[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 7 (Friday, January 9, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SUPPORTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

  (Mr. EDWARDS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5184, the 
Affordable HOMES Act. I thank Representative Houchin for her leadership 
in advancing this important piece of legislation.
  Housing affordability is one of the top issues that I hear about in 
western North Carolina. Working families, seniors on fixed incomes, 
first responders, and young people are often priced out of the 
communities where they live and work because housing supply just hasn't 
kept up with demand. This bill will help change that.
  It cuts the unnecessary red tape that slows construction and 
increases costs. It modernized outdated regulations and gives local 
communities greater flexibility to build the housing that they need.
  For western North Carolina, that means more workforce housing, 
attainable options for seniors, and fewer workers forced into long 
commutes.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation focuses on solutions and not 
bureaucracy, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5184.

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