In a rare bipartisan effort for a deeply divided Congress, the Senate has passed a broad bill to make U.S. housing more accessible and affordable. The bill passed on Thursday would reduce regulations, regulate corporate investors and expand how housing dollars can be used to build affordable homes and rentals. It now heads back to the House, which passed a separate version earlier this year. It is unclear whether President Donald Trump would sign it after declaring last weekend that he won't sign any new measures unless Congress passes legislation that would require voters to show proof of citizenship.

Renters facing high costs are turning to "rent now, pay later" services like Flex, Livble, and Affirm. These services let renters split rent payments, which they say will help them manage cash flow. However, consumer advocates warn the products often act like short-term loans with high fees, sometimes leading to triple-digit interest rates. Kellen Johnson used Flex to split his $1,850 monthly rent into two payments when he worked as an independently contracted delivery person for Amazon. He paid over $33 monthly in fees. Critics argue these services don't solve the issue of affordability in the rental market and may lead to higher rents.