HUD Publishes Request for Information on BABA-Compliant Products

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today published a request for information (RFI) seeking public comments on the availability of domestically manufactured products used in the development of affordable housing in an effort to improve its implementation of Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements. NCSHA, in coalition with the affordable housing industry, has been pressing HUD and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to improve and streamline BABA compliance requirements.

HUD is trying to improve its understanding of the current domestic market for BABA-compliant construction materials and manufactured products. The RFI will help HUD evaluate the potential need for “short-term product-specific waivers if products are unavailable.”

HUD is requesting information from product manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and other stakeholders on three general topics related to the availability of manufactured products or product categories. HUD is asking for comments to address: (1) if the product is manufactured in the United States; (2) if the product is BABA-compliant; and (3) the domestic capacity to produce the product. NCSHA encourages housers to respond to the RFI to identify for HUD the products and materials they have been unable to find from domestic sources at the needed scale.

The RFI is seeking to capture information on a wide variety of manufactured products and product categories manufactured within the United States. However, HUD is especially interested in comments relating to the following products and categories:

• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems;
• Plumbing fixtures;
• Door hardware, including electronic access control systems and digital locksets;
• Elevators;
• Fire alarm and fire suppression systems;
• Solar panels; and
• Electrical components, including light fixtures, security cameras, panel boards, and distribution panels.

Comments are due on July 20, with late comments considered to the extent practicable. Please send any comments you may have to Glenn Gallo by July 13.