Gov. Mike Braun on Monday heralded a housing deregulation bill he signed last month to boost new housing starts as part of his affordability agenda.
Homebuilder and bill author Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, joined the governor for the ceremonial signing of House Enrolled Act 1001.
The bill aims to lower costs for builders and homebuyers alike by minimizing local zoning rules like aesthetic and parking mandates, streamlining approvals for new construction and expanding the types of residential development allowed without a public hearing — common barriers to new housing starts. Cities and counties can opt out of the changes.
Braun said state officials want to ensure the rules of homeownership are not burdensome, though much of the work will be up to local governments.
The law, which takes effect July 1, requires each town, city and county in Indiana to evaluate barriers to new housing starts and report on their progress to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
“The goal is to identify barriers to build more homes and lower prices,” Braun said.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Miller said Indiana suffers from a stagnant middle market as potential sellers can’t find a new home.
He told lawmakers last session the state needs 50,000 homes to meet demand.
While the final version of HEA 1001 allows local governments to opt out certain of provisions of the bill critics said pre-empted local control, Miller touted the bill’s data collection provisions as “scaffolding” for future action.
“We want to know how many homes are being built at 80% of (area median income),” he said. “How many at 125%? How many projects are being approved by our communities? How many projects are being denied, and why?”
“This is not rocket science,” Miller said. “More housing supply means more competitive prices. More competitive prices means we’re moving that ‘stuck middle’ group up the ladder and we’re bringing people at the bottom up.”
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