119-s2441

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2441 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2441

 To provide for adjustments to community development block grant 
 allocations based on improvements in housing growth rates.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 July 24, 2025

Mr. Kennedy (for himself and Ms. Warren) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
 and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To provide for adjustments to community development block grant 
 allocations based on improvements in housing growth rates.

 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 Now Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Covered recipient.--The term ``covered recipient'' 
 means a metropolitan city or urban county, as those terms are 
 defined in 

section 102 of the Housing and Community Development 
 Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302), that receives funds under 

section 106.

    (2) Current annual growth rate.--The term ``current annual 
 growth rate'', with respect to an eligible recipient and a 
 fiscal year, means the average annual percentage increase in 
 the number of housing units in the jurisdiction of the eligible 
 recipient, as calculated by the Secretary, during the period--
        (A) beginning with the third quarter of the sixth 
 preceding fiscal year; and
        (B) ending with the third quarter of the preceding 
 fiscal year.

    (3) Eligible recipient.--The term ``eligible recipient'' 
 means any covered recipient unless--
        (A)
            (i) the median Small Area Fair Market Rent in 
 the jurisdiction of the covered recipient is at or 
 below the 60th percentile of median Small Area Fair 
 Market Rents in the jurisdictions of all covered 
 recipients; and
            (ii) the median home value in the jurisdiction of 
 the covered recipient is below the median home value 
 for the United States;
        (B) the annual natural rental vacancy rate in the 
 jurisdiction of the covered recipient is greater than 
 the national annual natural rental vacancy rate for the 
 most recent year available, as published by the Bureau 
 of the Census;
            (C) during the 1-year period preceding the date on 
 which the Secretary allocates funds under 

section 106, 
 the jurisdiction of the covered recipient has been the 
 subject of a major disaster or emergency declaration 
 under 

section 401 or 501, respectively, of the Robert 
 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
 Act (42 U.S.C. 5170, 5191); or
            (D) the covered recipient lacks the legal authority 
 to enact or update zoning and permitting ordinances.

    (4) Extremely high-growth recipient.--The term ``extremely 
 high-growth recipient'' means an eligible recipient for which 
 the current annual growth rate is at or above 4 percent.

    (5) Housing growth improvement rate.--The term ``housing 
 growth improvement rate'', with respect to an eligible 
 recipient and a fiscal year, means the quotient of--
        (A) the current annual growth rate of the eligible 
 recipient; and
        (B) the prior annual growth rate of the eligible 
 recipient.

    (6) Prior annual growth rate.--The term ``prior annual 
 growth rate'', with respect to an eligible recipient and a 
 fiscal year, means the average annual percentage increase in 
 the number of housing units in the jurisdiction of the eligible 
 recipient, as calculated by the Secretary, during the period--
        (A) beginning with the third quarter of the 11th 
 preceding fiscal year; and
        (B) ending with the third quarter of the sixth 
 preceding fiscal year.

    (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Housing and Urban Development.

    (8) Section 106.--The term ``

section 106'' means 

section 106 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 
 U.S.C. 5306).

SEC. 3. ADJUSTMENTS TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ALLOCATIONS.

    (a) In General.--In allocating amounts to an eligible recipient 
under 

section 106 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall adjust the 
allocation based on the housing growth improvement rate of the eligible 
recipient, in accordance with subsection

    (b) of this section.

    (b) Adjustments.--

    (1) Housing growth improvement rate at or above median; 
 extremely high-growth recipients.--
        (A) In general.--If, with respect to a fiscal year 
 for which the allocation under 

section 106 is being 
 determined, the housing growth improvement rate for an 
 eligible recipient is at or above the median housing 
 growth improvement rate for all eligible recipients 
 other than extremely high-growth recipients, or if an 
 eligible recipient is an extremely high-growth 
 recipient, the Secretary shall allocate to the eligible 
 recipient for that fiscal year, in addition to the 
 amount that would otherwise be allocated to the 
 eligible recipient under 

section 106, a bonus amount, 
 as determined under subparagraph
        (B) of this paragraph.
        (B) Bonus amount.--For purposes of subparagraph
        (A) , the bonus amount for an eligible recipient for a 
 fiscal year shall be equal to the product of--
            (i) the aggregate amount by which 
 allocations to eligible recipients are 
 decreased under paragraph

    (2) for that fiscal 
 year; and
            (ii) the quotient of--
            (I) the number of housing units, as 
 of the third quarter of the preceding 
 fiscal year, in the jurisdiction of the 
 eligible recipient, as calculated by 
 the Secretary; and
            (II) the number of housing units, 
 as of the third quarter of the 
 preceding fiscal year, in the 
 jurisdictions of all eligible 
 recipients that receive a bonus amount 
 under this paragraph, as calculated by 
 the Secretary.

    (2) Housing growth improvement rate below median.--If, with 
 respect to a fiscal year for which the allocation under 

section 106 is being determined, the housing growth improvement rate 
 for an eligible recipient is below the median housing growth 
 improvement rate for all eligible recipients other than high-
 growth outliers, the Secretary shall decrease the amount that 
 would otherwise be allocated to the eligible recipient under 
 

section 106 for that fiscal year by 10 percent.

SEC. 4. CALCULATION OF HOUSING UNITS.

    (a) HUD Requirements.--In calculating the number of housing units 
in the jurisdiction of an eligible recipient under any provision of 
this Act, the Secretary shall--

    (1) use the Current Address Count Listing Files and other 
 data products, as needed, of the Bureau of the Census tabulated 
 from the Master Address File; and

    (2) make calculations at the block level, using boundaries 
 that reflect the most current boundaries.

    (b) Census Bureau and Postal Service Requirements.--The Bureau of 
the Census and the United States Postal Service shall provide any 
relevant data to the Secretary upon request to assist the Secretary in 
making a calculation described in subsection

    (a) .
            (c) Adjustment of Calculation Periods.--The Secretary may adjust 
the calculation periods under subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) of 

section 2

    (2) , subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) of 

section 2

    (6) , and subclauses
            (I) and
            (II) of 

section 3

    (b)

    (1)
        (B)
            (ii) by not more than 2 months to achieve 
alignment with the data provided by the Bureau of the Census.

SEC. 5. ANNUAL REPORT ON HOUSING GROWTH IMPROVEMENT RATE.

 Before allocating funds under 

section 106 for a fiscal year, the 
Secretary shall publish a report that--

    (1) includes the housing growth improvement rate for each 
 eligible recipient; and

    (2) lists, for the most recent fiscal year for which 
 allocations were made under 

section 106--
        (A) the eligible recipients that received a bonus 
 amount under 

section 3

    (b)

    (1) ; and
        (B) the eligible recipients for which the 
 allocation under 

section 106 was decreased under 
 

section 3

    (b)

    (2) of this Act.

SEC. 6. NOTIFICATION; IMPLEMENTATION DATES.

    (a) Notification.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall notify each eligible 
 recipient of the recipient's housing growth improvement rate 
 and whether that housing growth improvement rate is above, at, 
 or below the median housing growth improvement rate for all 
 eligible recipients other than extremely high-growth 
 recipients.

    (2) Guidance.--As part of the notification under paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary shall share guidance, including resources 
 developed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
 on best practices and recommendations on policies to reduce 
 regulatory barriers to housing and increase housing supply.

    (b) Implementation Dates.--

Section 3 shall take effect beginning 
with the second full fiscal year after the date of enactment of this 
Act and remain in effect through fiscal year 2042.
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