, economic mobility, financial stability, and resiliency.


The ROAD to Housing Act provides the framework, but sustained results will be built in Broward County through the collective power of our residents, businesses, nonprofits, and community leaders. Every investment we make brings us closer to the reality of stable homes for people of all ages and all backgrounds.


You can make a huge difference in uplifting our community by supporting United Way Broward through a variety of ways: 


If you have questions about the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, please email Bruce Suarez at BSuarez@UnitedWayBroward.org. If you or someone you know is in need of housing support, please contact United for Housing by emailing RMcGuire@UnitedWayBroward.org.

Together, we can build a Broward County where housing affordability helps every person in our community rise and thrive.