Speeches & Testimony

I rise today in support of my legislation, the Transit Oriented Development Act, and urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan effort to expand affordable housing opportunities in communities across our country.

The affordable housing shortage remains one of the most significant drivers of the rising cost of living facing millions of Americans. In my home state of Hawaiʻi, the crisis is particularly acute. Housing costs consume an outsized share of household income, forcing working families to make impossible choices between rent, groceries and health care. Far too many of our keiki and kamaʻāina find themselves priced out of the communities they call home.

To truly address affordability, we must not only increase the supply of housing, but do so in ways that reflect the unique economic realities of our communities and lower overall living costs for families. That means building housing that is attainable, well-located and connected to jobs and services.

One of the most important federal tools we have to do that is the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which has long been one of our nation's most successful programs for financing affordable rental housing. Yet the current allocation structure does not always reflect the significant differences in housing costs and development challenges that exist across the country. Because allocations are based principally on population, communities facing exceptionally high housing costs—including Hawaiʻi and other non-contiguous jurisdictions—often face greater difficulty producing affordable housing despite having substantial need.

Our Transit Oriented Development Act takes a targeted approach to addressing that challenge. The bill provides an enhanced Low-Income Housing Tax Credit incentive for affordable housing developments located within designated transit-oriented development areas. This includes places that are already served by rail, bus, harbor or waterway transportation and are zoned for higher-density development. By encouraging affordable housing near existing transportation infrastructure, we can help reduce transportation costs for residents, improve access to jobs and essential services and support more efficient and sustainable community growth.

The legislation also recognizes the unique circumstances facing Hawaiʻi, Alaska and the United States territories by providing a modest additional basis boost for developments in those jurisdictions. This adjustment reflects the higher costs and unique constraints associated with affordable housing development in non-contiguous areas while helping ensure that the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit can more effectively serve the communities it was designed to assist.

Finally, this bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to study how geographic differences in housing costs and transit accessibility might be better reflected in future tax credit allocations. That analysis will help inform future policy discussions and ensure that federal housing resources are distributed in a manner that more accurately reflects real-world conditions.

Mr. Speaker, affordable housing and accessible transportation are both essential components of strong, resilient communities. This legislation advances both goals through a practical, bipartisan approach that builds on an existing and proven housing program. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support the Transit Oriented Development Act.