21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

This act establishes and modifies various federal housing programs.

TITLE I--OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOUSING

(Sec. 101) This section requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to review the performance of organizations that receive grants to provide housing counseling services. Such review may take into account the performance of individual counselors.

HUD may terminate assistance for such organizations that are not in compliance with the program's requirements.

(Sec. 102) This section requires HUD to establish best practices and provide technical assistance to state and local entities to support permitting for point-access block buildings (i.e., apartments with a single staircase to access the dwelling units and that are no more than six stories high).

It also allows HUD to award competitive grants to state and local entities to assess the feasibility, safety, and cost-effectiveness of such buildings. This authority expires after seven years.

(Sec. 103) This section exempts from environmental review specified rural housing projects located on an infill site (i.e., a site served by existing infrastructure, including water lines, sewer lines, and roads).

(Sec. 104) This section requires Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grantees to maintain a publicly accessible, searchable database identifying undeveloped land owned by the grantee.

(Sec. 105) This section authorizes the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to establish a four-year pilot program to increase the number of mortgages originated with a principal balance of $100,000 or less.

(Sec. 106) This section requires HUD to establish a three-year pilot program to award grants to public housing agencies (PHAs) and owners of federally assisted rental housing to install temperature sensors in residential dwelling units.

(Sec. 107) This section requires HUD to publish guidelines and best practices for state and local zoning frameworks that support production of adequate housing to meet the needs of communities and provide housing opportunities for individuals of all income levels.

TITLE II--BUILDING MORE IN AMERICA

(Sec. 201) This section allows HUD to give additional weight to competitive housing grant applications that include proposals for projects located in, or substantially benefiting, communities designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones (i.e., designated low-income areas for which economic investments may receive certain tax benefits).

(Sec. 202) This section authorizes a pilot program through which HUD provides grants to state and local governments to support the ability of certain landlords and low- to moderate-income homeowners to make necessary modifications, repairs, or updates to their property.

State and local governments must use the funds they receive under the program to award grants to homeowners and loans to landlords to make changes that address issues such as accessibility, habitability, and energy efficiency.

The program ends on October 1, 2031.

(Sec. 203) This section increases the cap on investments that state member banks of the Federal Reserve System and national banks supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency may make to promote the public welfare, which include projects that provide housing, services, or jobs to low- and moderate-income communities or families.

The section increases the aggregate amount of allowable investments by such banks from 15% to 20% of the bank's capital stock and unimpaired surplus.

(Sec. 204) This section authorizes the new construction of affordable housing as an allowable use of funds under the CDBG program.