Bill Summary
This legislation seeks to address the ongoing housing crisis in the United States by directing the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to produce an annual report for Congress. The report will analyze state and local strategies, activities, and plans aimed at promoting affordable housing.
Key findings in the legislation highlight the severe shortage of affordable housing, with many renters and buyers struggling to find suitable options. It acknowledges that states play a crucial role in regulating factors contributing to the housing crisis and have initiated various reforms, such as changes to zoning laws.
The legislation emphasizes the importance of a regulatory barriers clearinghouse, which collects data on state and local laws and their effects on affordable housing. By utilizing this information, Congress can better understand which state efforts are successful and can inform federal responses to the crisis. The annual report from HUD will include an analysis of the collected information and offer policy recommendations to support effective state and local housing initiatives.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the proposed legislation could affect people:
1. **Increased Awareness and Policy Change**: By requiring the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to submit annual reports that analyze state and local efforts to promote affordable housing, the legislation could lead to increased awareness among lawmakers about effective strategies. This could result in more informed policy decisions at both the federal and state levels, potentially leading to the implementation of new laws and regulations that promote affordable housing development. For individuals struggling with high housing costs, this could mean more options for affordable housing in their communities.
2. **Data-Driven Solutions**: The establishment of a regulatory barriers clearinghouse would create a centralized repository of information regarding the laws, regulations, and policies that affect affordable housing. This could empower local and state governments to identify successful strategies used in other jurisdictions and adopt similar measures. For residents facing housing insecurity, this could translate to improved housing policies that make it easier to find affordable rentals or homes to purchase.
3. **Targeted Federal Support**: The findings and policy recommendations derived from the annual reports could enable Congress to allocate federal resources and support programs that specifically target successful state and local initiatives. This could lead to increased funding for affordable housing projects or incentives for developers to build low-income housing. As a result, communities might see new affordable housing developments, providing more individuals and families with access to safe and stable living arrangements.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2494 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2494
To direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to annually
submit to the Congress a report that analyzes State and local
strategies, activities, and plans that promote affordable housing, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 31, 2025
Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to annually
submit to the Congress a report that analyzes State and local
strategies, activities, and plans that promote affordable housing, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States is experiencing a housing crisis. The
nation is short millions of housing units. Renters are spending
more than one-third of their salary on housing costs and buyers
are unable to find affordable housing. Our housing stock is
short by millions. No State has been left untouched.
(2) The role of regulating the various factors that
contribute to the affordable housing crisis largely rests with
States.
(3) States have engaged in a variety of efforts to address
this crisis including reforming zoning rules.
(4) To best determine how the Federal Government can
support effective solutions to the crisis, Congress must
identify which State efforts are successfully addressing the
crisis.
(5) The regulatory barriers clearinghouse serves as a
national repository for information regarding State and local
laws, regulations and policies related to affordable housing
and the effects of those laws, regulations, and policies on
affordable housing. The clearinghouse also collects State and
local efforts that promote affordable housing.
(6) The clearinghouse currently is geared toward providing
such information to and for use by State and local governments.
(7) Congress could utilize the information provided in the
clearinghouse to support a Federal response to the affordable
housing crisis.
SEC. 2. REGULATORY BARRIERS CLEARINGHOUSE REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Section 1205 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992
(42 U.S.C. 12705d) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Reports to Congress.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development shall annually submit to the Congress a report that
includes the following elements:
``(1) An analysis of information described in subsection
(a).
``(2) Policy recommendations, based on the analysis
described in paragraph (1), that the Congress may use to
support the implementation of successful State and local
strategies, activities, and plans that promote affordable
housing.''.
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