U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), both members of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, introduced the Accelerating Home Building Act Tuesday, a bipartisan effort aimed at combating the country’s housing affordability crisis through streamlined development.
The proposed legislation would create a pilot grant program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to fund the creation of pattern books—pre-reviewed, standardized building designs that help fast-track approval for new residential construction. These pattern books would focus on “missing middle” housing and infill development. The bill also includes set-asides for rural areas and prioritizes support for localities working to reduce regulatory barriers.
“We are in the middle of a housing affordability crisis in Delaware and across this nation,” said Blunt Rochester. “The bipartisan Accelerating Home Building Act supports pattern zoning, a creative and cost-effective method to reduce the cost of housing in our communities.”
Moreno echoed the urgency of the crisis, adding, “Out-of-control housing costs are making the American dream unaffordable for average Americans. This bill empowers local governments to streamline construction and bring homeownership within reach.”
The U.S. faces an estimated shortage of nearly 5 million housing units. Advocates say complicated permitting processes and restrictive zoning laws have stifled development and driven up costs, leaving millions of Americans cost-burdened.
The bill has already earned endorsements from a wide array of housing and planning organizations, including the American Planning Association, National Association of REALTORS, and Smart Growth America.
The legislation is part of Blunt Rochester’s broader housing agenda. Since joining the Senate, she has introduced several bipartisan housing bills, including the Housing Supply Frameworks Act and the Veterans Housing Stability Act, portions of which passed the Senate earlier this month. In May, she toured a new affordable housing project in Lewes, Delaware—the first of its kind there in over two decades.
If enacted, the Accelerating Home Building Act would mark another step toward expanding access to affordable housing nationwide.
