Build More Housing Near Transit Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4307 To amend title 49, United States Code, relating to certain requirements for the engineering phase of fixed guideway capital investment grants, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mrs. RODGERS of Washington, Mr. HECK, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. HILL of California, and Mr. GALLAGHER) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend title 49, United States Code, relating to certain requirements for the engineering phase of fixed guideway capital investment grants, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Build More Housing 4 Near Transit Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:28 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4307.IH H4307 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 4307 IH (1) An underproduction in housing units rel- 1 ative to demand has led to a national housing short- 2 age. 3 (2) The shortage of housing leaves 47 percent 4 of households cost-burdened, paying more than 30 5 percent of their income on rent. 6 (3) The number of housing units underpro- 7 duced from 2000 through 2015 is equal to 7.3 mil- 8 lion units in 23 States. 9 (4) Lack of housing supply and rising rent 10 costs exacerbate inequality and reduce opportunity 11 for many Americans. 12 (5) Over half of all renters are cost-burdened, 13 paying more than 30 percent of their income for 14 housing, and 71 percent of extremely low-income 15 households are severely cost-burdened, paying more 16 than half of their income for housing. 17 (6) Low-income households often live far from 18 their jobs which may result in long commute times, 19 increased cost burdens, and limitations on the jobs 20 they can access. 21 (7) Low-income households who live near public 22 transit have lower cost burdens than those who live 23 far from public transit. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:28 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4307.IH H4307 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 4307 IH (8) Public transit system ridership is higher if 1 more housing is located within walking distance of 2 transit stations. 3 (9) Housing built around transit stops should 4 target middle-income families, particularly those 5 with 60 to 100 percent area median income. 6 SEC. 3. ENGINEERING PHASE OF FIXED GUIDEWAY CAP- 7 ITAL INVESTMENT GRANTS. 8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5309(d)(2) of title 49, 9 United States Code, is amended— 10 (1) in subparagraph (A)— 11 (A) by striking clause (iii) and inserting 12 the following: 13 ‘‘(iii) is justified based on a com- 14 prehensive review of the project’s mobility 15 improvements, the project’s environmental 16 benefits, congestion relief associated with 17 the project, economic development effects 18 and real estate development associated 19 with the project (as evidenced by a housing 20 feasibility assessment conducted by the ap- 21 plicant), current and proposed land use 22 policies and patterns of the project that 23 support public transportation and rider- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:28 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4307.IH H4307 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 4307 IH ship, and the project’s cost-effectiveness as 1 measured by cost per rider; and’’; and 2 (B) in clause (iv) by inserting before the 3 period the following: ‘‘, and a commitment of 4 local land use policies to accommodate afford- 5 able and market-rate housing development asso- 6 ciated with the project’’; and 7 (2) by adding at the end the following: 8 ‘‘(C) PROPOSED CHANGES TO LAND USE 9 POLICIES.—Proposed changes to local land use 10 policies for purposes of the commitment to such 11 policies under subparagraph (A)(iv) shall be 12 evaluated based on the housing feasibility as- 13 sessment for parcels in the project station 14 walkshed using standard real estate financial 15 models that consider, among other possible fac- 16 tors, density, development certainty, market in- 17 terest, exemption of minimum parking require- 18 ments, by-right development, agency ownership 19 of land, and regional growth goals.’’. 20 (b) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Section 5309(f) of 21 title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘sub- 22 section (d)(2)(A)(v)’’ each place it appears and inserting 23 ‘‘subsection (d)(2)(A)(iv)’’. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:28 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H4307.IH H4307 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS