Colorado REALTORS® Take Housing Priorities to Capitol Hill

In June, about 100 Colorado REALTORS® descended upon Washington, D.C., with thousands of REALTORS® from across states and territories for NAR’s REALTORS® Legislative Meetings (RLM). REALTORS® met with Colorado’s entire congressional delegation during our time in D.C.

NAR’s 2026 legislative priorities are centered on getting more homes on the market now. With that, we asked our congressional delegation to support the following legislation:

More Homes on the Market Act (H.R.1340/S.3332) to decrease the home equity penalty and incentivize more long-term owners to sell their homes. Updating America’s tax law is a key pathway to more supply.

• This would increase the capital gains tax exclusion for home sales. Homeowners are facing a looming tax penalty simply for staying in their homes too long. This capital gains exclusion applies only to homes and not to capital gains from Wall Street stocks and investments.
• The federal capital gains exclusion, capped at $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for married couples, has never been adjusted for inflation since it was enacted in 1997. That outdated threshold is now distorting the housing market and locking up inventory.

While this is commonly referred to as a “capital gains” bill for NAR, it’s important to say this is a “home equity tax” to avoid any negative connotations with Wall Street and corporate stocks and investments.

Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act (H.R.2410) to incentivize the conversion of underused commercial properties into residential and mixed-use housing.

• Converting properties into residential units would add thousands of units to the critically low housing supply.
• Many commercial buildings have not recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has, in turn, harmed nearby small businesses and communities that have seen decreases in property tax income, higher crime rates, and increased blight in many areas.
• Converting these properties into residential units would help stanch the flow of lifeblood from our urban, suburban, and rural business districts.

Full funding for critical HUD programs, including the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP), and housing counseling services, including pre-purchase counseling. These programs help support local fair housing education, enforcement, and homebuyer preparedness in communities across the country.

21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R.6644) to accelerate housing production and improve affordability by modernizing outdated housing programs, reducing regulatory barriers, and increasing flexibility for local communities. Key components include:

• Institutional Investor Limits: Includes a first-of-its-kind restriction limiting large institutional investors (those owning 350 or more single-family homes) from purchasing single-family dwellings. Exceptions are provided for build-to-rent projects, substantial rehabilitations, and senior housing.
• Supply and Overregulation: Eliminates regulatory hurdles and streamlines the environmental review processes to reduce construction costs and accelerate home building.
• Repurposing Empty Spaces: Establishes the RESIDE Act pilot grant program, which allows communities to convert vacant and abandoned commercial buildings into attainable, mixed-income housing.
• HOME Investment Partnerships: Reauthorizes and reforms the HOME program, giving jurisdictions more flexibility to use federal funds for housing-related infrastructure and expanding income requirements for homeownership.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support in late June 2026. However, President Trump announced he will not sign the legislation until Congress addresses election law and voter ID requirements through the SAVE America Act. Because the bill passed while Congress is in session, it could still automatically become law after ten days—even without his signature—as long as he does not veto it.