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-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Build More Housing 
Near Transit Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) An underproduction in housing units rel-
ative to demand has led to a national housing short-
age. 
(2) The shortage of housing leaves 47 percent 
of households cost-burdened, paying more than 30 
percent of their income on rent. 
(3) The number of housing units underpro-
duced from 2000 through 2015 is equal to 7.3 mil-
lion units in 23 States. 
(4) Lack of housing supply and rising rent 
costs exacerbate inequality and reduce opportunity 
for many Americans. 
(5) Over half of all renters are cost-burdened, 
paying more than 30 percent of their income for 
housing, and 71 percent of extremely low-income 
households are severely cost-burdened, paying more 
than half of their income for housing. 
(6) Low-income households often live far from 
their jobs which may result in long commute times, 
increased cost burdens, and limitations on the jobs 
they can access. 
(7) Low-income households who live near public 
transit have lower cost burdens than those who live 
far from public transit. 
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(8) Public transit system ridership is higher if 
more housing is located within walking distance of 
transit stations. 
(9) Housing built around transit stops should 
target middle-income families, particularly those 
with 60 to 100 percent area median income. 
SEC. 3. ENGINEERING PHASE OF FIXED GUIDEWAY CAP-
ITAL INVESTMENT GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5309(d)(2) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) by striking clause (iii) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(iii) is justified based on a com-
prehensive review of the project’s mobility 
improvements, the project’s environmental 
benefits, congestion relief associated with 
the project, economic development effects 
and real estate development associated 
with the project (as evidenced by a housing 
feasibility assessment conducted by the ap-
plicant), current and proposed land use 
policies and patterns of the project that 
support public transportation and rider-
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ship, and the project’s cost-effectiveness as 
measured by cost per rider; and’’; and 
(B) in clause (iv) by inserting before the 
period the following: ‘‘, and a commitment of 
local land use policies to accommodate afford-
able and market-rate housing development asso-
ciated with the project’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) PROPOSED CHANGES TO LAND USE 
POLICIES.—Proposed changes to local land use 
policies for purposes of the commitment to such 
policies under subparagraph (A)(iv) shall be 
evaluated based on the housing feasibility as-
sessment for parcels in the project station 
walkshed using standard real estate financial 
models that consider, among other possible fac-
tors, density, development certainty, market in-
terest, exemption of minimum parking require-
ments, by-right development, agency ownership 
of land, and regional growth goals.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Section 5309(f) of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘sub-
section (d)(2)(A)(v)’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘subsection (d)(2)(A)(iv)’’. 
Æ 
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