WASHINGTON, DC - Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL), and Joyce Beatty (OH-3), along with Senators Amy Klobuchar (MD) and Tim Kaine (VA), introduced the bipartisan Housing Supply and Affordability Act. The bill would create a new Local Housing Policy Grant (LHPG) program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide grants to states, localities, tribes, and regional municipal and county coalitions support for local efforts to increase housing supply. The bill would encourage the elimination of barriers to housing supply. 

“Housing supply shortages and rising costs are placing the American Dream out of reach for far too many families, including in Bucks and Montgomery Counties,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “I am proud to join Representative Blunt Rochester in working to reverse that trend by introducing the Housing Supply and Affordability Act. Our bipartisan bill will provide state and local governments with the resources they need to effectively increase the development and availability of housing in our communities.”

“We are facing a shortage of available and affordable housing that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving more Americans than ever before without a safe and stable home or struggling to afford rising housing costs,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. “While Delaware has taken some truly innovative approaches to create more affordable housing opportunities, our localities and municipalities are in need of additional resources to help increase housing supply and lower rising housing costs. Because it’s not enough to create more housing – we also need to ensure that it’s affordable. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan Housing Supply and Affordability Act – bipartisan legislation that will create more available and affordable housing, bringing safety, stability, and dignity to individuals and families across the country.” 

“Safe, affordable housing lays the necessary foundation for a secure future. Families in Ohio’s Third Congressional District and the United States as a whole are feeling the negative effects of outdated and exclusionary policies that have left homeownership out of reach for far too many,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “The bipartisan, bicameral Housing Supply and Affordability Act will address the root causes of our nation’s severe housing shortage by incentivizing state and local governments to enact policies that increase housing inventory and lower costs, helping prospective buyers and families find a place they can call home.”

“Access to stable, quality housing is key to expanding economic opportunities for families but right now, the housing market is inaccessible for far too many,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This legislation will give state and local governments critical resources to improve affordability and expand access to quality housing where it’s needed the most.”

“Everywhere I go in Virginia, I hear about how difficult it is to find affordable housing,” said Senator Kaine. “But the housing needs in one part of the country aren’t necessarily the same as another. That’s why this legislation would enable localities to engage with their residents to identify the strategy to boost housing supply that works for their community. As a former fair housing attorney, I’ve seen the difference a reliable, safe roof overhead can make for a family, and I urge my colleagues to join us in working to make affordable housing more accessible for all.”

“The Housing Supply and Affordability Act marks an important step in addressing the nation's housing shortage,” said Up for Growth Chief Executive Officer Mike Kingsella. “By providing critical investment to help localities take a collaborative approach to expand their housing supply, this bill is a thoughtful and effective way to address housing challenges while respecting the varied needs of different communities.”

“Across our country, a critical lack of housing supply at all price points continues to fuel an affordability crisis that demands bold action in Congress,” said National Apartment Association (NAA) President and CEO Bob Pinnegar. “The bipartisan Housing Supply and Affordability Act is an important step in the right direction, incentivizing communities – with local input – to establish policies that remove harmful barriers to apartment development and ultimately increase housing supply. NAA is proud to endorse this legislation and is thankful for the unwavering leadership of Representatives Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on this vital issue.”

“NMHC strongly supports the bipartisan Housing Supply and Affordability Act and applauds Representatives Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Beatty (D-OH) and Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) on the introduction of this bill,” said National Multifamily Housing Council President Sharon Wilson Géno. “This bill would create a new Local Housing Policy Grant (LHPG) program at HUD to provide grants to local governments to support efforts to expand housing supply. This legislation comes at a critical time as communities throughout the nation face real housing affordability challenges. The only real way to lower housing costs and broaden housing opportunity and equity is to encourage the building of more housing and the expansion of housing supply.”

“The nation’s housing supply crisis demands innovative local solutions that promote needed reform and innovations,” said American Planning Association (APA) President Angela Brooks, FAICP. As planners are working to drive change that expands housing diversity, attainability, and equity, we need a strong federal partnership. APA applauds the introduction of the Housing Supply and Affordability Act. This legislation provides a crucial new tool to support the work to improve housing options and outcomes for everyone.”

The Housing Supply and Affordability Act:             

• Creates a $300 million competitive grant program each year over 5 years available to state and local governments that demonstrate rising housing costs or projected rising housing costs to develop a housing plan that would increase housing supply in an area while avoiding the displacement of residents in the area;
• Ensures that at least 10% of funds are awarded to rural areas;
• Prioritizes grants by housing plans that would increase affordable housing access for individuals of every race and income level, reduce barriers to affordable housing development; and avoid the displacement of residents;
• Requires the HUD Secretary to issue guidance with recommended policies, strategies, and reforms to encourage repurposing land for housing development, allow for a greater variety of housing types, revise land use policies to allow for the development of more housing, streamline the approval process for housing development, provide financial incentives to support affordable housing development, and support inclusive engagement of community members; and
• Requires routine reporting from applicants regarding the use of these grant funds.
                                                                                                                         

The Housing Supply and Affordability Act is endorsed by Center for Community Progress, Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), National Apartment Association (NAA), National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), National NeighborWorks Association (NNWA), Up for Growth Action, Beacon Development Group, Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, Lawrence CommunityWorks, Northwest Pilot Project, Regional Plan Association, Southwest Fair Housing Council, Vision Long Island, BPC Action, American Planning Association, National Association of the Remodeling Industry – MN Chapter, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln, Prosperity Now, Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO), Circulate San Diego, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, YWCA Delaware, Housing Alliance Delaware, Delaware State Housing Authority, and YIMBY Alliance which includes: Tucson for Everyone, East Bay YIMBY, Evolve Tri-Valley, Grow The Richmond, Mountain View YIMBY, Napa-Solano for Everyone, Northern Neighbors, Peninsula for Everyone, Progress Noe Valley, San Francisco YIMBY, Santa Cruz YIMBY, Santa Rosa YIMBY, SLOCo YIMBY, South Bay YIMBY, Southside Forward, Streets for People, Urban Environmentalists CA, Ventura County YIMBY, YIMBY Denver, YIMBY Fort Collins, DC YIMBYs, YIMBY Delaware, Gainesville is for People, More Homes Miami, Orlando YIMBY, YIMBY Tampa, Abundant Housing Atlanta, Hawai'i YIMBY, CUrbanism Club, Urban Environmentalists Illinois, YIMBY Louisville, YIMBY Maryland, Live TC, YIMBY Oakland County, Twin Cities YIMBY, Asheville for All, NEOurbanism, Bend YIMBY, Pro-Housing Pittsburgh, Palmetto YIMBY, Housing Now Nashville, Dallas Neighbors for Housing, YIMBY Jewish, YIMBY Latinx, RVA YIMBY, YIMBY Hampton Roads, YIMBYs of NoVA, Seattle YIMBY, Spokane Housing for All, and Madison is for People. 

The full text of the bill can be found here.

A one-pager on the bill can be found here.