[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6644 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 392
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6644
[Report No. 119-457, Part I]
A bill to increase the supply of housing in America, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 11, 2025
Mr. Hill of Arkansas (for himself, Ms. Waters, Mr. Flood, and Mr.
Cleaver) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
January 15, 2026
Additional sponsors: Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Sessions, Ms. Velazquez,
Mr. Rose, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Steil, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr.
Stutzman, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Meuser, Ms. Pressley, Mrs. Kim, Ms. Tlaib,
Mr. Garbarino, Mr. Torres of New York, Mr. Lawler, Ms. Garcia of Texas,
Ms. De La Cruz, Ms. Pettersen, Mr. Nunn of Iowa, Mr. Fields, Ms.
Salazar, Ms. Bynum, Mr. Downing, Mr. Liccardo, Mr. Haridopolos, Mr.
Moskowitz, and Mr. Moore of North Carolina
January 15, 2026
Reported from the Committee on Financial Services with amendments
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
January 15, 2026
Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged; committed to the Committee
of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on
December 11, 2025]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
A bill to increase the supply of housing in America, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Housing for the
21st Century Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--BUILDING SMARTER FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Sec. 101. Housing Supply Frameworks.
Sec. 102. Accelerating home building grant program.
Sec. 103. Federal guidelines for point-access block buildings.
Sec. 104. Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized
Reviews.
Sec. 105. Federal Housing Agency Application of Environmental Reviews.
Sec. 106. Multifamily loan limits.
Sec. 107. GAO studies.
TITLE II--MODERNIZING LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND RURAL HOUSING PROGRAMS
Sec. 201. HOME Reform.
Sec. 202. Community Development Fund Amendments.
Sec. 203. Grants for planning and implementation associated with
affordable housing.
Sec. 204. Rural housing service program improvements.
Sec. 205. Choice in Affordable Housing.
TITLE III--EXPANDING MANUFACTURED AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE
OPPORTUNITIES
Sec. 301. Manufactured Housing Innovations.
Sec. 302. FHA small-dollar mortgages.
Sec. 303. Community investment and prosperity.
TITLE IV--PROTECTING BORROWERS AND ASSISTED FAMILIES
Sec. 401. Exclusion of certain disability benefits.
Sec. 402. Military service question.
Sec. 403. HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination.
Sec. 404. Family self-sufficiency escrow expansion pilot program.
Sec. 405. Reforms to housing counseling and financial literacy
programs.
Sec. 406. Establishment of eviction helpline.
Sec. 407. Temperature Sensor pilot program.
Sec. 408. GAO studies.
TITLE V--ENHANCING OVERSIGHT OF HOUSING PROVIDERS
Sec. 501. Requirement to testify.
Sec. 502. Improving public housing agency accountability.
TITLE I--BUILDING SMARTER FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
SEC. 101. HOUSING SUPPLY FRAMEWORKS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Affordable housing.--The term ``affordable housing''
means housing for which the monthly payment is not more than
30-percent of the monthly income of the household.
(2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and
Research of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(3) Local zoning framework.--The term ``local zoning
framework'' means the local zoning codes and other ordinances,
procedures, and policies governing zoning and land-use at the
local level.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development.
(5) State zoning framework.--The term ``State zoning
framework'' means the State legislation or State agency and
department procedures, or such legislation or procedures in an
insular area of the United States, enabling local planning and
zoning authorities and establishing and guiding related
policies and programs.
(b) Guidelines on State and Local Zoning Frameworks.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall publish
documents outlining guidelines and best practices to support
production of adequate housing to meet the needs of communities
and provide housing opportunities for individuals at every
income level across communities with respect to--
(A) State zoning frameworks; and
(B) local zoning frameworks.
(2) Consultation; public comment.--During the 2-year period
beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, in developing
the guidelines and best practices required under paragraph (1),
the Assistant Secretary shall--
(A) publish draft guidelines and best practices in
the Federal Register for public comment; and
(B) establish a task force for the purpose of
providing consultation to draft the guidelines and best
practices published under subparagraph (A), the members
of which shall include--
(i) urban planners and architects;
(ii) housing developers, including
affordable and market-rate housing developers,
manufactured housing developers, cooperative
housing developers, and other business
interests;
(iii) community engagement experts and
community members impacted by zoning decisions;
(iv) public housing agencies and transit
authorities;
(v) members of local zoning and planning
boards and local and regional transportation
planning organizations;
(vi) State officials responsible for
housing or land use, including members of State
zoning boards of appeals;
(vii) academic researchers; and
(viii) home builders.
(3) Contents.--The guidelines and best practices required
under paragraph (1) shall--
(A) with respect to State zoning frameworks,
outline potential models for updated State enabling
legislation or State agency and department procedures;
(B) include recommendations regarding--
(i) the reduction or elimination of parking
minimums;
(ii) the increase in maximum floor area
ratio requirements and maximum building heights
and the reduction in minimum lot sizes and set-
back requirements;
(iii) the elimination of restrictions
against accessory dwelling units;
(iv) increasing by-right uses, including
duplex, triplex, or quadplex buildings, across
cities or metropolitan areas;
(v) mechanisms, including proximity to
transit, to determine the appropriate scope for
rezoning and ensure development that does not
disproportionately burden residents of
economically distressed areas;
(vi) provisions regarding review of by-
right development proposals to streamline
review and reduce uncertainty, including--
(I) nondiscretionary, ministerial
review; and
(II) entitlement and design review
processes;
(vii) the reduction of obstacles,
regulatory or otherwise, to a range of housing
types at all levels of affordability, including
manufactured and modular housing;
(viii) State model zoning regulations for
directing local reforms, including mechanisms
to encourage adoption;
(ix) provisions to encourage transit-
oriented development, including increased
permissible units per structure and reduced
minimum lot sizes near existing or planned
public transit stations;
(x) potential reforms to strengthen the
public engagement process;
(xi) reforms to protest petition statutes;
(xii) the standardization, reduction, or
elimination of impact fees;
(xiii) cost-effective and appropriate
building codes;
(xiv) models for community benefit
agreements;
(xv) mechanisms to preserve affordability,
limit disruption of low-income communities, and
prevent displacement of existing residents;
(xvi) with respect to State zoning
frameworks--
(I) State model codes for directing
local reforms, including mechanisms to
encourage adoption;
(II) a model for a State zoning
appeals process, which would--
(aa) create a process for
developers or builders
requesting a variance,
conditional use, special
permit, zoning district change,
similar discretionary permit,
or otherwise petitioning a
local zoning or planning board
for a project including a
State-defined amount of
affordable housing to appeal a
rejection to a State body or
regional body empowered by the
State; and
(bb) establish
qualifications for communities
to be exempted from the appeals
process based on their
available stock of affordable
housing; and
(III) streamlining of State
environmental review policies;
(xvii) with respect to local zoning
frameworks--
(I) the simplification and
standardization of existing zoning
codes;
(II) maximum review timelines;
(III) best practices for the
disposition of land owned by local
governments for affordable housing
development;
(IV) differentiations between best
practices for rural, suburban, and
urban communities, and communities with
different levels of density or
population distribution; and
(V) streamlining of local
environmental review policies; and
(xviii) other land use measures that
promote access to new housing opportunities
identified by the Secretary; and
(C) consider--
(i) the effects of adopting any
recommendation on eligibility for Federal
discretionary grants and tax credits for the
purpose of housing or community development;
(ii) coordination between infrastructure
investments and housing planning;
(iii) local housing needs, including ways
to set and measure housing goals and targets;
(iv) a range of affordability for rental
units, with a prioritization of units
attainable to extremely low-, low-, and
moderate-income residents;
(v) a range of affordability for
homeownership;
(vi) accountability measures;
(vii) the long-term cost to residents and
businesses if more housing is not constructed;
(viii) barriers to individuals seeking to
access affordable housing in growing
communities and communities with economic
opportunity;
(ix) with respect to State zoning
frameworks--
(I) distinctions between States
providing constitutional or statutory
home rule authority to municipalities
and States operating under the Dillon
Rule, as articulated in Hunter v.
Pittsburgh, 207 U.S. 161 (1907); and
(II) Statewide mechanisms to
preserve existing affordability over
the long term, including support for
land banks and community land trusts;
(x) public comments elicited under
paragraph (2)(A); and
(xi) other considerations, as identified by
the Assistant Secretary.
(c) Abolishment of the Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse.--
(1) In general.--The Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse
established pursuant to section 1205 of the Housing and
Community Development Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 12705d) is
abolished.
(2) Repeal.--Section 1205 of the Housing and Community
Development Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 12705d) is repealed.
(d) Reporting.--Not later than 5 years after the date on which the
Assistant Secretary publishes the final guidelines and best practices
for State and local zoning frameworks under this section, the Assistant
Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report describing--
(1) the States that have adopted recommendations from the
guidelines and best practices, pursuant to section 4 of this
Act;
(2) a summary of the localities that have adopted
recommendations from the guidelines and best practices,
pursuant to section 4 of this Act;
(3) a list of States that adopted a State zoning framework;
(4) a summary of the modifications that each State has made
in their State zoning framework;
(5) a general summary of the types of updates localities
have made to their local zoning framework;
(6) with respect to the States that have adopted a State
zoning framework or recommendations from the guidelines and
best practices, the effect of such adoptions; and
(7) a summary of any recommendations that were routinely
not adopted by States or by localities.
(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed
to permit the Department of Housing and Urban Development to take an
adverse action against or fail to provide otherwise offered actions or
services for any State or locality if the State or locality declines to
adopt a guideline or best practice under subsection (c).
SEC. 102. ACCELERATING HOME BUILDING GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants to eligible
entities to review designs of covered structures of mixed-income
housing and designate such reviewed designs to be included in pattern
books for use in the jurisdiction of the eligible entity.
(b) Restriction.--Amounts awarded under this section may not be
used for construction, alteration, or repair work.
(c) Considerations.--In reviewing applications submitted by
eligible entities for a grant under this section, the Secretary shall
consider--
(1) the need for affordable housing in the eligible entity;
(2) the presence of high opportunity areas in the eligible
entity;
(3) coordination between the eligible entity and a State
agency; and
(4) coordination between the eligible entity and State,
local, and regional transportation planning authorities.
(d) Set-aside for Rural Areas.--Of the amounts made available in
each fiscal year for grants under this section, the Secretary shall
ensure that not less than 10-percent shall be used for grants to
eligible