More Federal Legislation to Tackle Housing Affordability Proposed

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has introduced legislation that would tie federal funding to pro-development policies at the local level.

1 minute read

August 6, 2018, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Capitol Hill

Julie Clopper / Shutterstock

Richard Kahlenberg reports that Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has a "big idea" about reining in exclusionary zoning.

According to Kahlenberg, Senator Booker "says bad zoning laws are making housing more segregated and less affordable, and he has just introduced legislation to do something about it."

Toward that end, Senator Booker recently introduced the Housing, Opportunity, Mobility and Equity (HOME) Act, "to address this key piece of the Fair Housing Act’s unfinished business."

"The bill would promote more inclusive zoning policies in order to make housing more affordable and less segregated," explains Kahlenberg.

Under Booker’s proposal, states, cities and counties receiving funding under the $3.3 billion federal Community Development Block Grant program for public infrastructure and housing would be required to develop strategies to reduce barriers to housing development and increase the supply of housing. Plans could include authorizing more high density and multifamily zoning and relaxing lot size restrictions. The goal is for affordable housing units to comprise not less than 20 percent of new housing stock.

The article includes a lot more context for the legislative proposal, including anecdotes from Senator Booker's personal history. The legislation is the latest attempt by congressional Democrats to tackle the national crisis caused by the high cost of housing. Recently, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) introduced legislation that would offer a tax break to qualified renters.

Thursday, August 2, 2018 in The American Prospect

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

2 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

3 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

4 hours ago - Bloomberg