SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Housing affordability is a top complaint for Americans, including for Texans and San Antonio residents. That\u2019s why a bipartisan federal affordable housing bill was signed into law Saturday, making some sweeping changes.<\/p>\n
Experts, such as Ed Zapata, chairman of the San Antonio Board of Realtors, have explained that many factors have contributed to high prices over the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cMortgage rates, cost of living, insurance, insurability is also a really big factor,\u201d Zapata said. \u201dSo I think it\u2019s not just one component, but supply; increasing that supply is really gonna help us get a tackle on one of the pieces of the puzzle for affordability.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, he said the core piece this new legislation targets is the supply, and getting more housing supply on the ground.<\/p>\n
Zapata said inventory is low everywhere, which may seem surprising to people in San Antonio, considering how many new subdivisions are popping up on all sides of town.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know in San Antonio, it seems like we have a lot of inventory right now, but we have a lot of people moving into San Antonio. More businesses coming into San Antonio,\u201d Zapata said.<\/p>\n
Zapata said San Antonio has six months of supply, meaning if everything in the economy remains the same, the area will run out of that inventory in six months.<\/p>\n
However, San Antonio is better off than Texas in general, which is around five and a half months, and much better than the nation overall, which is around four and a half months.<\/p>\n
Zapata said the new law addresses this shortage by cleaning up red tape in decades-old policies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt clears up policies so developers can have reliability,\u201d he said. \u201dIt will clean up barriers to entry; it will reduce costs.\u201d<\/p>\n
The law also, for the first time, limits how many homes big investors can buy, capping it at 350 single-family homes.<\/p>\n
That helps the law clear the way for many types of potential homeowners.<\/p>\n
\u201cYoung professionals need a certain housing. Military needs certain housing, right, and our retirees,\u201d Zapata said. \u201dSo I\u2019m really encouraged about this bill because it also has provisions on the different types of housing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bill also covers many other programs involving affordable housing:<\/p>\n
Lifts the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program cap and extends protections for tenants in RAD buildings.<\/p>\n
HUD to prioritize projects based in or primarily serving communities designated as opportunity zones for any competitive grants relating to housing development or preservation.<\/p>\n
Creates a $200 million annual competitive grant program for local governments and tribes that demonstrate measurable increases in housing supply, incentivizing reforms such as streamlined permitting, density bonuses and zoning changes.<\/p>\n
Increases the loan limits of FHA-insured manufactured housing loans, adds the construction of accessory dwelling units as an acceptable use for FHA-insured property improvement loans, and directs HUD to conduct a study on the cost-effectiveness of off-site construction techniques.<\/p>\n
Reauthorizes Preservation and Reinvestment for Community Enhancement (PRICE) grants to fund the repair, preservation, and improvement of existing manufactured homes and manufactured home communities.<\/p>\n
Permanently authorizes and reforms HUD\u2019s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program to better address the needs of low- to moderate-income households following major disasters.<\/p>\n
Makes changes to the USDA\u2019s Rural Housing Service programs, including decoupling rental assistance from maturing mortgages, permanently establishing the Housing Preservation and Revitalization program for multifamily rental housing, and authorizing technology improvements and increased staffing.<\/p>\n
Adds a disclosure to the Uniform Residential Loan Application informing applicants they may be eligible for a Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan to increase awareness of and access to the program.<\/p>\n
Prohibits the Federal Reserve from creating a central bank digital currency through 2030.<\/p>\n
While the bill pushes many changes, experts are telling people not to expect things to change overnight.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a long-term policy structure, and it\u2019s a step in the right direction, right,\u201d Zapata said. \u201dNo one policy is going to solve the affordability mix, but this will help us in the long run to get more houses on the line.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are also some things the bill does not include: interest rates, rising construction costs, labor shortages, tariffs, and inflation.<\/p>\n
Read also: <\/p>\n
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