Sponsor
Monica De La Cruz
Representative · R-TX
Representative · R-TX
The bill aims to speed housing production, reduce developer costs, and steer federal grant dollars to places that allow growth—potentially increasing supply and affordability—while constraining local control, tenant protections, infrastructure/affordable‑housing revenue, and local climate measures, and concentrating benefits in places already primed to build.
Renters and homebuyers in designated localities are likely to see more housing units built and faster approvals, increasing housing supply and putting downward pressure on prices/rents.
Builders and small developers can cut costs and delays by using modern construction methods and third‑party inspections, which can lower construction costs and help make housing more affordable.
Applicants (developers and homebuyers) gain clearer, more predictable permitting through required fee disclosure, caps on mid-process fee increases, and set decision timelines with remedies for missed deadlines.
Renters and low-income residents in designated areas lose the ability to benefit from local rent control or rent-stabilization policies, reducing protections against rent increases.
Local governments and taxpayers may lose revenue because limits on impact fees and bans on mandatory affordable set‑asides reduce funds for infrastructure and affordable housing programs, potentially shifting costs to taxpayers or cutting services.
Prioritizing federally funded grants to designated, build‑ready communities risks concentrating federal dollars in places already able to build while disadvantaging restrictive or high‑need communities, worsening geographic and equity gaps in investment.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates a voluntary HUD designation that rewards localities adopting streamlined building-code and permitting reforms and prioritizes them for HUD housing-related grants.
Official title: To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a Freedom to Build designation for certain localities.
Introduced July 9, 2026 by Monica De La Cruz · Last progress July 9, 2026
Creates a voluntary HUD "Freedom to Build" designation for localities that adopt streamlined, pro-construction code and permitting reforms and meet HUD's standards. HUD must set standards by rule, publish an annual list of designated localities, and make designations valid for five years with renewals. Directs HUD to prioritize grant applicants that serve designated localities for competitive housing and community development grants, and urges other federal agencies to consider the designation favorably when evaluating related infrastructure and community development awards.