Media

All members of Congress from the Bay Area have signed a letter that was delivered to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday that calls on the agency to investigate the high number of gray whale deaths recorded off the coast of California this year.

The federal government could help homeowners in states like California more easily build accessory dwelling units on their property.

California Rep. Sam Liccardo joined New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino in proposing the Supporting Upgraded Property Projects and Lending for Yards (SUPPLY) Act on Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported. The bipartisan effort aims to get the federal government involved to address housing affordability across the country.

Accessory Dwelling Units — smaller, secondary housing units built onto existing homes and properties — have become a popular suggestion among those trying to mitigate the nation’s housing crisis, but many homeowners trying to build one struggle to receive the financing.

U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-San Jose, is trying to help solve that problem with recently-introduced new legislation, the SUPPLY Act, which would help homeowners obtain government-backed second mortgages to finance ADU construction.

A pair of congressmen from California and New York plan to unveil a bill on Friday that would create a government-backed loan program for homeowners to finance the construction of tiny homes on their properties.

The bill aims to boost building of accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, in a new effort to tackle the nation’s severe housing shortage. These add-ons are small, studio-style housing units, usually between 600 and 1,200 square feet, that can supplement an existing home in the backyard, garage or basement.