,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cgfh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #c1  
#bjbf,mr4 ,durbin 7for himself and ,ms4 
,duckworth7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1
 and ,urban ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to    
direct the ,secretary of ,housing and   
,urban ,development to conduct a grant  
competition for the development of      
single- and multi-family homes1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,advancing     
,better ,options for ,dwellings         
,everywhere ,act or the ,,abode ,act4   
#b4 ,competition  7a7 ,in general ,the  
,secretary of ,housing and ,urban       
,development 7in this section referred  
to as the ,secretary71 in consultation  
with the ,department of ,energy and the 
,environmental ,protection ,agency1     
shall-- 7#a7 conduct a grant competition
 to provide grants to academic          
organizations1 nonprofit organizations1 

and for-profit or nonprofit             
mission-driven developers to develop1 or
 rehabilitate existing1 single- and     
multi-family homes-- 7,a7 for households
 with an income that is not more than   
#ej percent of the area median income2  
and  7,b7 with a focus on-- 7i7 reducing
 development costs2  7ii7 increasing    
resiliency1 energy efficiency1          
accessibility for individuals with      
disabilities2 and  7iii7 selecting      
projects that are built to scale2 and   
7#b7 study the short- and long-term     
savings of the resiliency and energy    
efficiency measures that were           
implemented in the homes described in   
paragraph 7#a74  7b7 ,use of funds ,a   
grant awarded under this section shall  
be awarded at completion of the contract
 for building a pre-determined number of
 homes that abide by pre-determined     
resiliency and energy efficiency        
measures4  7c7 ,priority ,the ,secretary
 shall prioritize grant awards that--   
7#a7 develop or rehabilitate homes in   

areas with a severe affordable housing  
shortage2  7#b7 focus on quality1       
durability and maintenance costs1 and   
neighborhood design compatibility2 or   
7#c7 develop or rehabilitate homes with 
universal design that provides access   
for individuals with disabilities4  7d7 
,report ,not later than #b years after  
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary shall submit to ,congress a  
report on the competition and study     
conducted under this section1 which     
shall include-- 7#a7 a description of   
the projects funded and completed2  7#b7
 the number and sales or rental price1  
as applicable1 of affordable houses     
built2 and  7#c7 the results of the     
study described in subsection 7a77#b74  
7e7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
such sums as may be necessary to carry  
out this section4