A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has pledged support for an affordable housing bill that could lead to the development of 500,000 starter homes in struggling communities over the next decade. The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, introduced in both the House and Senate, would offer a tax incentive to developers to minimize their risk when building or rehabilitating existing housing. In some areas of the U.S., the cost of rehabilitating or building a home could exceed the eventual sale price. This bill would fill the “value gap,” up to 35 percent of eligible development costs for new homes. The bill...