This Senate resolution recognizes the importance of independent living and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities, emphasizing their right to live in their own homes and communities. It calls on the Department of Justice to rescind a recent opinion that the Senate views as undermining the legal requirement to provide community-based services instead of institutional care. The document also urges various federal agencies to improve funding for home and community-based services, increase accessible housing and transportation, and promote competitive employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Additionally, the resolution pledges bipartisan efforts to address barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, including those of color, and opposes cuts to the Medicaid program that could limit access to essential support services.
Sub-Topics
Medicaid
Tags
People with Disabilities
This bill establishes a new independent council within the executive branch called the United States Interagency Council on Housing Affordability and Preservation to coordinate federal efforts on affordable housing. The council will be composed of heads from twenty-one different federal agencies, including HUD, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Labor, who will meet at least four times a year to develop a national strategic plan and review housing programs. Its main duties involve creating a unified strategy to increase affordable housing supply, providing technical assistance to states and local governments, and reporting annually to the President and Congress on housing needs and federal actions. The legislation also encourages states to form their own interagency councils and authorizes $4.8 million per year through 2031 to fund the council's operations.
The Latonya Reeves Freedom Act of 2026 strengthens the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure individuals with long-term service and support needs have a federally protected right to live in their communities rather than institutions. It requires states and insurance providers to offer community-based services that allow people to maintain independence, control their own care, and access affordable, integrated housing. The bill mandates that public entities and insurers create enforceable transition plans to move people out of institutions, conduct self-evaluations to identify barriers, and establish clear grievance procedures for resolving complaints. Enforcement is handled by the Department of Justice, which can investigate violations, while individuals may also file civil lawsuits to seek damages or court orders preventing institutionalization.
This bill creates a new federal tax credit to encourage owners of manufactured home communities to sell their land to residents or nonprofit organizations that agree to keep the community affordable. The credit allows sellers to claim 75% of their profit from the sale, provided the buyer agrees to a binding 50-year covenant that the land will remain used for manufactured housing. To qualify, the new owner must be a resident-owned cooperative or a nonprofit corporation with democratic governance where residents elect the board of directors. The legislation aims to prevent community closures and protect low-income homeowners from rising rents by promoting long-term resident ownership. This change takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026.
The Manufactured Housing Community Sustainability Act of 2026 creates a new federal tax credit to encourage the sale of manufactured home communities to residents or nonprofit organizations. This bill directly affects current owners of manufactured home parks who wish to sell their land and the buyers who want to preserve these communities as affordable housing. Under the law, a seller can claim a tax credit equal to 75 percent of their profit if they sell the property to a qualified resident-owned cooperative or nonprofit that agrees to keep the community affordable for at least 50 years. To prevent abuse, the bill includes a penalty requiring the buyer to pay 20 percent of the sale proceeds if the community is later sold for profit or fails to maintain its affordable status. The provisions take effect for sales occurring after December 31, 2026, aiming to stabilize housing costs for low-income families living in these communities.
This bill modernizes housing assistance programs for Native American tribes and Native Hawaiians by streamlining environmental reviews, extending funding authorization through 2032, and expanding loan guarantee options. Key provisions include consolidating environmental review requirements to reduce paperwork for tribes, allowing 99-year leasehold interests on trust lands for housing, and creating new rental assistance specifically for homeless or at-risk Native American veterans. The legislation also clarifies rent rules, waives certain housing counseling certifications for tribal entities, exempts tribal housing projects from some federal civil rights and Buy America requirements, and establishes a direct loan guarantee process for tribal housing projects.
This bill amends the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 to require the Treasury Secretary to testify annually before Congress about the Fund's operations. It also strengthens the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program by adjusting guarantee limits and extending the program's authorization period. Additionally, the bill expands capital assistance options for community development financial institutions and creates a new lending program specifically for Native community development financial institutions to support homeownership in Tribal and Native communities.
Preventing Environmental Hazards Act of 2025 This bill expands National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) coverage to include the demolition or relocation of certain coastal structures that are facing imminent collapse or subsidence. Specifically, NFIP must pay for demolition or relocation for NFIP-insured structures that are condemned or deemed unsafe by state or local authorities due to the threat of imminent collapse or subsidence from shoreline erosion or that meet other location criteria. The bill sets forth provisions for the valuation of the structure, the maximum claim to be paid, and the terms of coverage termination. This bill applies to structures covered by NFIP (1) for a period of 12 months on or before the date of the bill’s enactment, or (2) for a continuous period of 4 years prior to certification for coverage established by this bill.
This bill creates a refundable 35% tax credit for homeowners making specific accessibility modifications to their primary residence. It directly affects individuals who are blind, disabled (meeting Social Security or VA benefit criteria), or aged 60+, including their spouses or dependents living in the same home. Qualifying improvements include installing ramps, grab bars, widened doorways, accessible bathrooms, non-slip flooring, and adaptive technologies like remote health monitors. The credit is limited to $10,000 annually ($30,000 lifetime) and phases out for higher-income taxpayers (e.g., $400,000 joint filer threshold).
This bill would improve housing options for employees of federal land management agencies by expanding their authorities to develop housing near work sites. It allows agencies like the National Park Service and Forest Service to acquire land, build housing, and leverage rental income for housing programs. The bill also creates new recruitment pathways for workers who live near their job sites and requires agencies to report on housing needs and assess current housing policies. These changes aim to address workforce housing challenges that have made it difficult to recruit and retain employees at national parks and other public lands.
