Healthy Affordable Housing Act
Healthy Affordable Housing Act would require HUD to create a grant-and-loan program to fund the development, creation, or preservation of qualifying affordable housing units in neighborhoods HUD identifies as lacking affordable housing. Eligible entities (local governments, tribes, developers, public housing agencies, and certain organizations) could apply for grants or loans to support units that meet affordability and targeting requirements. A notable feature is a location emphasis: projects must be in areas that have or near amenities such as federally qualified health centers, Medicaid-accepting primary care providers, grocery stores that take SNAP/NA/WIC, licensed child care providers, pharmacies, or public transportation. The bill also provides preferences for projects near multiple amenities or in buildings that include these amenities. It imposes a multi-year survey to assess perceived benefits of proximity to amenities and requires annual reporting to Congress. The program would be funded at $100 million per year from 2025 through 2029.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a HUD grant and loan program to fund qualifying affordable dwelling units in neighborhoods with shortages of affordable housing, with a deadline to set up the program within one year of enactment.
- 2Location requirements: projects must be in neighborhoods with at least one listed amenity (FQHC, Medicaid-accepting primary care provider, grocery store that accepts SNAP/NA/WIC, licensed child care, pharmacy, or public transportation); preference for proximity to two or more amenities within one mile, or for buildings that contain these amenities.
- 3Selection criteria may consider how many units, neighborhood boundaries, and area median income targeting when awarding awards.
- 4Survey and reporting: mandatory voluntary resident surveys starting two years after first occupancy and every two years for 10 years, with an annual report evaluating benefits and whether nearby amenities have changed or relocated.
- 5Rules of construction: program may be combined with other HUD funding opportunities; projects may still receive tenant-based or project-based Section 8 assistance.
- 6Funding: authorizes $100 million per year from 2025 through 2029 to carry out the program.
- 7Definitions: clarifies eligible entities (local governments, tribes, developers, PHAs, nonprofits, or combos), FQHC, and qualifying affordable dwelling units (units that qualify under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act and meet its income targeting requirements).