HUD to guide states on cheaper apartment buildings—if they're safe enough
H.R. 6345 — Point-Access Housing Guidelines Act of 2025 · Filed by Ritchie Torres (D-NY) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Dec 1, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the Secretary of HUD to issue guidelines within 18 months to help states, cities, and tribes adopt building codes that allow 'point-access block' residential buildings—essentially mid-rise apartment buildings (up to 5 stories) served by a single internal staircase instead of multiple stairs. The bill also authorizes competitive grants for pilot projects to test whether these buildings are safe, feasible, and cost-effective. The goal is to reduce construction costs and increase housing supply in expensive markets by simplifying building design.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is regulatory guidance and pilot grants designed to reduce barriers to mid-rise residential construction. It is a supply-side housing policy aimed at affordability through code simplification, not a subsidy or tax carve-out.
What the text implies
- Adoption of single-stair codes could reduce fire-safety redundancy compared to multi-stair buildings; guidelines must address this trade-off explicitly to avoid future liability disputes.
- Pilot grants may disproportionately benefit jurisdictions with existing capacity to apply and manage federal grants, potentially widening regional housing-supply disparities.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
residential real estate developers; construction firms; multifamily housing REITs