Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)
Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) introduced the Supporting Projects to Unleash Residential (SPUR) Housing Act to lower the cost of building new housing developments. The bill will increase the housing supply by establishing a five-year $1.5 billion grant program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide funds to housing developers to offset state and local impact fees. Eligibility for the program would require state and local governments to also match half of the project taxes or fees.
New Hampshire continues to face a housing crisis, and it’s estimated that the state needs 90,000 more units by 2040. The SPUR Housing Act would provide cost relief and cut red tape to make it affordable for Granite Staters to build more homes.
“Addressing the shortage of affordable housing should be a top priority of everyone in Congress, and I’m committed to finding common sense ideas that will increase supply and lower costs,” said Congressman Pappas. “I’m pleased to introduce this legislation which creates a new grant program to reduce building project costs and speed the development of new housing.”
“First-time home buyers should not have to wait 20-plus+ years to afford a home,” said Congresswoman Bynum. “This bill will make crucial progress toward making it easier, faster, and more affordable to build a home. Oregonians deserve affordable housing and I will keep fighting for it in Congress.”
This bill is endorsed by the National Association of Realtors.
You can find the full text of the bill here.
Background:
Pappas is working to ensure Granite State communities have the resources they need to increase the affordable housing stock and tackle the housing crisis. His bipartisan Accelerating Home Building Act to support local governments in speeding up the permitting and home building process and lowering costs for Granite Staters passed the House this week.
In April, Pappas introduced the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to support the financing and development of affordable housing by expanding and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. In 2024, Pappas and the New Hampshire delegation welcomed more than $30 million in federal grants to build more affordable housing across the Granite State.