Bill > S3600

This bill, titled the "National Housing Emergency Act of 2026," proposes that the President declare a national housing emergency and utilize the Defense Production Act of 1950, a law that grants the President broad powers to mobilize domestic industry and resources during national security threats, to boost the production of materials needed for building and renovating homes. The bill highlights significant issues in the housing market, such as a severe shortage of millions of housing units, rising prices and rents making homes unaffordable for most households, and a decrease in first-time homebuyers. To address these problems, the bill would temporarily suspend certain regulations and streamline environmental reviews for housing projects, including allowing for a single environmental review if multiple federal programs are involved in a project. It also establishes minimum building code standards for new and rehabilitated housing and introduces a "Pro-Growth Requirement" that states and local governments must meet to receive federal block grant funding, which includes demonstrating housing growth and taking steps to remove barriers to development like reducing lot sizes or allowing more diverse housing types. Furthermore, the bill prohibits state and local governments from imposing land-use regulations that significantly hinder housing construction or rehabilitation during the emergency period, which would end either when 4 million new housing units are built or on October 1, 2031, whichever comes first.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3600/all-info