Housing (Historic Preservation)

HR 3126, the Promoting Submetering for Affordable Housing Act, increases tax credits for affordable housing projects that implement water submetering. It adds a 5% credit increase to the eligible basis for buildings with four or more units that use submeters for individual tenant billing and provide tenants access to meter readings within 72 hours of a request. This applies to projects receiving housing credit allocations after the bill's enactment. The law directly affects affordable housing developers and property owners who build or renovate qualifying properties to meet these submetering requirements.

The Faith in Housing Act of 2025 allows houses of worship (churches or religious associations exempt from taxes under IRS Code 501(a)) to build or rehabilitate affordable housing on their eligible land, overriding local zoning rules that previously blocked such projects. It defines "affordable housing" as units meeting specific affordability thresholds (e.g., 140% of area median income, 30-year affordability commitments) and requires compliance with building codes and the Fair Housing Act. The bill preempts state/local laws conflicting with this authority but permits reasonable safety inspections and exempts rules targeting site-specific hazards like floods. It applies only to land owned by houses of worship for at least five years (or owned before January 2023), with the organization needing to notify local authorities in writing to activate the provision.

This bill nullifies specific Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rules and notices related to "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing," including the 2015 final rule, 2021 interim rule, and 2023 proposed rule, as well as a 2015 notice about housing disparity assessments. It prohibits federal funding for a geospatial database tracking racial disparities in housing access or community housing inequities. The bill requires HUD to consult with state, local, and public housing agency officials to develop recommendations for fair housing implementation, mandating consensus-based reporting and public comment periods. This directly affects local governments, state housing officials, and public housing agencies by limiting federal oversight of local zoning decisions and housing policy enforcement.

The Housing Market Transparency Act (HR 3216) requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to collect standardized data on low-income housing tax credit projects. This includes development costs, ownership details, habitability standards, and reasons for property disposition (like sales or foreclosures), which states must submit annually to HUD. HUD will then compile and publicly release this data yearly, excluding certain sensitive details, and periodically publish market reports on multifamily housing. The law directly affects HUD, state housing agencies, and owners of properties receiving low-income housing tax credits under Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code.

This bill protects affordable housing projects that received tax credits before 2025 by preventing owners from selling only the non-low-income portions of buildings. It requires that both low-income and non-low-income portions be sold together at fair market value, with the housing credit agency factoring in rent restrictions for the low-income units. This applies to properties where tax credits were necessary for the project’s financial viability. The law directly affects developers and property owners managing federally subsidized affordable housing developments.