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