Congressman Josh Harder — as a resident of Tracy, one of California’s fastest growing communities — knows how tough it can be to get new housing built.

It is why Harder helped found and serves as co-chair of the Build America Caucus that led the largest bipartisan advocacy push in the 119th Congress to reform the federal housing package and succeeded.

Harder, during a recent Manteca visit, shared how his bills that are now law will help “unlock homeownership in the Valley”:

*Harder’s Increasing Housing in Opportunity Zones Act authorizes the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to give priority to Opportunity Zone communities when awarding competitive housing grants.

*Harder’s Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act increases limits on loans for manufactured homes and opens up new financing for ADUs, which offer families an early path to homeownership.

*The broader package also includes provisions to cut paperwork, speed up environmental reviews, and reduce costly bureaucracy that drives up housing costs.

“One third of young adults are still living at home because we don’t have enough housing and prices are skyrocketing as a result,” Harder said.

“That’s why I stood up to the gridlock in Washington and helped negotiate and pass the strongest housing package in half a century, which included my bills to get more homes built in the Valley. Finally being able to own a home is about to get easier for our families and the next generation.”

Twenty-seven of the Build America Caucus housing bills have become law.

Harder noted for decades, Washington looked the other way while the housing crisis grew worse:

*California is short millions of homes, and more than half the state is cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent.

*Higher housing prices have pushed the median homebuying age to nearly 60 and the first-time homebuying age to 40, boxing out an entire generation from homeownership.

*In San Joaquin County alone, families need to earn over $130,000 annually to afford a home, which is 40% higher than the county's average household income.

After passing the federal housing package, the Caucus is setting its sights on a bipartisan energy permitting deal to lower energy costs.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email, dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com