By Martin Matheny
Delaware Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester has introduced her first bill as a member of the U.S. Senate.
Blunt Rochester’s bill, the Housing Supply Frameworks Act, is meant to help local and state governments overhaul their zoning and land use laws with support from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.
That, Blunt Rochester said, will lead to more housing.
“Bottom line, breaking down barriers, getting rid of red tape and increasing the supply of affordable housing, which we know in Delaware is vital,” she said.
Overhauling zoning and land use laws can be daunting for local governments, she said.
“Maybe it’s amending a height restriction, maybe it’s dealing with a set back from the property,” Blunt Rochester said. “There are all these different techniques and things that can be done, but a lot of times state and local governments might not know what those are or they might not know how to get there.”
Blunt Rochester says the bill is designed for governments in all parts of the state – rural, suburban, and urban.
“Part of the reason why it was important to provide flexibility is because what might work in Sussex County might not work in the city of Wilmington,” she said.
Changes to zoning and land use laws on the state and local level were among the recommendations made earlier this month by the state’s Affordable Housing Production Task Force.
Blunt Rochester’s proposal has bipartisan backing in the Senate and the House, and she believes the administration will be supportive of the bill.
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