Housing Market Liberation & Affordability Act

Prepared by John Dady – citizensagainsttyranny.net – citizensagainsttyranny1776@gmail.com

(Includes: Full Bill • Statutory Summary • “For the People” Explainer)

Title I — Findings, Purpose, and Policy

Sec. 101. Findings

1. Millions of working‑ and middle‑income families have been denied access to safe, modern, and affordable housing because of state and local barriers that restricted or excluded manufactured and modular homes.

2. These barriers were often enacted under pressure from protectionist building‑trade interests and perpetuated by discriminatory planning and zoning practices.

3. Many jurisdictions improperly attempted to hold federally‑regulated HUD‑code homes to inferior or conflicting state and local construction standards, contrary to federal pre‑emption.

4. Such policies suppressed competition, reduced housing supply, and drove up the cost of renting and owning a home.

5. Modern manufactured and modular homes are typically more affordable, precision‑built, and substantially more energy‑efficient than much of the existing site‑built housing stock.

Sec. 102. Purpose and Policy

It is the policy of this Act to (a) end exclusionary single‑family‑only zoning in transit‑rich and commercial areas; (b) require ministerial, by‑right permitting for conforming housing; and (c) guarantee equitable treatment of HUD‑certified manufactured homes and code‑compliant modular homes as lawful residential options, including multi‑unit formats up to three (3) stories.

Title II — Zoning Reform and Supply

Sec. 201. Abolition of Single‑Family‑Only Zoning in Key Areas

(a) Within mapped transit‑rich areas and designated commercial corridors, local governments shall allow by‑right residential construction at densities permitting duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, and multifamily buildings up to three (3) stories above grade.

(b) Local governments may adopt objective design standards, but such standards shall not reduce the minimum densities specified in subsection (a).

Sec. 202. Parking and Lot Standards

(a) Minimum off‑street parking requirements shall not exceed two (2) spaces per dwelling unit in the areas described in Sec. 201.

(b) Minimum lot‑size, frontage, and unit‑size rules shall not preclude the housing forms authorized by this Title.

Title III — Ministerial Permitting (Anti‑NIMBY)

Sec. 301. By‑Right Review

(a) Any conforming residential project under this Act shall receive ministerial (administrative) approval within ninety (90) days of a complete application.

(b) Prohibited Discretion: Public hearings, neighbor vetoes, and discretionary review bodies shall not be required or used for conforming projects.

Sec. 302. Objective Standards and Timelines

(a) Agencies shall publish an objective checklist of all applicable standards within 120 days of enactment.

(b) Failure to act within the timeline in Sec. 301 shall result in automatic approval deemed issued by operation of law.

Title IV — Manufactured & Modular Housing Equity

Sec. 401. Equal Residential Legality

(a) Jurisdictions shall not ban HUD‑certified manufactured homes or state‑approved modular homes on permanent foundations in any residential zone where site‑built single‑ or multi‑family dwellings are permitted.

(b) No state or local government may restrict or prohibit a housing form authorized under Section 201 solely because it is factory‑built. HUD‑code manufactured homes placed on a permanent foundation shall be deemed to satisfy all residential‑construction requirements applicable to comparable site‑built dwellings, and no additional local building‑code standards may be imposed. Modular homes shall be accepted if they comply with the applicable state‑approved modular building code and other generally applicable health, fire‑safety, and energy standards.

Sec. 402. Aesthetic and Code Neutrality

(a) Outright or de facto exclusions based on roof pitch exceeding 4:12, exterior materials, or other aesthetic mandates that add cost without a documented life‑safety purpose are prohibited.

(b) Manufactured and modular homes shall be processed under the same building, fire, and energy codes as comparable site‑built dwellings.

Sec. 403. Energy and Quality Findings

Congress finds that modern manufactured and modular homes are often lower‑cost, precision‑built, and highly energy‑efficient relative to many site‑built homes, creating meaningful household savings on utilities and total cost of ownership.

Title V — Enforcement and Incentives

Sec. 501. Compliance Deadline

States shall certify local compliance within twenty‑four (24) months of enactment.

Sec. 502. Penalty for Non‑Compliance

Beginning the first day of the twenty‑fifth (25th) month after enactment, non‑compliant states shall incur an automatic twenty percent (20 %) reduction in Federal Highway, Mass Transit, and Transportation‑Infrastructure funds, continuing until compliance is certified by the Secretary of Transportation.

Sec. 503. Judicial Review

Final agency compliance determinations shall be reviewable under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Statutory Authority & Enforcement Appendix

I. Constitutional Authority

Spending Clause (Art. I, § 8, cl. 1) — Congress may attach clear, proportionate conditions to federal funds. Commerce Clause (Art. I, § 8, cl. 3) — land‑use barriers that substantially affect interstate housing markets, materials, and labor mobility may be pre‑empted. Supremacy Clause (Art. VI, cl. 2) — valid federal conditions pre‑empt conflicting state or local law.

II. Key Statutory Precedents

23 U.S.C. §§ 104–106, 402 — long‑standing conditional highway/transit funding. 42 U.S.C. § 5301 et seq. (CDBG) and § 12701 et seq. (HOME) — federal housing funds conditioned on local compliance. South Dakota v. Dole, 483 U.S. 203 (1987) — conditional spending upheld. NFIB v. Sebelius, 567 U.S. 519 (2012) — conditions must be clear, germane, and not unduly coercive.

III. Application

Titles II–IV are enforced via Spending‑Clause conditions tied to transportation funds; objective, proportionate, and germane to federal interests in mobility, affordability, and efficient infrastructure investment.

IV. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the remainder shall continue in effect.

SECTION 2 – Statutory Summary

Purpose: End exclusionary zoning, accelerate by‑right approvals, and guarantee equal treatment of manufactured and modular housing to expand supply and lower costs.

Enforcement: States missing the 24‑month compliance deadline face an automatic 20 % reduction in Federal Highway/Transit/Infrastructure funds until certified compliant.

Authority: Spending Clause & Commerce Clause; 23 U.S.C. §§ 104–106, 402; CDBG/HOME statutes; South Dakota v. Dole (1987); NFIB v. Sebelius (2012).

SECTION 3 – For the People Explainer

Why This Matters

• Rents and starter‑home prices are too high because rules block affordable types of homes and add years of delay.

What This Bill Does for You

• Opens the door for duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, and up‑to‑3‑story buildings in transit and commercial areas.

• Requires fast, by‑right permits — no endless hearings for compliant projects.

• Protects modern manufactured & modular homes that are often lower‑cost, better‑built, and more energy‑efficient — saving on mortgage and utilities.

Bottom Line

• More homes, built faster, at prices families can afford — with safe, modern standards.