The Grad Student Affordable Housing Act of 2026 directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to create a program offering rental assistance vouchers to graduate students. To qualify, students must be enrolled in graduate programs and meet specific income limits, which are set at $40,000 for dependents or independent individuals and $80,000 for families, with provisions for cost-of-living adjustments. Selected students receive vouchers that cover 80 percent of the fair market rental cost for their chosen housing. The bill requires students to apply through the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development within one year of the law's enactment.
This bill creates a five-year pilot program to provide grants to states and local governments for expanding Forensic Assertive Community Treatment teams. These specialized teams offer intensive, round-the-clock support including mental health care, addiction treatment, and housing assistance to individuals with serious mental illness who are involved with the criminal justice system. The program requires teams to include a mix of psychiatrists, employment specialists, criminal justice partners, and peer specialists with lived experience. Additionally, the legislation authorizes funding for a study by the National Academies to evaluate the program's effectiveness and develop guidelines for scaling it up.
The Making Condos Safer and Affordable Act of 2026 expands federal mortgage insurance options for condominium projects to help finance repairs and replacements of shared facilities like roofs, elevators, and common areas. It allows the governing body of a condominium to take out loans secured by future mandatory payments from individual unit owners, with the government potentially insuring up to 90 percent of the project cost. Additionally, the bill modifies existing rehabilitation loan programs to let individual condo owners use these funds to pay for special assessments related to building improvements or to build reserves for future maintenance. The legislation also streamlines regulations for managing these rehabilitation projects and adjusts loan limits to better reflect the costs of such repairs.
This bill creates a new tax credit for homeowners who pay interest on loans used to buy, build, or improve their primary residences. The credit allows taxpayers to directly reduce their federal income tax liability by up to $2,000 annually, or $1,000 for married individuals filing separately, provided their modified adjusted gross income does not exceed specific thresholds that vary by filing status. The amount of the credit is reduced by $20 for every $1,000 that a taxpayer's income exceeds these limits, and the provision includes an automatic inflation adjustment mechanism starting in 2028. This legislation applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026, and excludes nonresident aliens from claiming the benefit.
This bill, known as the Housing Voucher Funding Reallocation Act, aims to change how unspent federal housing funds are managed at the end of each fiscal year. It directly affects public housing agencies that administer tenant-based assistance, such as housing vouchers. Under the new rules, agencies that do not use all their allocated funds must return the leftover money to the federal government. These recaptured funds are then redistributed to other public housing agencies that have exhausted their entire budgets. The goal is to ensure that available housing assistance reaches more eligible individuals rather than remaining unused in agencies with excess capacity.
The Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act of 2026 creates a new tax credit for individuals aged 60 or older to help cover the costs of home modifications that improve accessibility and safety. This credit allows eligible taxpayers to claim up to $10,000 for expenses related to installing features such as wheelchair ramps, widening doorways, adding grab bars, and replacing bathroom fixtures. The amount of the credit is reduced based on the taxpayer's income, with the full benefit available to those earning less than $100,000 annually, and the law also authorizes $500 million in federal grants to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund additional home modification projects for older adults from 2027 through 2031.
The Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026 modernizes the H-2A visa program by transferring administrative authority to the Department of Homeland Security and introducing a unified online platform to streamline applications for employers and workers. Key provisions include establishing new housing standards with mandatory inspections, creating a system for staggered worker entry and exit, and allowing workers to transfer between employers without losing their status. The bill also defines specific job classifications for wage calculations, expands the scope of covered agricultural activities, and provides legal protections for employers who document the employment of workers seeking visa status. Additionally, it requires agencies to develop a heat illness prevention plan and allows for contract termination due to natural disasters.
The Ounce of Prevention Act allows communities receiving federal Community Development Block Grants to use those funds for projects that reduce risks from weather-related disasters. This legislation expands the definition of eligible activities to include measures that protect health and welfare by lessening the impact of future hazards, such as building new structures or rehabilitating existing ones in high-risk areas. To support these efforts, the bill requires grantees to submit plans detailing how they will address specific disaster needs and mandates that the Department of Housing and Urban Development provide technical assistance. Additionally, the act permits communities to treat assisted housing units as a single structure for regulatory purposes and sets a deadline for the Secretary to issue new rules formalizing these mitigation efforts.
The Community Housing Act of 2026 aims to increase the supply and affordability of housing by directing significant new federal funding to programs like the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund. It establishes a new Office of Community Land Use and Zoning within HUD to help states and localities reform restrictive zoning laws that limit housing development. The bill also expands financial support for rural areas, creates a new fund to promote shared equity and community land trusts, and removes a legal cap on the number of public housing units agencies can manage. Additionally, it provides grants to protect tenants from eviction and authorizes low-cost financing options for affordable housing projects.
The Community Schools and Health Equity Act establishes a competitive grant program led by the Department of Education to fund school-based health services in community schools. Eligible recipients, such as local school districts and community partnerships, can use these funds to hire staff like nurses and social workers, provide wraparound support including nutrition and housing assistance, and address social determinants of health. The legislation prioritizes grants for schools serving high numbers of low-income students, English learners, and families in medically underserved areas. To ensure accountability, grantees must annually report on student outcomes and health impacts, while the Education and Health and Human Services Secretaries must coordinate to reduce administrative burdens and share technical assistance.
