“A bill to require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a Freedom to Build designation for certain localities.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), not later than 18 months after enactment, to establish a voluntary "Freedom to Build" designation for eligible localities that qualify under subsection (b) or (c), maintain a publicly accessible list of designated localities updated annually, and make each designation effective for 5 years (renewable upon continued qualification). A locality qualifies under subsection (b) by certifying adoption of at least the minimum number of reforms specified by HUD through notice-and-comment rulemaking from each of three categories: (1) unleashing construction innovation (e.g., aligning local codes with nationally recognized standards for modular and off-site construction and prohibiting differential treatment); (2) fast-tracking approvals (e.g., by-right approval, binding permit timelines with remedies, fee disclosures, third-party inspectors, and expedited dispute resolution); and (3) defending property rights (e.g., prohibiting rent control on new units, below-market set-asides without incentives, certain mandates, and local bans on residential energy sources).
This section directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to prioritize applicants located in or primarily serving communities with a current Freedom to Build designation (established under section 2 as a marker of pro-housing regulatory environments) for competitive grants administered by the department related to housing development, community development, or the construction, modification, rehabilitation, or preservation of housing. It expresses the sense of Congress that other federal agencies administering competitive infrastructure, transportation, or community development grants—including the Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Agriculture—consider such designations a positive factor in evaluations where housing supply or community development is relevant.