The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act directs federal funds to public housing agencies and tribal entities to rehabilitate, modernize, and electrify the nation's public housing stock into zero-carbon homes within ten years. The bill establishes grant programs that require recipients to conduct deep energy retrofits, install renewable energy systems, upgrade water quality infrastructure, and provide high-speed internet access to residents. In exchange for these funds, agencies must commit to maintaining their total number of housing units, ensuring displaced residents can return to their original projects, and adhering to strict labor standards that prioritize hiring low-income individuals and supporting resident-owned businesses. Additionally, the legislation strengthens tenant participation by mandating the formation of elected resident councils in larger developments and providing stipends for volunteer officers who help manage community operations.
The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide grants to public housing agencies and tribal entities for the comprehensive rehabilitation, energy upgrades, and modernization of public housing stock. These funds are intended to transform properties into zero-carbon homes by installing renewable energy systems, electrifying appliances, and repairing infrastructure, while also establishing workforce development programs that offer training, apprenticeships, and stipends to residents and local low-income workers. The bill mandates strict labor standards, including prevailing wages and the use of U.S.-made materials, and requires agencies to maintain or increase the total number of public housing units while prioritizing resident participation through elected councils and community engagement processes.
The Freedom to Build Act creates a voluntary designation for local governments that adopt specific reforms to reduce barriers to housing construction. To qualify, a locality must either implement at least three reforms in each of three categories - such as allowing modern building methods, setting strict permit timelines, and eliminating rent control - or demonstrate sustained growth in its housing supply relative to local affordability. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will maintain a public list of these designated areas and review the required reforms every five years. Localities that lose their designation due to reversing reforms or failing supply targets receive a 180-day grace period to correct the issue before revocation. Additionally, the bill directs the Department to prioritize these designated communities when awarding competitive federal grants for housing and community development projects.
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.
This bill, known as the Protecting Homeowners from Squatters Act, aims to stop people from illegally occupying homes by defining squatting as entering a property and staying there for at least 10 to 14 days without the owner's permission or payment of rent. It directs local law enforcement to quickly remove squatters and prosecute them according to local laws while prohibiting the use of federal benefits to support or encourage such behavior. The legislation also ties federal housing funds to local compliance by withholding Community Development Block Grant money from jurisdictions that allow squatting or grant special tenant rights to squatters, and it bars federal mortgage support for loans secured by properties in those non-compliant areas.
This bill requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to conduct automated assessments of housing damage and economic recovery needs within 60 days of a major disaster declaration and every three months thereafter. Using existing federal data, the Secretary must identify specific shortages in affordable housing and infrastructure to determine how Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds can best address unmet needs. The results of this analysis must be reported to Congress to guide the allocation of disaster relief resources.
This bill provides funding for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for fiscal year 2027. It allocates money to support transportation infrastructure projects, including grants for highways, airports, rail systems, and transit, as well as funding for aviation safety and maritime security. The legislation also directs resources to housing programs such as tenant-based rental assistance, public housing operations, and grants for community development and homeless assistance. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for administrative expenses, cybersecurity initiatives, and specific restrictions on how funds can be used across these departments.
The Vacancy to Value Act of 2026 directs the General Services Administration to run a five-year pilot program selling or transferring underused federal properties to entities that commit to specific community benefits like affordable housing and job creation. These sales may occur at prices below fair market value, provided buyers submit a redevelopment plan and begin construction within five years, with the government retaining the right to reclaim the property if these conditions are not met. Additionally, the bill establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund predevelopment work, construction, and infrastructure for projects led by local governments, nonprofits, and community land trusts. Priority consideration for both property transfers and grants is given to projects that create affordable housing or serve low-income and historically underserved communities, with recipients required to submit annual reports on their progress and impact.
The Reforming Disaster Recovery Act establishes a new Long-Term Disaster Recovery Fund to provide grants for housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization in areas most affected by catastrophic major disasters. This legislation creates a new Office of Disaster Management and Resiliency within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to coordinate recovery efforts and ensures that at least 70 percent of the funding benefits low- and moderate-income households. The bill also introduces a formula-based allocation system that includes a specific portion of funds for mitigation activities designed to reduce future disaster risks and requires strict reporting to prevent the duplication of benefits with other federal aid.
This bill creates a federal grant program to help states, tribes, and local governments establish policies that allow residents of manufactured home communities to purchase their communities. The program requires recipients to use at least 25% of grant funds for land and infrastructure and to adopt model laws that mandate owners notify residents before selling, giving residents the right to match the sale price and negotiate terms. Eligible entities must demonstrate that their policies provide residents with meaningful opportunities to buy communities, with specific protections against retaliation and requirements that sale offers be available to all potential buyers. The legislation defines eligible owners as government entities, nonprofits, and resident cooperatives, while exempting certain family transfers and internal business transactions from the purchase opportunity requirements.
