Housing Supply and Affordability Act

The bill tells the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to set up a competitive grant program within one year. These grants would go to “eligible entities,” which include states, insular areas, metropolitan cities, urban counties, and regional planning agencies or groups of such agencies. Grants are meant to support planning and implementation activities related to affordable housing and community development, but they cannot be used for construction, alteration, or repair work. Regional planning agencies that receive grants must use the funds for planning work. This can include writing new housing plans, improving state or local housing strategies, creating new rules and processes, updating zoning codes, boosting the ability to do housing inspections, and working to lower barriers that make it hard to add housing or keep it affordable. They can also develop local or regional community development plans and improve community development strategies, such as increasing affordable housing, improving access to public transit, and pursuing location‑efficient or more sustainable development. States, insular areas, metropolitan cities, and urban counties must use their grants to carry out and manage housing strategies and housing plans. They can also implement plans to increase housing choice, address gaps in housing needs, and improve access to opportunity. Funds may support community investments tied to these plans, put reformed zoning codes into practice, expand inspection capacity, reduce barriers to housing supply and affordability, and implement local or regional community development plans. They may also pay for planning to increase affordable housing, access to public transportation, and location‑efficient community development. No eligible entity may use more than 10 percent of its grant for administrative costs. The bill directs HUD to coordinate, when possible, with the Federal Transit Administration to better link housing and transportation planning. The authority to newly establish the grant program expires 5 years after the bill becomes law, and the program itself must end 5 years after enactment.