[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6771 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6771

To facilitate the development of fair and affordable housing, decrease 
                 housing costs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 17, 2025

  Ms. Waters introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To facilitate the development of fair and affordable housing, decrease 
                 housing costs, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Housing Crisis 
Response Act of 2025''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--CREATING AND PRESERVING AFFORDABLE, EQUITABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE 
                      HOUSING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Sec. 101. Public housing investments.
Sec. 102. Investments in affordable and accessible housing production.
Sec. 103. Housing investment fund.
Sec. 104. Section 811 supportive housing for people with disabilities.
Sec. 105. Section 202 supportive housing for the elderly program.
Sec. 106. Improving energy efficiency or water efficiency or climate 
                            resilience of affordable housing.
Sec. 107. Revitalization of distressed multifamily properties.
Sec. 108. Investments in rural rental housing.
Sec. 109. Housing vouchers.
Sec. 110. Project-based rental assistance.
Sec. 111. Investments in Native American Communities.
Sec. 112. Increased affordable housing program investment.
Sec. 113. Promoting housing accessibility and visitability.
      TITLE II--21ST CENTURY SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES

Sec. 201. Community development block grant funding for affordable 
                            housing and infrastructure.
Sec. 202. Lead-based paint hazard control and housing-related health 
                            and safety hazard mitigation in housing of 
                            families with lower incomes.
Sec. 203. Unlocking possibilities program.
Sec. 204. Strengthening resilience under national flood insurance 
                            program.
Sec. 205. Community Restoration and Revitalization Fund.
Sec. 206. Fair housing activities and investigations.
Sec. 207. Intergovernmental fair housing activities and investigations.
                  TITLE III--HOMEOWNERSHIP INVESTMENTS

Sec. 301. First-Generation Downpayment Assistance.
Sec. 302. Home loan program.
Sec. 303. HUD-insured small dollar mortgage demonstration program.
Sec. 304. Investments in rural homeownership.
TITLE IV--HUD ADMINISTRATION, CAPACITY BUILDING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, 
                          AND AGENCY OVERSIGHT

Sec. 401. Program administration, training, technical assistance, 
                            capacity building, and oversight.
Sec. 402. Community-led capacity building.

TITLE I--CREATING AND PRESERVING AFFORDABLE, EQUITABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE 
                      HOUSING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

SEC. 101. PUBLIC HOUSING INVESTMENTS.

    (a) Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise made 
available, there is appropriated to the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') for 
fiscal year 2026, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated--
            (1) $10,000,000,000, to remain available until September 
        30, 2033, for the Capital Fund under section 9(d) of the United 
        States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(d)) pursuant to the 
        same formula as in fiscal year 2021, to be made available 
        within 60 days of the date of the enactment of this Act;
            (2) $53,000,000,000, to remain available until September 
        30, 2028, for eligible activities under section 9(d)(1) of the 
        United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(d)(1)) for 
        priority investments as determined by the Secretary to repair, 
        replace, or construct properties assisted under such section 9;
            (3) $1,200,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 
        2028, for competitive grants under section 24 of the United 
        States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v) (in this section 
        referred to as ``section 24''), under the terms and conditions 
        in subsection (b), for transformation, rehabilitation, and 
        replacement housing needs of public and assisted housing, and 
        to transform neighborhoods of poverty into functioning, 
        sustainable mixed-income neighborhoods;
            (4) $750,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 
        2033, for the costs to the Secretary of administering and 
        overseeing the implementation of this section and the Public 
        Housing Capital Fund and the section 24 grant program 
        generally, including information technology, financial 
        reporting, research and evaluation, other cross-program costs 
        in support of programs administered by the Secretary in this 
        title, and other costs; and
            (5) $50,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 
        2033, to make new awards or increase prior awards to existing 
        technical assistance providers to provide an increase in 
        capacity building and technical assistance available to 
        entities eligible for funding for activities or projects 
        consistent with this section.
    (b) Terms and Conditions for Section 24 Grants.--Grants awarded 
under subsection (a)(3) shall be subject to terms and conditions 
determined by the Secretary, which shall include the following:
            (1) Use.--Grant funds may be used for resident and 
        community services, community development and revitalization, 
        and affordable housing needs in the community.
            (2) Applicants.--Eligible recipients of grants shall 
        include lead applicants and joint applicants, as follows:
                    (A) Lead applicants.--A lead applicant shall be a 
                local government, a public housing agency, or an owner 
                of an assisted housing property.
                    (B) Joint applicants.--A nonprofit organization or 
                a for-profit developer may apply jointly as a joint 
                applicant with such public entities specified in 
                subparagraph (A). A local government must be a joint 
                applicant with an owner of an assisted housing property 
                specified in subparagraph (A).
            (3) Period of affordability.--Grantees shall commit to a 
        period of affordability determined by the Secretary of not 
        fewer than 20 years, but the Secretary may specify a period of 
        affordability that is fewer than 20 years with respect to 
        homeownership units developed with section 24 grants.
            (4) Environmental review.--For purposes of environmental 
        review, a grantee shall be treated as a public housing agency 
        under section 26 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
        U.S.C. 1437x).
            (5) Low-income and affordable housing.--Amounts made 
        available under this section shall be used for low-income 
        housing (as such term is defined under section 3(b) of the 
        United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b))), HUD-
        assisted housing, and affordable housing, which shall be 
        housing for which the owner of the project shall record an 
        affordability use restriction approved by the Secretary for 
        households earning up to 120 percent of the area median income 
        and is subject to the period of affordability under paragraph 
        (3) of this subsection.
    (c) Other Terms and Conditions.--Grants awarded under this section 
shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:
            (1) Limitation.--Amounts provided pursuant to this section 
        may not be used for operating costs or rental assistance.
            (2) Development of new units.--Paragraph (3) of section 
        9(g) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
        1437g(g)(3)) shall not apply to new funds made available under 
        this section.
            (3) Health and safety.--Amounts made available under this 
        section shall be used to address health, safety, and 
        environmental hazards, including lead, fire, carbon monoxide, 
        mold, asbestos, radon, pest infestation, and other hazards as 
        defined by the Secretary.
            (4) Energy efficiency and resilience.--Amounts made 
        available under this section shall advance improvements to 
        energy and water efficiency or climate and disaster resilience 
        in housing assisted under this section.
            (5) Recapture.--If the Secretary recaptures funding 
        allocated by formula from a public housing agency under 
        subsection (a)(1), such recaptured amounts shall be added to 
        the amounts available under subsection (a)(2), and shall be 
        obligated by the Secretary prior to the expiration of such 
        funds.
            (6) Supplementation of funds.--The Secretary shall ensure 
        that amounts provided pursuant to this section shall serve to 
        supplement and not supplant other amounts generated by a 
        recipient of such amounts or amounts provided by other Federal, 
        State, or local sources.
    (d) Implementation.--The Secretary shall have authority to issue 
such regulations or notices, or other guidance, forms, instructions, 
and publications to carry out the programs, projects, or activities 
authorized under this section to ensure that such programs, projects, 
or activities are completed in a timely and effective manner.

SEC. 102. INVESTMENTS IN AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HOUSING PRODUCTION.

    (a) Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise made 
available, there is appropriated to the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') for 
fiscal year 2026, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated--
            (1) $9,925,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 
        2028, for activities and assistance for the HOME Investment 
        Partnerships Program (in this section referred to as the ``HOME 
        program''), as authorized under sections 241 through 242, 244 
        through 253, 255 through 256, and 281 through 290 of the 
        Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
        12741-12742, 42 U.S.C. 12744-12753, 42 U.S.C. 12755-12756, 42 
        U.S.C. 12831-12840) (in this section referred to as ``NAHA''), 
        subject to the terms and conditions paragraph (1)(A) of 
        subsection (b);
            (2) $14,925,000,000, to remain available until September 
        30, 2028, for activities and assistance for the HOME Investment 
        Partnerships Program, as authorized under sections 241 through 
        242, 244 through 253, 255 through 256, and 281 through 290 of 
        the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 
        U.S.C. 12741-12742, 42 U.S.C. 12744-12753, 42 U.S.C. 12755-
        12756, 42 U.S.C. 12831-12840), subject to the terms and 
        conditions in paragraphs (1)(B) and (2) of subsection (b);
            (3) $50,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 
        2033, to make new awards or increase prior awards to existing 
        technical assistance providers to provide an increase in 
        capacity building and technical assistance available to any 
        grantees implementing activities or projects consistent with 
        this section; and
            (4) $100,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 
        2033, for the costs to the Secretary of administering and 
        overseeing the implementation of this section and the HOME and 
        Housing Trust Fund programs generally, including information 
        technology, financial reporting, research and evaluations, and 
        other cross-program costs in support of programs administered 
        by the Secretary in this title, and other costs.
    (b) Terms and Conditions.--
            (1) Formulas.--
                    (A) The Secretary shall allocate amounts made 
                available under subsection (a)(1) pursuant to section 
                217 of NAHA (42 U.S.C. 12747) to grantees that received 
                allocations pursuant to that same formula in fiscal 
                year 2023 and shall make such allocations within 60 
                days of the enactment of this Act.
                    (B) The Secretary shall allocate amounts made 
                available under subsection (a)(2) pursuant to the 
                formula specified in section 1338(c)(3) of the Federal 
                Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act 
                of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4568(c)(3)) to grantees that 
                received Housing Trust Fund allocations pursuant to 
                that same formula in fiscal year 2023 and shall make 
                such allocations within 60 days of the date of the 
                enactment of this Act.
            (2) Eligible activities.--Other than as provided in 
        paragraph (5) of this subsection, funds made available under 
        subsection (a)(2) may only be used for eligible activities 
        described in subparagraphs (A) through (B)(i) of section 
        1338(c)(7) of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety 
        and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4568(c)(7)), except that 
        not more than 10 percent of funds made available may be used 
        for activities under such subparagraph (B)(i).
            (3) Funding restrictions.--The commitment requirements in 
        section 218(g) (42 U.S.C. 12748(g)) of NAHA, the matching 
        requirements in section 220 (42 U.S.C. 12750) of NAHA, and the 
        set-aside for housing developed, sponsored, or owned by 
        community housing development organizations required in section 
        231 of NAHA (42 U.S.C. 12771) shall not apply for amounts made 
        available under this section.
            (4) Reallocation.--For funds provided under paragraphs (1) 
        and (2) of subsection (a), the Secretary may recapture certain 
        amounts remaining available to a grantee under this section or 
        amounts declined by a grantee, and reallocate such amounts to 
        other grantees under that paragraph to ensure fund expenditure, 
        geographic diversity, and availability of funding to 
        communities within the State from which the funds have been 
        recaptured.
            (5) Administration.--Notwithstanding subsections (c) and 
        (d)(1) of section 212 of NAHA (42 U.S.C. 12742), grantees may 
        use not more than 15 percent of their allocations under this 
        section for administrative and planning costs.
    (c) Implementation.--The Secretary shall have authority to issue 
such regulations, notices, or other guidance, forms, instructions, and 
publications to carry out the programs, projects, or activities 
authorized under this section to ensure that such programs, projects, 
or activities are completed in a timely and effective manner.

SEC. 103. HOUSING INVESTMENT FUND.

    (a) Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise available, 
there is appropriated for fiscal year 2026, out of any money in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to remain available until 
September 30, 2028--
            (1) $740,000,000 to the Department of the Treasury to 
        establish the Housing Investment Fund established by this 
        section within the Community Development Financial Institutions 
        Fund (in this section referred to as the ``CDFI Fund'') to make 
        grants to increase investment in the development, preservation, 
        rehabilitation, financing, or purchase of affordable housing 
        primarily for low-, very-low, and extremely low-income families 
        who are renters, and for homeowners with incomes up to 120 
        percent of the area median income, and for economic development 
        and community facilities related to such housing and to further 
        fair housing; and
            (2) $10,000,000 for the costs to the CDFI Fund of 
        administering and overseeing the implementation of this 
        section, including information technology, financial reporting, 
        research and evaluations, and other costs.
    (b) Eligible Grantees.--A grant under this section may be made, 
pursuant to such requirements as the CDFI Fund shall establish, only 
to--
            (1) a CDFI Fund certified community development financial 
        institution, as such term is defined in section 103 of the 
        Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 
        1994 (12 U.S.C. 4702);
            (2) a nonprofit organization having as one of its principal 
        purposes the creation, development, or preservation of 
        affordable housing, including a subsidiary of a public housing 
        authority; or
            (3) a consortium comprised of certified community 
        development financial institutions, eligible nonprofit housing 
        organizations, or a combination of both.
    (c) Eligible Uses.--Eligible uses for grant amounts awarded from 
the Housing Investment Fund pursuant to this section shall--
            (1) be reasonably expected to result in eligible affordable 
        housing activities that support or sustain affordable housing 
        funded by a grant under this section and capital from other 
        public and private sources; and
            (2) include activities--
                    (A) to provide loan loss reserves;
                    (B) to capitalize an acquisition fund to acquire 
                residential, industrial, or commercial property and 
                land for the purpose of the preservation, development, 
                or rehabilitation of affordable housing, including to 
                support the creation, preservation, or rehabilitation 
                of resident-owned manufactured housing communities;
                    (C) to capitalize an affordable housing fund, for 
                development, preservation, rehabilitation, or financing 
                of affordable housing and economic development 
                activities, including community facilities, if part of 
                a mixed-use project, or activities described in this 
                paragraph related to transit-oriented development, 
                which may also be designated as a focus of such a fund;
                    (D) to capitalize an affordable housing mortgage 
                fund, to facilitate the origination of mortgages to 
                buyers that may experience significant barriers to 
                accessing affordable mortgage credit, including 
                mortgages having low original principal obligations;
                    (E) f