H.R. 4659

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To require certain grantees under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to submit a plan to track overly burdensome land use policies, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · July 23, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Flood · Committee: Committee on Financial Services

Table of contents

• H.R. 4659
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Purpose
  • SEC. 3. Findings
  • SEC. 4. Land use plan

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the Identifying Regulatory Barriers to Housing Supply Act.

SEC. 2. Purpose

• The purpose of this Act is to discourage the use of overly burdensome land use policies and remove barriers to making housing more affordable in order to further the original intent of the Community Development Block Grant program.

SEC. 3. Findings

• The Congress finds the following:
  • The United States has a shortage of millions of homes, contributing to a record number of cost-burdened households across rural, urban, and suburban communities.
  • The housing shortage is constraining the economy and costing Americans about $2 trillion per year in lost opportunities and lower productivity.
  • Zoning and land use policy reforms are one part of the solution to addressing the rising cost of housing, alongside policies that invest in fair and affordable housing throughout the country.
  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development should maintain adequate staffing levels to implement this legislation, assist communities in overcoming zoning and land use challenges unduly constraining housing, and support quality and affordable housing programs serving the most vulnerable of our nation.

SEC. 4. Land use plan

• (a) In general
  • Section 104 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 () is amended by adding at the end the following: 42 U.S.C. 5304
    • (n) Plan To track and reduce overly burdensome land use policies
      • (1) In general
        • Prior to receipt in any fiscal year of a grant from the Secretary under subsection (b), (d)(1), or (d)(2)(B) of section 106, each recipient shall have prepared and submitted, not less frequently than once during the preceding 5-year period, in accordance with this subsection and in such standardized form as the Secretary shall, by regulation, prescribe, with respect to each land use policy described in paragraph (2) that is applicable to the jurisdiction served by the recipient, a description of—
          • whether the recipient has already adopted the policy in the jurisdiction served by the recipient within the preceding 5-year period;
          • the plan of the recipient to adopt and implement the policy in that jurisdiction; and
          • the ways in which adopting the policy will benefit the jurisdiction.
      • (2) Land use policies
        • The policies described in this paragraph are as follows:
          • Expanding by-right multifamily zoned areas.
          • Allowing duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes in areas zoned primarily for single-family residential homes.
          • Allowing manufactured homes in areas zoned primarily for single-family residential homes.
          • Allowing multifamily development in retail, office, and light manufacturing zones.
          • Allowing single-room occupancy development wherever multifamily housing is allowed.
          • Reducing minimum lot size.
          • Ensuring historic preservation requirements and other land use policies or requirements are coordinated to encourage creation of housing in historic buildings and historic districts.
          • Increasing the allowable floor area ratio by allowing a higher ratio of total floor area in a building in comparison to its lot size.
          • Creating transit-oriented development zones.
          • Streamlining or shortening permitting processes and timelines, including through one-stop and parallel-process permitting.
          • Eliminating or reducing off-street parking requirements.
          • Ensuring impact and utility investment fees accurately reflect required infrastructure needs and related impacts on housing affordability are otherwise mitigated.
          • Allowing off-site construction, including prefabricated construction.
          • Reducing or eliminating minimum unit square footage requirements.
          • Allowing the conversion of office units to apartments.
          • Allowing the subdivision of single-family homes into duplexes.
          • Allowing accessory dwelling units, including detached accessory dwelling units, on all lots with single-family homes.
          • Establishing density bonuses.
          • Eliminating or relaxing residential property height limitations.
          • Using property tax abatements to enable higher density and mixed-income communities.
• (b) Effective date
  • The requirements under subsection (n) of section 104 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (), as added by subsection (a), shall— 42 U.S.C. 5304
    • take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act; and
    • apply to recipients of a grant under subsection (b), (d)(1), or (d)(2)(B) of section 106 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 () before, on, and after such date. 42 U.S.C. 5306