The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law this month after President Donald Trump refrained from issuing a veto to stop it.

The far-ranging legislation includes numerous measures aimed at encouraging more housing construction across the country. The Act’s provisions include:

• Allowing the use of ready-to-use, pre-approved home designs so builders can get permits faster and build homes faster.

• Modernizing and streamlining federal and local housing processes.

• Strengthening local housing operations and community capacity to produce more affordable homes in rural and urban areas.

• Modernizing outdated banking regulations to expand local lending.

• Modernizing the HOME Program, the largest federal block grant program for states to increase the supply of affordable housing. 

• Creating a pilot grant program to help local governments convert vacant commercial or industrial buildings into affordable housing

• Exempting small-scale housing developments from federal environmental reviews and giving jurisdictions more flexibility and time to commit funds with fewer federal constraints.

Housing supply has not kept pace with demand, leaving the nation short by as many as 5.5 million units, according to a summary of the Act published by the House of Representatives.

For more on the Act, check out this explainer from the Bipartisan Policy Center.