[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5990 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5990
To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish
a pilot program to provide grants to implementing organizations to
administer a whole-home repairs program for eligible homeowners and
eligible landlords, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 7, 2025
Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself and Mr. Downing) 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 pilot program to provide grants to implementing organizations to
administer a whole-home repairs program for eligible homeowners and
eligible landlords, 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 ``Whole-Home Repairs Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. WHOLE-HOME REPAIRS PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Affordable unit.--The term ``affordable unit'' means a
unit for which the monthly rental payment is not more than 30
percent of the gross income of an individual earning at or
below 80 percent of the area median income, as defined by the
Secretary.
(2) Assisted unit.--The term ``assisted unit'' means a unit
that undergoes repair or rehabilitation work through a whole-
home repairs program administered by an implementing
organization under this section.
(3) Eligible homeowner.--The term ``eligible homeowner''
means a homeowner--
(A) with a household income that--
(i) is not more than 80 percent of the area
median income; or
(ii) meets the income eligibility
requirements for receiving assistance or
benefits under a specified program, as defined
in paragraph (11); and
(B) who is--
(i) an owner of record as evidenced by a
publicly recorded deed and occupies the home on
which repairs are to be conducted as their
principal residence;
(ii) an owner-occupant of the manufactured
home on which repairs are to be conducted; or
(iii) an owner who can demonstrate an
ownership interest in the property on which
repairs are to be conducted, including a person
who has inherited an interest in that property.
(4) Eligible landlord.--The term ``eligible landlord''
means an individual--
(A) who owns, as determined by the relevant
implementing organization, fewer than 10 eligible
rental properties, with a majority of affordable units
and not more than 50 total units, operated as primary
residences in which a majority ownership interest is
held by the individual, the spouse of the individual,
or the dependent children of the individual, or any
closely held legal entity controlled by the individual,
the spouse of the individual, or the dependent children
of the individual, either individually or collectively;
and
(B) who agrees to the provisions described in
subsection (b)(3).
(5) Eligible rental property.--The term ``eligible rental
property'' means a residential property that--
(A) is leased, or offered exclusively for lease, as
a primary residence by an eligible landlord; and
(B) includes affordable units.
(6) Forgivable loan.--The term ``forgivable loan'' means a
loan--
(A) made to an eligible landlord;
(B) that is secured by a lien recorded against a
residential property; and
(C) that may be forgiven by the implementing
organization not later than the date that is 3 years
after the completion of the repairs if the eligible
landlord has maintained compliance with the loan
agreement described in subsection (b)(3).
(7) Implementing organization.--The term ``implementing
organization''--
(A) means a unit of general local government or a
State that--
(i) will administer a whole-home repairs
program through an agency, department, or other
entity; or
(ii) enter into agreements with 1 or more
local governments, municipal authorities, other
governmental authorities, including a tribally
designated housing entity, or qualified
nonprofit organizations, to administer a whole-
home repairs program as a subrecipient; and
(B) does not include a redundant entity in a
jurisdiction already served by a grantee under
subsection (b).
(8) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Native American
Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25
U.S.C. 4103).
(9) Qualified nonprofit.--The term ``qualified nonprofit''
means a nonprofit organization that--
(A) has received funding, as a recipient or
subrecipient, through--
(i) the Community Development Block Grant
program under title I of the Housing and
Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C.
5301 et seq.);
(ii) the HOME Investment Partnerships
program under subtitle A of title II of the
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing
Act (42 U.S.C. 12741 et seq.);
(iii) the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction
grant program under section 1011 of the
Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction
Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 4852) or a grant under
the Healthy Homes Initiative administered by
the Secretary pursuant to sections 501 and 502
of the Housing and Urban Development Act of
1970 (12 U.S.C. 1701z-1, 1701z-2);
(iv) the Self-Help and Assisted
Homeownership Opportunity program authorized
under section 11 of the Housing Opportunity
Program Extension Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 12805
note);
(v) a rural housing program under title V
of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1471 et
seq.); or
(vi) the Neighborhood Reinvestment
Corporation established under the Neighborhood
Reinvestment Corporation Act (42 U.S.C. 8101 et
seq.);
(B) has coordinated, performed, or otherwise been
engaged in weatherization, lead remediation, or home-
repair work for not less than 2 years;
(C) has been certified by the Environmental
Protection Agency, or by a State authorized by the
Environmental Protection Agency to administer a
certification program, as--
(i) eligible to carry out activities under
the lead renovation, repair and painting
program; or
(ii) a Home Certification Organization
under the Energy Star program established by
section 324A of the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6294a) or the
WaterSense program under section 324B of that
Act (42 U.S.C. 6294b), or recognized or
otherwise approved by the Environmental
Protection Agency as a Home Certification
Organization under either of those programs; or
(D) is a community development financial
institution, as defined in section 103 of the Community
Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of
1994 (12 U.S.C. 4702).
(10) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development.
(11) Specified program.--For purposes of paragraph
(3)(A)(ii), the term ``specified program'' means any of the
following:
(A) The Medicaid program established under title
XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et
seq.).
(B) The State Children's Health Insurance Program
established under title XXI of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.).
(C) The supplemental security income benefits
program established under title XVI of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.).
(D) The supplemental nutrition assistance program
established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
(E) The temporary assistance for needy families
program established under part A of title IV of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
(12) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) each State of the United States;
(B) the District of Columbia;
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
(D) any territory or possession of the United
States; and
(E) an Indian tribe.
(13) Tribally designated housing entity.--The term
``tribally designated housing entity'' has the meaning given
the term in section 4 of the Native American Housing Assistance
and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103).
(14) Whole-home repairs.--The term ``whole-home repairs''
means modifications, repairs, or updates to homeowner or
renter-occupied units to address--
(A) physical and sensory accessibility for
individuals with disabilities and older adults, such as
bathroom and kitchen modifications, installation of
grab bars and handrails, guards and guardrails, lifting
devices, ramp additions or repairs, sidewalk addition
or repair, or doorway or hallway widening;
(B) habitability and safety concerns, such as
repairs needed to ensure residential units are fit for
human habitation and free from defective conditions or
health and safety hazards; or
(C) energy and water efficiency, resilience, and
weatherization.
(b) Pilot Program.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a pilot
program to provide grants to implementing organizations to
administer a whole-home repairs program for eligible homeowners
and eligible landlords.
(2) Use of funds.--An implementing organization that
receives a grant under this subsection--
(A) shall provide grants to eligible homeowners to
implement whole-home repairs not covered by other
Federal home repair programs and up to a maximum amount
per unit, which maximum amount should--
(i) reflect local construction costs and
the level of repairs needed in each unit; and
(ii) be calculated and approved by the
Secretary;
(B) shall provide loans, which may be forgivable,
to eligible landlords to implement whole-home repairs
not covered by other Federal home repair programs for
individual affordable units, public and common use
areas within the property, and common structural
elements up to a maximum amount per unit, area, or
element, as applicable, which maximum amount should--
(i) reflect local construction costs; and
(ii) be calculated and approved by the
Secretary;
(C) shall evaluate, or provide assistance to
eligible homeowners and eligible landlords to evaluate,
whole-home repair program funds provided under this
subsection with Federal, State, and local home repair
programs to provide the greatest benefit to the
greatest number of eligible landlords and eligible
homeowners and avoid duplication of benefits and
redundancies;
(D) shall ensure that--
(i) all repairs funded or facilitated
through an award under this subsection have
been completed;
(ii) if repairs are not completed and the
plan for whole-home repairs is not updated to
reflect the new scope of work, that the loan or
grant is repaid on a prorated basis based on
completed work; and
(iii) any unused grant or loan balance is
returned to the implementing organization, and
is reused by the implementing organization for
a new whole-home repair grant or loan under
this subsection;
(E) may use not more than 5 percent of the awarded
funds to carry out related functions, including
workforce training for home repair professions, which
shall be related to efforts to increase the number of
home repairs performed and approved by the Secretary;
(F) may use not more than 10 percent of the awarded
funds for administrative expenses; and
(G) shall comply with Federal accessibility
requirements and standards under applicable Federal
fair housing and civil rights laws and regulations,
including section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(29 U.S.C. 794).
(3) Loan agreement.--In a loan agreement with an eligible
landlord under this subsection, an implementing organization
shall include provisions establishing that the eligible
landlord shall, for each eligible rental property for which a
loan is used to fund repairs under this subsection--
(A) comply with Federal accessibility requirements
and standards under applicable Federal fair housing and
civil rights laws and regulations, including section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794);
and
(B)(i) if the landlord is renting the assisted
units available in the eligible rental property to
tenants receiving tenant-based rental assistance under
section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937
(42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)), under another tenant-based rental
assistance program administered by the Secretary or the
Secretary of Agriculture, or under a tenant-based
rental subsidy provided by a State or local government,
comply with the program requirements under the relevant
tenant-based rental assistance program; or
(ii) if the eligible landlord is not renting to
tenants receiving rental-based assistance as described
in clause (i)--
(I)(aa) offer to extend the lease of
current tenants on current terms, other than
the terms described in subclause (iv) for not
less than 3 years beginning after the
completion of the repairs, unless the lease is
terminated due to failure to pay rent,
performance of an illegal act within the rental
unit, or a violation of an obligation of
tenancy that the tenants failed to correct
after notice; and
(bb) if the tenant of an assisted unit
moves out of the assisted unit at any point in
the 3-year period following the loan agreement,
maintain the unit as an affordable unit for the
remainder of the 3-year period;
(II) provide documentation verifying that
the property, upon completion of approved
renovations, has met all applicable State and
local housing and building codes;
(III) attest that the landlord has no known
serious violations of renter protections that
have resulted in fines, penalties, or judgments
during the preceding 10 years; and
(IV) cap annual rent increases for each
assisted unit at 5 percent of base rent or
inflation, whichever is lower, for not less
than 3 years beginning after the completion of
the repairs.
(4) Application.--
(A) In general.--An implementing organization
desiring an award under this subsection shall submit to
the Secretary an application that includes--
(i) the geographic scope of the whole-home