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Committee chairman previews 40-provision housing package, calls it a bipartisan leap
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Summary
The committee chairman opened the hearing by describing housing as a bipartisan priority and outlined a 40-provision package that the panel will consider, highlighting measures on zoning, rural housing, disaster recovery, inspections, and interagency coordination.
The committee's chairman (name not specified) opened the session by describing housing as a deeply personal and national priority, saying, "this issue of housing is a really important issue to me personally," and telling colleagues the panel had produced a bipartisan package to address supply and affordability.
The chairman said the package has "so many provisions, 40 in all, 40 in total," and said the committee planned to move several bills forward. He framed the effort as a rare area of bipartisan cooperation that could produce concrete results rather than rhetoric.
Among the measures the chairman highlighted were the Housing Supply Frameworks Act, which he said "equips cities and states with the tools to upgrade their zoning and land use policies without stifling federal mandates," and a set of bills aimed at rural housing that he credited to Senators Rounds and Smith. He also singled out a reforming disaster recovery act intended to make the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster recovery program function more quickly after natural disasters.
The chairman described additional provisions intended to boost housing production and program coordination: the Build Now Act (an incentive-focused approach to reward communities that increase housing supply); a provision to establish an inspector general for NeighborWorks; the Whole Home Repairs Act to pilot home-repair assistance for hazards such as mold or faulty wiring; the Reside Act aimed at revitalizing strip malls and reducing blight; the Choice in Affordable Housing Act to streamline inspections across federal programs; and a Community Investment and Prosperity Act intended to unlock investment in affordable housing.
He also highlighted legislation to improve interagency coordination among HUD, USDA and the VA, saying the bill would direct those agencies to work together to improve housing-program implementation. The chairman thanked individual senators by name for their sponsorship or leadership on specific measures and said the committee would work with outside stakeholders and federal agencies, including HUD and FHA, as the package moves forward.
The chairman closed by stressing bipartisanship and the committee's intent to advance the legislation, describing the day as "a very important first step toward jump starting our housing development." He said he looked forward to working with colleagues and agencies to move the measures toward a vote.
Next steps: the chairman indicated the committee will vote on the package and its component bills as part of the day's business.
