Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is cosponsoring the bipartisan Creating Opportunities for New Skills Training at Rural or Underserved Colleges and Trade Schools (CONSTRUCTS) Act of 2025 to help train more students in housing construction.
Who first introduced this bill, and what does it do? The bill, first introduced by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), would establish a new Federal grant program for residential housing construction programs at technical schools and community colleges.
This new program would be established by amending the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and would prioritize rural and underserved groups in the trades.
The program would also be managed by the Department of Labor and is intended to address the shortage of construction workers and reduce housing costs nationwide.
What key figures had to say:
- Sen. Jon Ossoff: “Georgia families urgently need more affordable housing. I am working with Republicans and Democrats to pass this legislation to create good-paying jobs and help build more homes across our state.”
- Sen. Jack Rosen: “Nevada is facing a housing affordability crisis, and the shortage of skilled construction workers is limiting supply and driving up costs. I’m introducing this bipartisan legislation to tackle the shortage of skilled construction workers, which will help increase housing stock and lower costs. I’m going to keep doing everything in my power to make sure prices go down.”
- Sen. Marsha Blackburn: “We are currently facing a shortage of highly skilled construction workers, which drives up the price of construction. The CONSTRUCTS Act would expand opportunities for training programs at community colleges and technical education schools to help students enter and excel in the residential construction industry.”
Further Context: According to the National Association of Home Builders, the residential housing industry faces a shortage of between 200,000 and 400,000 construction workers in any given month.
Notably, the CONSTRUCTS Act is endorsed by the Nevada Rural Housing Authority, Nevada State University, Nevada HAND, and Enterprise Community Partners.
