Bipartisan 'Accelerating Home Building Act' Introduced in Congress

U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Delaware) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), members of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee have introduced the Accelerating Home Building Act aimed addressing rising housing costs and lack of adequate supply in parts of the Country.

A joint statement from both Senators reads; "In communities across the nation, complex and restrictive land-use regulations, permitting processes, and other regulatory burdens hinder housing production and drive up housing costs. These regulations have contributed to an acute housing supply crisis with an estimated shortage of nearly 5 million housing units.1 This shortage makes housing unaffordable, with an increasing share of households cost-burdened or severely cost-burdened by their housing expenses."

Communities nationwide are adopting pattern zoning, an innovative method that simplifies the construction approval process by permitting developers to utilize pre-approved building designs. These standardized designs are collected in documents called pattern books.

The bipartisan Accelerating Home Building Act would: 

• Establish a pilot HUD-administered grant program to fund the creation of pattern books with a focus on missing middle and infill construction; and

• Provide set-asides for rural communities and prioritize high-opportunity areas and localities working to reduce barriers to housing development.

The program is endorsed by The American Planning Association, Congress for the New Urbanism, Up for Growth Action, National Apartment Association, Smart Growth America, Main Street America, National Association of REALTORS, and Delaware Association of REALTORS.

Canada Launched Similar Program In Early 2025

Pre-approved plan set design

Earlier this year, The new Housing Design Catalogue, an initiative under Canada's Housing Plan and supported by Budget 2024 was launched. The program and catalogue features low-rise housing designs comprised of rowhouses, fourplexes, sixplexes, and accessory dwelling units. The Housing Design Catalogue offers regionally specific plans will help simplify and speed up the delivery of housing across the country allowing local municipalities to adopt some of these pre-approved plan sets.

The program builds upon Canada's post-war housing boom which saw housing design catalogues used to spur new housing growth in the aftermath of World War II.

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