At a recent Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee markup of housing legislation, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, emphasized how the bill “successfully addresses the housing affordability crisis, expands affordable housing by increasing supply, and strengthens oversight and accountability,” a news release from McCormick’s office said.

The bill was approved unanimously by the Banking Committee.

“The affordable housing crisis is a huge issue in Pennsylvania,” McCormick said, according to the news release. “On Friday, I was in Pittsburgh with Secretary Scott Turner where we toured a number of community development projects. This is key to the American Dream, and it’s a challenge for Americans across our communities. That’s why I’m so proud to support the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act. This package recognizes and starts with the premise that the status-quo is unacceptable. From ever-increasing costs to buy a new home, including double-digit growth in Pennsylvania, to long searches for affordable apartments and rent that’s out of reach, we need innovative solutions, and that’s exactly what this bill offers.”

The news release said the legislation includes several measures that McCormick has introduced or cosponsored. One measure requires HUD, USDA, and the VA to establish a data sharing agreement on housing research and market data and to submit a joint report to Congress identifying opportunities for increased collaboration and housing barriers to address. Another requires the FHA Commissioner to study multifamily loan limits and grants HUD rulemaking authority to adjust those limits to better match housing market costs. A third permanently excludes veterans’ disability compensation from income calculations under the HUD-VASH program and for housing on Department property to help homeless veterans access housing.

The legislation also establishes a five-year pilot program at HUD to offer grants and forgivable loans to low and moderate-income homeowners and qualifying small landlords to holistically address home repair needs and health hazards, which the news release notes McCormick also supports.

“This will stabilize aging housing stock, preserve affordable units, and support neighborhood revitalization without creating new long-term federal entitlements,” the news release said.