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Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
The HAVEN Act (Housing Accessibility and Voucher Expansion Now Act) is a comprehensive housing package designed to (1) make tenant rent contributions smaller for several federal rental programs (reducing the required share of a tenant’s income from 30% to 20%), (2) boost funding and eligibility for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, (3) prohibit discrimination based on lawful source of income, and (4) create new supports and reforms to improve access to housing (including housing navigation grants, use of ZIP-code level fair market rents, expanded technical assistance, and SEMAP improvements). It also updates authorization language to ensure ongoing funding in future fiscal years. The overall aim is to increase affordable housing access, streamline voucher administration, and reduce barriers for low-income families seeking rental assistance.
Key Points
- 1Lowering tenant rent share: The bill lowers the required portion of monthly income that tenants must contribute in several federal rental programs from 30% to 20% (affecting the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 programs and related statutes). It also adds a new consideration for the “amount of public housing rental income forgone” when calculating rental payments.
- 2No more source-of-income discrimination: The Fair Housing Act would be amended to explicitly ban discrimination based on lawful source of income (including rental assistance and other legal funding sources), alongside existing protections for national origin, familial status, and other characteristics.
- 3Expanded and modernized Housing Choice Voucher program: The bill authorizes large-scale expansion of incremental HCVs (voucher units), with specific allocations starting at 500,000 in 2026, then larger increments through 2029, prioritizing households with severe housing hardship. It also creates a five-year path to entitlement: after five years, any otherwise eligible family would be entitled to tenant-based assistance, contingent on funding.
- 4Housing navigation grants: A new Housing Navigation Grant program would award funds to public housing agencies to help families search for housing and to engage with landlords, with subgrants to nonprofits. Authorized funding starts at $20 million for 2026 and each year thereafter.
- 5Small-area fair market rents by ZIP code: The act requires that, beginning in 2026, HCV payments use small-area FMRs established by ZIP code areas, potentially tightening subsidies to reflect local rental costs more precisely.
- 6Expanded assistance and speedier access: The bill requires technical assistance to applicants for public housing admission and directs a rulemaking to improve the timeliness of approvals for both eligible families and landlords under SEMAP (the housing program performance assessment).
- 7Budget and appropriations: The act updates authorization to appropriate funds for 2026 and beyond for the affected programs (including the 1959 and Cranston-Gonzalez acts), with a framework that allows funding as necessary to carry out these provisions.
Impact Areas
Primary beneficiaries: Low-income families and individuals eligible for tenant-based rental assistance or public housing, particularly those facing severe housing hardship (homelessness, overcrowding, evictions). The entitlement expansion and lower tenant rent share directly affect their affordability and stability.Secondary beneficiaries: Public housing agencies (PHAs), landlords participating in the HCV program, and nonprofit organizations that could receive subgrants under the new housing navigation program; also affected are recipients of federal rental assistance program funds and people seeking housing in high-cost areas due to ZIP-code FMRs.Additional impacts:- Cost and funding: The bill envisions substantial increases in federal housing subsidies (incremental vouchers through 2026–2029) and ongoing appropriations, which would have significant budget implications for the Treasury and HUD.- Market effects: By using ZIP-code-based FMRs, subsidies may shift in different localities, potentially improving access in high-cost areas while affecting subsidies in lower-cost areas.- Administrative and compliance effects: With added protections against source-of-income discrimination, agencies and landlords will face new compliance obligations. The NAVIGATION grants, technical assistance, and SEMAP timeliness reforms aim to reduce barriers and speed up approval processes, potentially reducing vacancy times and eviction risk.- Implementation timeline: Several major provisions (voucher expansions, entitlement after five years, ZIP-code FMRs) are phased in from 2026 onward, with ongoing funding needs and administrative work for HUD and PHAs.
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