S.Amdt. 4334

This amendment, submitted by Mr. Schatz, aims to add Affordable Housing Incentives in Capital Investment Grants to bill H.R. 6644. Its purpose is to provide incentives for states and local governments to adopt pro-housing policies that remove regulatory barriers to building or preserving housing, including affordable units.

Proposed Changes

The amendment adds the following to the bill:

• Definition of Pro-housing Policy: It defines these policies as actions that remove regulatory barriers, such as:

  • Reducing or eliminating parking minimums and minimum lot sizes.
  • Establishing a by-right approval process for multi-family housing based on objective, published standards.
  • Using publicly-held real property for housing affordable to low-income households.
  • Raising or eliminating height limits or increasing allowed dwelling units under by-right approvals.
  • Other policies decided by the Secretary in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

• Rating Incentives: The Secretary may increase a project's rating by 1 point on a 5-point scale if the applicant provides evidence of pro-housing policies in areas within walking distance and accessible to transit facilities along the project route.

• Coordination and Reporting: The Secretary must consult with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to create a methodology to evaluate how these policies will result in enough housing units, including those affordable below the area median income. The amendment also requires reporting on projects that received this rating adjustment and the expected number of housing units produced.