PITTSFIELD — A sweeping bipartisan federal housing law is giving Berkshire County developers hope that building affordable homes could become faster, cheaper and easier.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a bipartisan behemoth of federal legislation that adds and expands housing development funding opportunities, removes redundant regulations that slow down projects and creates new programs towns and homeowners can leverage to increase and keep housing stock. It officially became law early Saturday after President Donald Trump refused to sign it for 10 days.

“Here we are at the starting line, so the race for affordable housing is on,” said Jim Harwood, president of the board for the Community Development Corp. of South Berkshire. “And I’m excited for it.”

Although there is reason for celebration, the bill is not a catch-all solution to a housing crisis decades in the making, local housing officials said.

“The thing that excites me about this bill overall is that it’s bipartisan,” said Carolyn Valli, CEO of Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity. “It seems like this is the first thing they’ve all been able to work on together, which gives me hope for the future.”

The full article is available on The Berkshire Eagle.