resideact.org

Office-to-housing conversion laws

Whether an empty office building becomes housing depends on federal money, state permitting law and local incentives, usually all three at once. Each guide here is checked against the enacted text and dated.

Jump to: Federal · California · Pennsylvania

Federal

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (Public Law 119-101) and the RESIDE Act inside it.

  • The RESIDE Act explained

    The federal pilot grant for converting vacant and abandoned buildings to housing, and which buildings could qualify.

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  • The ROAD to Housing Act explained

    What is in Public Law 119-101, how Congress voted, and when each part takes effect.

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  • How RESIDE grants should be sized

    A cost-share formula pays San Jose’s RESIDE candidates 2.1× their financing gap at market rents, and too little once the law’s affordability rule is priced in.

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  • Environmental review changes

    How Sections 205, 206 and 501 lighten federal environmental review, including for office conversions.

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  • CDBG and HOME changes

    New construction under CDBG, Build Now allocations, HOME reforms and new planning grants.

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  • Opportunity Zones

    How Section 201 and the RESIDE Act favor Opportunity Zones, and which screened buildings sit in one.

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  • The Innovation Fund

    Who qualifies for $250,000 to $10 million awards, and the local reforms the fund rewards.

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  • The Build Now Act

    Which places it covers, the housing growth formula, and the 10% CDBG cut and bonus.

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  • Manufactured housing and the chassis rule

    Title III ends the permanent chassis requirement, sets state certification deadlines, raises FHA Title I loan limits and creates the PRICE Act grants.

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California

State law for Downtown San Jose and every other California city.

Pennsylvania

State and city law for Center City Philadelphia.