Bynum Passes Two Bipartisan Housing Bills Through the Senate

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the Senate passed Congresswoman Janelle Bynum's (OR-05) bipartisan, bicameral Accelerating Home Building Act and her bipartisan Appraisal Industry Improvement Act, as part of a broader package, through the Senate, making it one step closer to becoming law. The Accelerating Home Building Act will help build more houses and lower housing costs in Oregon and across the country. The bill is co-led by Congressmen Bryan Steil (R-WI), Chris Pappas (D-NH), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The Appraisal Industry Improvement Act will help address the nationwide shortage of licensed home appraisers to improve access to housing. The bill is co-led by Congressman Byron Donalds (FL-19).

"Affordable housing is out of reach for so many Americans. To fix this, we need to build more homes and strengthen the housing industry's workforce," said Rep. Bynum. "My bills provide easier and faster pathways to homeownership. I am so proud that two of my bills are one step closer to seeing the president's desk, and I will continue to fight in Congress for affordable housing."

Background

In a recent study of housing affordability and homebuilding, Oregon earned an 'F,' ranking 45th out of the 50 states. It is estimated that Oregon will likely need to build over 140,000 single-family homes by 2030 to meet demand. Moreover, delays caused by complex and restrictive permitting processes and other regulatory burdens have resulted in a nationwide housing shortage of nearly 5 million homes.

Nationwide, communities are investing in a process called pattern zoning, in which architects and local governments develop pattern books full of pre-approved, standardized plans and designs. This bipartisan bill would establish a grant program to fund the creation of these pattern books, speeding up the permitting and home-building process and lowering costs for home-buyers.

Specifically, this legislation 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.

This legislation was also introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio).

You can view a one-pager on the legislation here and the full text of the bill here.

To support the home appraisal workforce and speed up the appraisal process, the Appraisal Industry Improvement Act would:

• Add state credentialed trainee appraisers to the national Appraiser Registry run by the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council;
• Add representation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service;
• Allow ASC grants for state appraiser certification and licensing agencies to support education and training to address appraiser industry workforce needs; and
• Authorize ASC to decrease annual registry fees if they determine the fees adversely impact functions and renew licensed residential appraisers' ability to conduct appraisals on FHA properties.

Read the full text of the bill here.

In Congress, Rep. Bynum is a member of the House Financial Services Committee and sits on the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, where she works to address the housing shortage and make life more affordable for Oregon families.