Virginia’s federal legislators were ready to celebrate with President Donald Trump as he signed a bipartisan housing bill Wednesday. But the president abruptly scrapped the signing event. Now officials from Washington on down to Richmond are hopeful he won't veto the effort.
“This federal law is going to really turbo charge what we’ve already done in the Commonwealth, which is really great news for both housing supply and housing affordability,” said Henrico County Democratic Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg, on his way to a legislative retreat Wednesday morning, with the expectation that President Donald Trump would sign the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream, or ROAD, Act.
The ROAD Act was called the biggest housing reform effort in 50 years by Randy Grumbine, Executive Director Virginia Manufactured and Modular Housing Association.
"The most significant piece of the legislation is the removal of the requirement that they be built on a permanent Chassis, or the metal frame under the home," Grumbine told Radio IQ. "This will allow for continued innovation and may result in cost savings to the consumer."
Many of the requirements targeted for removal are remnants of old mobile home building rules. Nixing them could reduce costs by thousands. And with the federal requirements gone, a new pro-manufactured homes state law sponsored by VanValkenburg could see the housing supply flourish.
“This is classic Donald Trump," VanValkenburg said shortly after hearing the president canceled the bill signing and threatened the future of the bill. "He's putting himself over the citizens, corruption over affordability and grievance over unity.”
Governor Abigail Spanberger championed VanValkenburg's bill and signed it at the Cavco manufactured home facility in Rocky Mount earlier this year. She too was disappointed by Trump's inaction.
“The fact that the president would stand in the way, not just of policy that is good and necessary, but is overwhelmingly supported and bipartisan, I think is one more example of the president being out of touch with what people need,” Spanberger told Radio IQ.
Senator Tim Kaine said he too supported the new rules for manufactured homes.
“By increasing supply and reducing unnecessary cost, you’re going to make housing more affordable and accessible to people,” Kaine said during his weekly address to the press. “And the manufactured housing provision was designed to do just that.”
As for Trump canceling the signing, the Commonwealth's junior senator said bills can become law without the president’s signature after a certain number of days.
“We’re making housing more affordable for people," Kaine said. "He’s kind of having a temper tantrum, but the bill should still become law.”
That is, unless Trump vetoes it before then.
And while Kaine noted the bipartisan vote in both chambers would be more than enough to overcome Trump’s veto, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis was less optimistic.
“That assumes that the same people who voted for it out of the House would vote to override a veto of their president, which I think is unlikely,” the Tar Heel State lawmaker told NOTUS Wednesday afternoon. “So, why waste our time?“
