Build More Housing Near Transit Act of 2021
Bill: S.3237 | Sponsor: Sen. Schatz, Brian (D-HI)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Build More Housing Near Transit Act of 2021
This bill revises requirements for the fixed guideway capital investment grant program.
Specifically, the bill revises how the Department of Transportation evaluates and rates fixed guideway capital projects under the program to include affordable housing incentives.

To amend title 49, United States Code, to include affordable housing 
    incentives in certain capital investment grants, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 
of 2021''.

SEC. 2. AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCENTIVES IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANTS.

    Section 5309 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (g)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(B)--
                            (i) in clause (i) by striking ``; and'' and 
                        inserting a semicolon;
                            (ii) in clause (ii) by striking the period 
                        and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) allow a weighting of up to five 
                        percentage points greater to the criteria 
                        relating to economic development under 
                        subsection (d)(2)(A)(iii) or (e)(2)(A)(iv), as 
                        applicable, and up to five percentage points 
                        lesser to the lowest scoring criteria under 
                        either such subsection, if the applicant 
                        demonstrates substantial effort to preserve or 
                        encourage affordable housing near the project 
                        by--
                                    ``(I) conducting a housing 
                                feasibility assessment;
                                    ``(II) providing documentation of 
                                policies that allow for the approval of 
                                multi-family housing, single room 
                                occupancy units, and accessory dwelling 
                                units without a discretionary review 
                                process;
                                    ``(III) providing local capital 
                                sources for transit-oriented 
                                development; or
                                    ``(IV) other methods to preserve or 
                                encourage affordable housing near the 
                                project, as determined appropriate by 
                                the Secretary.''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `housing 
        feasibility assessment' means an analysis of the physical, 
        legal, and financial viability of developing additional housing 
        along a project corridor, including affordable housing.''; and
            (2) in subsection (l), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) Inclusion of certain costs.--In determining net 
        project costs for purposes of determining the Government share 
        of the cost of a project under this section, a project sponsor 
        may--
                    ``(A) include costs related to the planning or 
                development of affordable housing located within one-
                half of a mile of a new defined station funded by 
                amounts made available under section 103 of the Housing 
                and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5303) 
                or section 201 of the Public Works and Economic 
                Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141); and
                    ``(B) count the costs described in subparagraph (A) 
                toward the remainder of the net capital project costs 
                under paragraph (4).''.
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