To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish Federal guidelines for point-access block buildings, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Torres of New York (for himself and Mr. Lawler) …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to issue federal guidelines within 18 months for point-access block buildings (residential buildings up to 5 stories with a single internal stairway). The guidelines will provide model code language, best practices, and technical guidance to help states and localities permit these more space-efficient building types, which are common in Europe but currently restricted in most US jurisdictions.
Who Benefits and How
Residential developers and construction firms benefit from potentially reduced construction costs due to more efficient building layouts without double-stair requirements. Housing consumers benefit from potentially increased housing supply and affordability in high-cost areas. Architects and design firms gain expanded design options. States and localities receive technical guidance and potential grant funding for pilot projects.
Who Bears the Burden and How
HUD faces the administrative burden of developing comprehensive guidelines and coordinating with the International Code Council. No preemption of state or local codes means local jurisdictions retain full authority but may face pressure to adopt new standards. Fire safety officials face new considerations for evaluating single-stair buildings.
Key Provisions
- HUD must issue guidelines within 18 months covering fire safety, construction costs, accessibility, and international examples
- Guidelines must coordinate with the International Code Council for potential Building Code incorporation
- Competitive grants available for pilot projects evaluating safety and feasibility
- No preemption of state or local building codes
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Requires HUD to establish federal guidelines for point-access block buildings (single-stair residential buildings) to provide model code language, best practices, and technical guidance for permitting, with optional competitive grants for pilot projects.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Promote housing affordability and supply by providing federal guidance for more efficient building designs while preserving state and local authority over building codes"
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A Group R-2 occupancy residential structure in which a single internal stairway provides access and egress for all dwelling units in a building not greater than five stories in height
A State, unit of local government, Tribal government, public housing agency, nonprofit housing or community development organization, private developer or construction firm, qualified design or engineering firm, academic or research institution, or any partnership or consortium of such entities
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology