Legislative Agenda

Build More Housing Near Transit Act

Congressional sponsors: House Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA), House Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT), Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), Senator Jim Banks (R-IN)

Download Fact Sheet

Background

  • As of 2022, the U.S. was 3.85M homes short of meeting housing need.
  • Housing underproduction – the gap between housing we have and housing we need – shows up in all 50 states.
  • Transportation costs represent the second-largest expenditure for households after housing costs.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) invests billions of dollars annually in transit, yet many areas remain underdeveloped. Poor evaluation methods often overlook housing potential near transit, missing chances to reduce transportation costs and support smarter, more efficient development.

Legislative Solution

To help support the goal of building more housing near transit, this Act would:

  • Direct DOT to boost a transit project’s rating if the project includes pro-housing policies for areas along the project route.
  • Allow federal money for nearby affordable housing to count toward the project’s total cost when deciding the government’s share.

Endorsers List

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