How Will the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Affect Housing Supply? Part III
This is my third and final essay looking at the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, and how it’s likely to affect housing supply.
In this final installment on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, I'll examine the remaining nine titles and their potential impact on housing supply. Out of the 35 sections, only a few may meaningfully increase housing supply.
Title IV focuses on accessing the American Dream, with sections related to small-dollar mortgage incentives and appraiser regulations. While these provisions may help in studying the problem, they do not directly affect housing supply.
Title V, Program Reform, is the only title with provisions that could impact housing supply. Section 501, HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Reform Act, reauthorizes the HOME Investment Partnerships program and makes some tweaks to its operation. HOME was historically not used for new housing but is now specifically aimed at affordable housing.
The reauthorization could reduce the permitting difficulties for HUD-funded housing projects. By adding NEPA exclusions for infill construction and projects with up to 15 units, the bill could potentially make it easier to build housing. The reauthorization also allows HOME money to be used for non-housing purposes, like sewers and sidewalks, and modifies income requirements for subsidized tenants.
However, these changes might only marginally affect housing supply, as they primarily streamline the process rather than increasing the amount of funding.
Written by urgent.news from Construction Physics's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
