This bill, the Accelerating Home Building Act, lets the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development give grants to eligible entities so they can select pre-reviewed designs (also called pattern books) for covered structures of mixed-income housing. "Covered structures" are low- or mid-rise buildings with no more than 25 dwelling units and include accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, cottage courts, courtyard buildings, townhouses, multiplexes, infill development, and other small multiunit buildings the Secretary allows. Eligible entities include local governments, municipal membership organizations, and Indian tribes. Grants may be used to select designs but may not be used for construction, alteration, or repair work.
When awarding grants, the Secretary must consider local need for affordable housing, whether high opportunity areas are present, and coordination with State agencies and transportation planning authorities. At least 10 percent of annual grant funds must go to eligible entities in rural areas. Recipients must report on how grant activities affected affordable housing production and supply, which pre-reviewed designs were selected, how many permits used those designs, and how many housing units were produced. The Secretary must encourage public posting of selected designs, collect and share best practices, and may require repayment of grant funds if selected designs are not adopted within 5 years (unless extended). The bill authorizes "such sums as are necessary" to carry out the program and allows the Secretary to set aside up to 5 percent of appropriated funds for technical assistance.
The bill describes pre-reviewed designs (pattern books) as plans that are assessed and approved by localities to streamline and expedite approval pathways. The text links the grant program to improving production and supply of affordable housing, promoting use of mixed-income housing designs, encouraging public access to selected designs, and sharing best practices. The bill includes a rural set-aside and coordination criteria with state and transportation authorities.
No publicly available information.