The Build Housing Package: What D.C. Developers Need to Know

District of Columbia Councilmember Robert White on September 25, 2026, introduced the Build Housing Package comprised of four targeted bills intended to address housing delivery and cost concerns. Councilmember Brooke Pinto is serving as co-lead or co-introducer of the bills. The package of proposed legislation responds to Council findings that costs associated with housing development have increased dramatically in the District of Columbia as a result of, in part, lengthy permitting timelines, duplicative reviews and regulatory requirements that do not scale appropriately.

Two bills are likely to matter most for permitting:

• The Pre-Approved Housing Plans Act of 2026 would create a program through the Department of Buildings (DOB) whereby standardized building plans for rowhouses, duplexes and other small multifamily buildings would be created or procured by DOB and made publicly available. Each plan would be adaptable for different lots and site conditions to create a more predictable and affordable pathway for small-scale housing development.
• The Risk-Based Third-Party Code Review Act of 2026 addresses a reported shortcoming in the third-party permit review system where DOB currently performs a full technical permit review following submissions by qualified external third parties. The bill establishes a binding third-party pathway under which DOB would rely on certified submissions for defined project types unless it finds a specific defect within a set review window. DOB would shift to targeted audits rather than universal re-review, with oversight scaled to project complexity and the permit applicant's track record.

A third bill, the Affordable Housing Tax Assessment Alignment Act of 2026, seeks to prevent affordable housing developments from being taxed as if they collect market rate rents for units that are income-restricted by covenant. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide affordability covenant data to the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) to allow covenant-restricted rents to be accounted as part of OTR's assessment of property value.

The fourth bill, the Understanding the Cost of Housing Regulations Act of 2026, would require an independent third-party review that compiles a comparison of the District's development costs, permitting timelines and regulatory burdens against those of peer jurisdictions in Maryland and Virginia. Though this bill would not change any requirements immediately, it could shape future reform by examining how individually reasonable rules add up when they are stacked on a single project.

Next Steps

All four bills are at the introduction stage and must still go through the Council's legislative process, mayoral approval and congressional review. Developers should consider weighing in, particularly those who are working on smaller, infill or affordable projects.

Holland & Knight's D.C. and Northern Virginia Land Use Team is monitoring the processing of this legislative package. If you have questions about how these bills may affect your project pipeline, please contact the authors or your Holland & Knight relationship attorney.