Bill > HR4659

This bill aims to address the United States' housing shortage by requiring certain grantees of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to submit a comprehensive plan tracking and potentially implementing land use policy reforms. Specifically, the bill mandates that grant recipients submit a report every five years detailing their approach to 22 different land use policies designed to increase housing density and affordability, such as allowing duplexes in single-family zones, reducing parking requirements, streamlining permitting processes, and creating transit-oriented development zones. The policies are intended to help address the nation's housing shortage, which is estimated to be costing the economy about $2 trillion annually in lost opportunities and lower productivity. Importantly, the bill emphasizes that these submissions are informational and not binding, and cannot be used as a basis for enforcement actions. The requirements will take effect one year after the bill's enactment and apply to CDBG grant recipients. The underlying goal is to encourage local jurisdictions to adopt more flexible zoning and land use policies that can help increase housing supply and make housing more affordable across rural, urban, and suburban communities.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4659/all-info