Bill > HR4576

This bill aims to incentivize affordable housing development near transit by modifying the capital investment grant program under Section 5309 of Title 49 of the United States Code. Specifically, the bill introduces a new definition of "pro-housing policy" that encompasses various regulatory actions to reduce barriers to housing construction, such as eliminating parking minimums, establishing streamlined approval processes for multi-family housing, reducing minimum lot sizes, committing public land to affordable housing development, and raising height limits or increasing permitted dwelling units. Under the proposed changes, when the Department of Transportation evaluates transit project applications, they can now increase a project's rating by one point if the applicant demonstrates pro-housing policies in areas near transit facilities. The Secretary of Transportation will collaborate with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to develop a methodology for assessing how these policies might generate new housing units, including affordable housing, that meet expected housing demand. Additionally, the bill requires applicants to provide information about their pro-housing policies and the anticipated housing unit production when applying for capital investment grants, thereby encouraging local jurisdictions to adopt housing-friendly regulations to improve their chances of receiving federal transit funding.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4576/all-info