Housing (Community Development) in United States

in committee · United States · House Apr 2, 2026

HR 8171: FAST Housing Act

This bill establishes a demonstration program that provides up to 15 competitive grants to local governments and public housing agencies to help develop workforce and affordable housing in areas where the workforce is expanding. To receive funding, recipients must submit applications that outline existing and proposed zoning reforms, such as upzoning, expedited permitting, and removal of parking minimums, along with implementation timelines. The grants can be used for converting commercial spaces to housing, developing new units, providing technical assistance, and acquiring properties, with at least 30 percent of created units required to be affordable housing. The program prioritizes jurisdictions that have already reduced regulatory barriers and aims to include urban, suburban, and rural areas, while requiring a study to evaluate the program's effectiveness on housing timelines and production.

Topics ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Community Development Zoning

in committee · United States · House Mar 4, 2026

HR 7791: To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to prioritize the award of certain housing grants to applicants located in, or serving, low-income communities.

This bill directs the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to give extra priority when awarding certain housing construction and renovation grants to projects in or benefiting low-income opportunity zones. It allows HUD officials to consider an applicant's location in a qualified opportunity zone as a positive factor during the competitive grant selection process. The legislation applies to grants related to building, modifying, or preserving housing and would affect developers and organizations seeking federal housing funding in designated areas. By giving additional weight to these projects, the bill aims to channel more federal housing resources toward communities identified as opportunity zones under existing tax law.

Topics ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Community Development Housing Finance

in committee · United States · Senate Feb 26, 2026

S 3940: Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development Act

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Community Development Homeownership Property Development

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 2, 2026

S 3962: Housing and Economic Development Act

This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Economic Development Administration to create an agreement to better coordinate their joint housing and economic development projects. The agreement would streamline application processes, standardize language in funding notices, reduce duplicate reporting requirements, and establish clear contact points for applicants. Additionally, the two agencies must share research and market data to support evidence-based decision-making. Within one year of enactment, the agencies must submit a report to Congress with recommendations for further improving their collaboration and removing barriers to joint projects.

Topics ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Community Development Housing Finance Tags Economic Development

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 3, 2026

S 3970: Rural Housing Regulatory Relief Act

This bill, known as the Rural Housing Regulatory Relief Act, would exempt certain federal housing assistance programs from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements when used to build or modify homes on infill sites. It directly affects rural communities and housing agencies that currently must complete environmental reviews before approving construction projects on existing developed land. The exemption applies specifically to assistance under the Housing Act of 1949 and defines infill sites as locations with access to existing water, sewer, and road infrastructure, while excluding greenfield sites and areas at high risk for wildfires or flooding. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to submit a report to Congress within five years evaluating whether the exemption reduced review times and administrative costs, and to assess its impact on affordable housing in rural America.

Topics ✗ Environment ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Community Development Tags Rural Communities

in committee · United States · Senate Jul 28, 2025

S 2484: NeighborWorks Accountability Act

This bill establishes an independent Inspector General (IG) office for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NRC), a federal agency focused on community development. It requires the NRC to undergo annual audits by independent certified public accountants following standard auditing practices, separate from the IG's internal work. The IG cannot take over the NRC's core program responsibilities, such as overseeing grants or assessments. These changes aim to strengthen oversight of the NRC's operations and finances.

Topics ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Community Development Property Development

in committee · United States · House Feb 2, 2026

HR 6432: Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025

The Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025 increases federal funding for cleaning up contaminated properties (brownfields) in communities. It raises the per-site remediation grant from $500,000 to $1,000,000 and boosts annual funding from $200 million to $250 million, covering fiscal years 2026 through 2030 instead of 2019-2023. The bill also updates state programs to allow them to implement new revitalization strategies beyond just enhancing existing efforts. This directly affects communities with abandoned industrial sites and state environmental agencies managing cleanup projects. The changes aim to accelerate redevelopment of underutilized properties by providing more stable, long-term funding.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Hazardous Materials Water Quality Community Development

in committee · United States · Senate May 22, 2025

S 1880: CDFI Bond Guarantee Program Improvement Act of 2025

This bill amends the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program to improve its operation. It raises the minimum guarantee amount to $25 million per bond issue, sets an annual cap of $1 billion for all guarantees, and extends the program's deadline by four years from enactment. The changes aim to provide more predictable access to long-term capital for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) serving underserved communities. The bill also requires the Treasury Secretary to submit two reports on the program's effectiveness to Congress within one and three years of enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Community Development Housing Finance Property Development

in committee · United States · House Dec 1, 2025

HR 5796: BUILD Act

The BUILD Act creates a federal grant program to support economic development in low-income communities through partnerships with qualifying colleges and universities. It provides planning grants (up to $100,000 annually for 2 years) to help institutions develop community revitalization plans, followed by implementation grants ($25-50 million over 5 years) for approved projects. Eligible projects include renovating community-accessible facilities (like housing, cultural centers, or health clinics), launching business incubators, creating local apprenticeships, and building public broadband networks. To qualify, institutions must be located in areas where median income is at least 25% below state or national averages, excluding high-research universities and military academies.

Topics ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Community Development Property Development Tags Economic Development Rural Communities

in committee · United States · House Apr 10, 2025

HR 2854: Neighborhood Homes Investment Act

The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act creates a new tax credit for developers who build or rehabilitate affordable homes in distressed communities. The credit is calculated as the lesser of (1) the difference between development costs and sale price, (2) 40% of development costs, or (3) 32% of the national median home price. It applies only to homes sold to qualified homeowners with income up to 140% of area median income in designated "qualified census tracts" (areas with high poverty rates, low median home values, and low median family income). Developers must meet quality standards and repay the credit if the home is sold within 5 years of the affordable sale. This credit aims to address the "value gap" that prevents housing development in distressed communities by incentivizing affordable home construction and rehabilitation.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Tax Incentives Affordable Housing Community Development Homeownership

All housing bills