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 following 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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Build More Housing 

5 Near Transit Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) An underproduction in housing units rel2 ative to demand has led to a national housing short3 age. 

4 (2) The shortage of housing leaves 47 percent 

5 of households cost-burdened, paying more than 30 

6 percent of their income on rent. 

7 (3) The number of housing units underpro8 duced from 2000 through 2015 is equal to 7.3 mil9 lion units in 23 States. 

10 (4) Lack of housing supply and rising rent 

11 costs exacerbate inequality and reduce opportunity 

12 for many Americans. 

13 (5) Over half of all renters are cost-burdened, 

14 paying more than 30 percent of their income for 

15 housing, and 71 percent of extremely low-income 

16 households are severely cost-burdened, paying more 

17 than half of their income for housing. 

18 (6) Low-income households often live far from 

19 their jobs which may result in long commute times, 

20 increased cost burdens, and limitations on the jobs 

21 they can access. 

22 (7) Low-income households who live near public 

23 transit have lower cost burdens than those who live 

24 far from public transit. 


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1 (8) Public transit system ridership is higher if 

2 more housing is located within walking distance of 

3 transit stations. 

4 (9) Housing built around transit stops should 

5 target middle-income families, particularly those 

6 with 60 to 100 percent area median income. 

7 SEC. 3. ENGINEERING PHASE OF FIXED GUIDEWAY CAP8 ITAL INVESTMENT GRANTS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5309(d)(2) of title 49, 

10 United States Code, is amended— 

11 (1) in subparagraph (A)— 

12 (A) by striking clause (iii) and inserting 

13 the following: 

14 ‘‘(iii) is justified based on a com15 prehensive review of the project’s mobility 

16 improvements, the project’s environmental 

17 benefits, congestion relief associated with 

18 the project, economic development effects 

19 and real estate development associated 

20 with the project (as evidenced by a housing 

21 feasibility assessment conducted by the ap22 plicant), current and proposed land use 

23 policies and patterns of the project that 

24 support public transportation and riderVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:28 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4307.IH H4307

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1 ship, and the project’s cost-effectiveness as 

2 measured by cost per rider; and’’; and 

3 (B) in clause (iv) by inserting before the 

4 period the following: ‘‘, and a commitment of 

5 local land use policies to accommodate afford6 able and market-rate housing development asso7 ciated with the project’’; and 

8 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(C) PROPOSED CHANGES TO LAND USE

10 POLICIES.—Proposed changes to local land use 

11 policies for purposes of the commitment to such 

12 policies under subparagraph (A)(iv) shall be 

13 evaluated based on the housing feasibility as14 sessment for parcels in the project station 

15 walkshed using standard real estate financial 

16 models that consider, among other possible fac17 tors, density, development certainty, market in18 terest, exemption of minimum parking require19 ments, by-right development, agency ownership 

20 of land, and regional growth goals.’’. 

21 (b) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Section 5309(f) of 

22 title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘sub23 section (d)(2)(A)(v)’’ each place it appears and inserting 

24 ‘‘subsection (d)(2)(A)(iv)’’. 

Æ 


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