GAO study on workforce housing

(a) Workforce housing study (1) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study and submit to the Congress a report that— (A) identifies obstacles middle-income households face when looking to secure affordable housing; (B) identifies geographic areas where housing is the most unaffordable and unavailable for middle-income households; (C) includes a list of Federal housing programs, including Federal tax credits, grants, and loan programs, that are not available to middle-income households due to their income status, including Federal housing programs designed to promote affordability; (D) recommends income and other parameters for to establish a clear and consistent Federal definition for the term workforce housing for use when describing the segment of housing that could be made available to such middle-income households in Federal housing programs; programs if funding commensurate with the additional eligibility were to be made available; and (E) analyzes how to modify or newly develop new Federal housing programs and incentives to include workforce housing if funding commensurate with the additional eligibility were to be made available. (2) Middle-income household defined In this subsection, the term middle income household means a household with an income above 80 percent 80-percent but that does not exceed 120 percent 120-percent of the median family income of the area, as determined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller and larger families. (b) Uniform building code study Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study and submit a report to the Congress that examines the costs and benefits that could be associated with establishing a Federal uniform residential building code, including whether such a code could— (1) reduce the amount of time required for units of local government to approve new construction; (2) reduce the cost of residential construction in the United States; or (3) increase the quality of available and affordable residential housing in the United States.