Inside 208

For the first time in more than a decade, we are seeing a strong, bipartisan effort in Congress to address the housing affordability crisis through pragmatic, locally informed policy solutions that will be put to quick use at the local level.

The House Financial Services Committee recently approved the Housing for the 21^st Century Act  which recognizes the critical role of local governments in addressing the nation’s housing needs by updating and improving programs like CDBG and HOME, removing regulatory roadblocks, and increasing local flexibility. The legislation is scheduled for a vote next Monday (Feb 9) and has strong bipartisan support, but your voice is needed to help push it forward by ensuring your member of Congress will vote for it on the floor.

The League, in partnership with the National League of Cities, is calling on the House to pass the Housing for the 21^st Century Act (H.R. 6644). Please reach out to your members of Congress and ask them to support the passage of the Housing for the 21^st Century Act.

Among other things, the Housing for the 21^st Century Act:

• Increases the flexibility of the Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program to fund development of both affordable and work force housing, and allows HOME grantees who are ineligible for the CDBG program to use HOME funds for housing-adjacent infrastructure needs.
• Permits, for the first time, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) expenditures for new housing development.  Currently, CDBG only permits rehabilitation for housing expenditures.
• Exempts certain infill and rehabilitation projects from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental impact reviews, thereby shortening timelines and reducing costs.
• Supports local government capacity improvements for housing development by establishing new grants for planning agencies and new HUD resources to aid localities that voluntarily undertake zoning and land use changes related to housing attainability.
• Expands Veterans Housing Programs and USDA Rural Housing Programs.
• The bill does not preempt state or local governments, or contain any unfunded mandates.

This federal legislation, like the MI Home Program proposed by the League, prioritizes partnership over preemption. This approach respects local decision making, invests in a range of housing choices, and allows for the unique needs of each community to be met. Real progress is made by working together to address our housing needs through thoughtful action at the federal and state level, and we encourage you to lend your support to this effort.

Jennifer Rigterink is the League’s assistant state and federal affairs director, handling economic development, land use, and municipal services issues. She can be reached at [email protected]