The Real Estate Roundtable

RER released a new white paper, authored by Paul Clement, raising serious constitutional concerns with Title IX of the Senate-passed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The paper examines potential Takings Clause, equal protection & federalism issues tied to the bill’s forced-sale requirement for certain build-to-rent homes. As Congress addresses the housing shortage, the focus should be on expanding supply—not restricting housing providers. Read RER's White Paper: bit.ly/4ctesek

America’s housing shortage demands policies that expand supply—not forced-sale mandates that chill investment and invite years of litigation. Congress should drop Section 901 and focus on solutions that increase housing production. Read RER’s white paper: bit.ly/4ctesek

A white paper authored by former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement finds Section 901 fails the Fifth Amendment because it would: • Force private property from one private party to another • Fail the “public use” requirement • Provide no “just compensation” Read more: bit.ly/3QbEOdn

Congress should remove Section 901 from the ROAD Act. The build-to-rent forced-sale provision raises serious Fifth Amendment concerns, threatens private property rights, and creates uncertainty for housing investment and new supply. Read RER's White Paper: bit.ly/4ctesek

On the latest Electric Perspectives Podcast episode, EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney sat down with @NatResources Chairman @RepWesterman, and @RepScottPeters to talk permitting reform, including efforts to accelerate energy infrastructure projects and improve regulatory certainty. They also discussed rising electricity demand, grid reliability, data centers, and wildfire legislation such as the Fix Our Forests Act. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation now: bit.ly/3QOM7Vk

Opportunity Zones are a proven tool to drive private capital into underserved communities, support revitalization & expand economic opportunity. RER has long supported bipartisan policies that strengthen and improve the Opportunity Zones program. Read more: rer.org/irs-and-treasu…

Don’t miss RER's SVP & Counsel Ryan McCormick for a timely briefing on the latest tax policy and legislative developments impacting commercial real estate. #CRE #taxpolicy Register & tune in 🖥️➡️: bit.ly/4nfojcr

Since 9/11, TRIA has helped keep terrorism risk insurance available, allowing businesses to finance projects, protect jobs, and support economic growth. The Senate's recent bipartisan bill is an important step toward long-term reauthorization ahead of its 2027 expiration. Read more in RW: bit.ly/4f9tXe2

Today, HUD announced updates to environmental review requirements for multifamily housing, removing outdated provisions that have increased costs and complexity for lenders and developers. These changes streamline burdensome requirements for lenders and developers seeking FHA-insured financing.

Trump privately raises objection to Senate housing bill dlvr.it/TSMhQD

AHLA supports the U.S. Senate introduction of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) extension. “Extending the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act is essential to maintaining the stability of the U.S. economy. TRIA is the foundation of the terrorism risk insurance market giving the hotel industry the confidence to operate today and plan for future development in the face of unpredictable threats. By providing a federal backstop for terrorism‑related claims, TRIA delivers the long‑term certainty our industry relies on. AHLA thanks the bipartisan group of senators for introducing this incredibly important legislation and urges Congress to pass an extension before it expires at the end of 2027.” - AHLA President and CEO Rosanna Maietta

A large bipartisan group of House members urged Johnson and Jeffries to “strip or substantially revise” provisions of a major Senate housing bill that would limit the institutional ownership of single-family homes. @BrendanPedersen has the details: punchbowl.news/article/financ…

Despite the war with Iran and continued economic uncertainty in the U.S., demand for office space is recovering at a strong clip. In the first quarter of this year, new in-person and virtual office tours reached their highest level since the pandemic began, as measured by the VTS Office Demand Index. The index is a future indicator of lease signings about a year or more out. More details: cnb.cx/4tlbMpz

Thank you to our members & distinguished speakers for joining us in DC for our Spring Meeting. We appreciate the thoughtful, bipartisan conversations on housing, tax policy, national security, energy, and economic growth. Read more: bit.ly/4t20yWA

Don’t miss RER’s SVP & Counsel Ryan McCormick in conversation with @cohenco and @CoStarGroup on the latest tax policy legislative developments impacting real estate. Register below⬇️

The Senate housing bill that would severely restrict build-to-rent homes is already causing projects to pause and financing to dry up on.wsj.com/4tyq3Ql

The push to save build-to-rent housing for renters got a big boost this week via a bipartisan letter signed by 76 members of Congress. They point out key flaws in the sloppily written ROAD to [Less] Housing Act, including: 1) It would crush housing supply creation by ~72k units per year. 2) It would destabilize housing for families by forcing renter displacement (aka evictions) via forced sale provisions. 3) It would reduce access to higher-quality neighborhoods for middle-class families, thereby hurting education attainment and upward mobility etc. Good to see 76 members of Congress who value facts over narratives. The solution is obvious: Just build more housing!

Yesterday, @SecretaryTurner toured Colorado’s first build-to-rent community alongside @repgabeevans. Together, they discussed how the development has delivered affordable housing and other innovative solutions to the housing supply shortage across the state.

We can’t let one section tank the odds of the best housing legislation in a generation.

Efforts to curb private equity in #housing are gaining bipartisan support, including limits on large investors. Critics say the policies don’t make economic sense and could face legal hurdles. americanactionforum.org/daily-dish/pot…