This bill directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to create a competitive grant program within one year. Grants go to eligible entities: States, insular areas, metropolitan cities, urban counties, and regional planning agencies or consortia. The grants are for planning and implementation activities tied to affordable housing.
For regional planning agencies, allowed uses in the bill include developing housing plans; improving State or local housing strategies; creating new regulatory requirements and processes; updating zoning codes; increasing capacity for housing inspections; reducing barriers to housing supply and affordability; making local or regional community development plans; and improving community development strategies to increase affordable housing, access to public transportation, and location-efficient development goals.
For States, insular areas, metropolitan cities, and urban counties, allowed uses include implementing and administering housing strategies and plans; increasing housing choice and access to opportunity; funding community investments that support housing plans; implementing zoning reforms and regulatory processes; increasing inspection capacity; reducing barriers to supply and affordability; implementing local or regional community development plans; and funding planning to increase affordable housing, transit access, and location-efficient development.
The bill limits administrative costs to no more than 10 percent of grant amounts. HUD must coordinate with the Federal Transit Administrator to the extent practicable. The bill also makes new housing construction an eligible expense and allows expenditures on non-Federal government buildings when necessary as part of a natural hazard mitigation project. The bill defines key terms such as eligible entity, housing plan, and housing strategy.
If you work for or live in a State, insular area, metropolitan city, urban county, or regional planning agency, your government may be able to apply for competitive HUD grants to plan or implement affordable housing and related community development actions. These grants can be used for planning, zoning updates, inspections, regulatory changes, funding local community investments, and in some cases new housing construction. The bill does not specify grant sizes or total funding amounts.
No publicly available information on total funding amounts, grant sizes, or overall federal cost. The bill text does state that an eligible entity may not use more than 10 percent of its grant award for administrative costs.
The bill’s text describes its purpose as creating competitive grants to support planning and implementation activities that increase housing availability, affordability, and accessibility; preserve or improve housing quality; reduce barriers to housing development; and coordinate housing with transportation and community development goals.
No publicly available information.