REGULATORY BARRIERS CLEARINGHOUSE.

SEC. 1205. REGULATORY BARRIERS CLEARINGHOUSE. (a) Establishment.—The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall establish a clearinghouse to receive, collect, process, and assemble information regarding— (1) State and local laws, regulations, and policies affecting the development, maintenance, improvement, availability, or cost of affordable housing, including tax policies affecting land and other property, land use controls, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limits, and policies that affect the return on investment in residential property; (2) State and local activities, strategies, and plans to remove or ameliorate the negative effects, if any, of such laws, regulations, and policies; and (3) State and local strategies, activities and plans that promote affordable housing and housing desegregation. (b) Functions.—The clearinghouse established under sub-section (a) shall— (1) respond to inquiries from State and local governments, other organizations, and individuals requesting information regarding State and local laws, regulations, policies, activities, strategies, and plans described in subsection (a); and (2) provide assistance in identifying, examining, and under-standing such laws, regulations, policies, activities, strategies, and plans.