Bill Summary
The **Healthy Affordable Housing Act** proposes the establishment of a grant and loan program by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) aimed at developing, creating, or preserving affordable housing units in areas with identified shortages. Key components of the legislation include:
1. **Program Creation**: HUD must create this program within one year of enactment to provide funding to eligible entities, such as local governments, tribes, developers, and housing agencies.
2. **Eligibility and Location**: Funds will only be awarded to projects located near essential community amenities, including health centers, grocery stores, childcare providers, and public transportation. Preference will be given to projects within one mile of these amenities.
3. **Application Process**: Eligible entities must apply for funding through a structured process set by HUD, which will evaluate applications based on criteria such as the number of units to be developed and local income levels.
4. **Surveys and Reporting**: After affordable units are occupied, HUD will conduct surveys of residents to assess the benefits of living near the specified amenities. Reports on these surveys will be submitted to Congress every two years for a decade.
5. **Funding Authorization**: The act authorizes $100 million per year from 2025 to 2029 to support the program.
Overall, the legislation aims to enhance access to affordable housing while ensuring that such housing is situated in healthy, resource-rich neighborhoods.
Possible Impacts
The "Healthy Affordable Housing Act" as outlined in the provided legislation could have several effects on people, including:
1. **Increased Access to Affordable Housing**: The establishment of a grant and loan program to develop, create, or preserve qualifying affordable dwelling units could lead to an increase in the availability of affordable housing options. This would benefit low- to moderate-income families who struggle to find housing that fits within their budget, thereby potentially reducing homelessness and housing instability.
2. **Improved Neighborhood Amenities**: The legislation prioritizes the development of affordable housing in proximity to essential amenities such as healthcare facilities, grocery stores, and public transportation. This can positively impact residents by ensuring they have easier access to necessary services, which can improve their overall quality of life, health outcomes, and economic opportunities.
3. **Enhanced Community Engagement and Feedback**: The requirement for the Secretary to conduct voluntary surveys of residents in newly developed or preserved affordable dwelling units allows for direct feedback from the community. This ensures that the voices of the residents are heard, potentially guiding future housing policies and improvements. Residents can share their experiences and perceptions of the benefits associated with living near essential amenities, leading to more informed decision-making in housing development.
These effects illustrate how the Healthy Affordable Housing Act aims to address the critical issues of affordable housing, community resources, and resident engagement.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2747 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2747
To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish
a grant and loan program that provides amounts to eligible entities to
use to develop, create, or preserve qualifying affordable dwelling
units, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 8, 2025
Ms. Stevens (for herself and Mr. Torres of New York) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial
Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish
a grant and loan program that provides amounts to eligible entities to
use to develop, create, or preserve qualifying affordable dwelling
units, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Healthy Affordable Housing Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAM FOR AFFORDABLE DWELLING UNITS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
shall, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this
section, establish a grant and loan program that provides amounts to
eligible entities to use to develop, create, or preserve qualifying
affordable dwelling units in neighborhoods that the Secretary has
determined have shortages of affordable housing.
(b) Application and Selection.--
(1) In general.--To apply for a grant or loan under this
section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may
reasonably require.
(2) Location requirement.--
(A) In general.--Grants and loans may only be
awarded to applicants that propose to develop, create,
or preserve qualifying affordable dwelling units that
are in a neighborhood with--
(i) a Federally qualified health center;
(ii) a health care provider who, as
determined by the Secretary accepts Medicaid
and provides primary care services;
(iii) a grocery store that accepts
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or
the Nutrition Assistance Program, benefits and
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children benefits;
(iv) a State licensed child care provider
or an eligible child care provider under the
Child Care and Development Block Grant Act that
cares for at least one child to whom the
provider is not related;
(v) a pharmacy; or
(vi) public transportation, as such term is
defined in paragraph (15) of section 5302 of
title 49, United States Code.
(B) Preference.--The Secretary shall give
preference to applicants that are--
(i) developing, creating, or preserving
qualifying affordable dwelling units that are
not more than a mile from 2 or more of the
types of amenities listed in subparagraph (A);
or
(ii) developing, creating, or preserving,
with or without the assistance of a partnering
entity, qualifying affordable dwelling units
that are located in buildings that have or will
contain any of the amenities listed in
subparagraph (A).
(C) Selection criteria.--The Secretary, in
administering the grant and loan program, may establish
selection criteria relating to--
(i) how many qualifying affordable housing
units will be developed, created, or preserved;
(ii) the boundaries of the neighborhood in
which the qualifying affordable dwelling units
are to be developed, created, or preserved; and
(iii) the area median income in the area in
which the qualifying affordable housing units
are to be developed, created, or preserved.
(c) Survey.--
(1) In general.--
(A) In general.--Two years after the date that any
qualifying affordable dwelling unit is first occupied
after being developed, created, or preserved using
amounts provided under this section, and every 2 years
thereafter for 10 years, the Secretary shall conduct a
voluntary survey of residents in such dwelling unit
about any benefits they perceive associated with being
physically near the amenities listed in subsection
(b)(2)(A).
(B) Control group permitted.--The Secretary may, if
the Secretary determines appropriate, survey persons
who are not residents in a qualifying affordable
dwelling unit that received amounts under this section
as part of a control group for the survey required
under subparagraph (A).
(2) Report.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall, not later
than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary
completes a survey required under paragraph (1),
compile the results of each survey conducted under
paragraph (1) and submit a report about such results to
the Committees on Appropriations and Financial Services
of the House of Representatives and the Committees on
Appropriations and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
of the Senate.
(B) Requirement.--Each report submitted under
subparagraph (A) shall evaluate, with respect to each
qualifying affordable dwelling unit developed, created,
or preserved using amounts provided under this section,
whether nearby the amenities identified in subsection
(b)(2)(A) have closed or changed location in the time
since the previous report submitted under subparagraph
(A).
(d) Rules of Construction.--
(1) In general.--Nothing in this section may be construed
to prohibit the Secretary from awarding a grant or loan under
this section to a person who has applied for another funding
opportunity administered by the Secretary relating to the
development, creation, or preservation of affordable housing
units.
(2) Rental assistance.--Nothing in this section may be
construed to prohibit a qualifying affordable dwelling unit
that is developed, created, or preserved using amounts provided
under this section from receiving tenant-based assistance or
project-based assistance under section 8(o) of the United
States Housing Act of 1937.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary $100,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2025
to 2029 carry out this section.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a unit of general local government, including
county government;
(B) a tribe, tribal entity or tribally designated
housing entity;
(C) an owner or developer of a qualifying
affordable dwelling unit;
(D) a public housing agency;
(E) an organization with a mission that involves
the development, creation, preservation, renovation,
operation, or maintenance of affordable housing; or
(F) any combination of the entities described in
subparagraphs (A) through (E).
(2) Federally qualified health center.--The term
``Federally qualified health center'' has the meaning given the
term in section 1861(aa)(4) of the Social Security 22 Act (42
U.S.C. 1395x(aa)).
(3) Qualifying affordable dwelling unit.--The term
``qualifying affordable dwelling unit'' means a dwelling unit
that--
(A) qualifies as affordable housing under 215(a) of
the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act;
and
(B) meets the income targeting requirements
described in section 214(1) of such Act.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development.
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