Housing Supply Frameworks Act
- Bill Number
- S. 1299
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Housing and Community Development
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-04-03: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-13T15:02:43Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Housing Supply Frameworks Act (S. 1299) aims to address the national housing shortage by directing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create and publish guidelines and best practices for reforming state and local zoning laws. These reforms are intended to reduce regulatory barriers that hinder new housing construction, particularly affordable housing, while respecting state and local control over land use. The goal is to increase housing supply to meet community needs across income levels, without mandating changes.
Key Provisions
- Findings: The bill outlines Congress's recognition of a 3.85 million home shortage as of 2022, driven by factors like construction costs, labor shortages, supply chain issues, and restrictive zoning laws. It emphasizes federal support for voluntary state and local reforms to promote housing access without discrimination based on income.
- Definitions: Key terms include:
- Affordable housing: Housing where monthly costs do not exceed 30% of a household's income.
- State zoning framework: State laws or procedures that guide local planning and zoning.
- Local zoning framework: Local codes, ordinances, and policies on zoning and land use.
- Guidelines Development (Section 4): Within 3 years of enactment, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research must publish guidelines and best practices for state and local zoning. Development involves:
- A 2-year public comment period via the Federal Register.
- Consultation with a task force including planners, affordable housing advocates, developers, community members, public housing authorities, state/local officials, academics, and home builders.
- Content focuses on models to boost housing production, such as:
- Reducing parking requirements, minimum lot sizes, and setbacks; increasing building heights and floor area ratios.
- Allowing accessory dwelling units (small secondary homes on the same lot) and by-right approvals for duplexes, triplexes, or quadplexes (simplified permitting without discretionary review).
- Promoting transit-oriented development, manufactured/modular housing, and streamlined reviews (e.g., ministerial review: a non-discretionary process based on clear standards).
- Reforming public engagement for better access (e.g., language support, virtual meetings) and reducing fees or protest mechanisms.
- State-specific models like appeals processes for rejected affordable housing projects and land disposition for development.
- Local-specific practices like simplifying codes, setting review timelines, and tailoring to rural, suburban, or urban contexts.
- Guidelines must consider fair housing laws, effects on federal grants/tax credits, infrastructure coordination, affordability targets (prioritizing low-income renters and owners), accountability, and long-term costs of inaction.
- Reporting (Section 5): Within 5 years of guidelines publication, HUD must report to Congress on adoption by states/localities, framework modifications, and impacts on building permits.
- Abolition of Existing Program (Section 6): Repeals and abolishes the Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse (established in 1992), which previously provided similar but less comprehensive support on zoning barriers.
- Funding (Section 7): Authorizes $3 million annually for HUD from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to implement the Act.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Repeals Section 1205 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, eliminating the Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse—a federal resource that identified and shared information on state/local regulatory obstacles to affordable housing. This Act replaces it with a more focused, guideline-based approach emphasizing best practices for zoning reform, rather than just data collection.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: HUD gains a structured role in advising on zoning without enforcement power, potentially streamlining federal grant eligibility for housing/transportation/agriculture programs tied to reforms. State and local governments may see voluntary tools to update laws, reducing administrative burdens through standardized processes.
- Citizens: Could increase affordable housing options, easing cost burdens (e.g., more units near transit, lower development costs passed to renters/buyers). Low- and moderate-income households, especially in high-cost or growing areas, might benefit from reduced barriers to workforce housing, though without mandates, impacts depend on adoption.
- International Relations: No direct impacts mentioned; the bill is domestic-focused on U.S. housing policy.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- State and Local Governments: Primary targets for guidelines, including zoning boards, planning officials, and housing agencies, who may adopt reforms to access federal resources.
- Housing Developers and Builders: Benefit from streamlined approvals, reduced fees, and appeals for affordable projects; includes market-rate, manufactured, and modular housing producers.
- Community Members and Advocates: Residents in underserved areas (rural, urban, low-income) gain from anti-displacement measures, better public input, and fair housing considerations; advocates for equity and civil rights influence via task force.
- Federal Agencies: HUD leads implementation; Departments of Transportation and Agriculture may align infrastructure grants with zoning reforms.
- Other Groups: Home builders, transit authorities, academics, and businesses affected by land use changes.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal/Constitutional: Reinforces federalism by providing supportive guidelines without overriding state/local authority over land use (a traditional state power). References fair housing and civil rights laws ensure compliance with anti-discrimination standards (e.g., no income-based exclusions). Mentions distinctions like "home rule" (local autonomy granted by states) vs. "Dillon Rule" (strict state control over localities, from a 1907 Supreme Court case), guiding tailored advice without challenging constitutions.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (Democrats and Republicans) signals broad support for addressing housing shortages. Voluntary nature avoids mandates that could spark local resistance, but tying reforms to federal incentives (grants, tax credits) may encourage adoption. The abolition of the old clearinghouse reflects a shift toward proactive, model-driven policy over passive information-sharing, potentially influencing future housing legislation.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE]
Cosponsors (7)
Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID], Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA], Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC], Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN], Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE], Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE], Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Recent Actions
- 2025-04-03: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- 2025-04-03: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Housing Supply Frameworks Act — issued 2025-04-03 — PDF (13 pages)