HRES 1207 is a House Resolution that expresses support for protecting Americans from the perceived harmful effects of private equity firms, particularly in essential sectors like housing, child care, healthcare, energy, and nursing homes. The resolution recognizes the need for a comprehensive plan to address these issues. This plan includes raising staffing, safety, and pay standards in care industries, ending taxpayer subsidies for institutional investors buying homes, and guaranteeing legal counsel for tenants. It also calls for greater transparency of private equity ownership, strengthened antitrust reviews, and support for alternative, non-private equity providers in these critical sectors.
The "Take Your Rate Act of 2026" directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to jointly conduct a study. This study will examine the feasibility and potential impacts of allowing homeowners to transfer their existing interest rate on federally backed mortgages to a new home, a concept known as mortgage portability. It requires an analysis of administrative feasibility, effects on the housing market, benefits to current borrowers, budgetary impacts, and potential regulatory or statutory changes needed. Within 180 days, the agencies must submit a report to Congress detailing their findings, policy recommendations, and an assessment of risks and benefits.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that stable housing is a fundamental human right that keeps families together, regardless of immigration status. It condemns a past administration's proposal to ban mixed-immigration status families from receiving prorated federal housing assistance and calls on the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to withdraw any such rule. The resolution also urges Congress to increase funding for federal housing programs and calls for a Government Accountability Office report on the impact of such proposals on family separation and homelessness.
The Freedom to Build Act establishes a voluntary federal designation for local governments that address housing affordability and supply. Localities can qualify by either adopting specific regulatory reforms to streamline construction and protect property rights, or by demonstrating sustained housing supply growth that meets an affordability-adjusted target. This designation directly affects participating localities by prioritizing them for competitive housing and community development grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Other federal agencies are also encouraged to consider this designation when awarding related grants.
The SSI Savings and Efficiency Act of 2026 proposes to change how income is calculated for recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The bill amends the Social Security Act to exclude "support or maintenance furnished in kind," such as free rent or food, from being counted as income for SSI purposes. This means that individuals receiving SSI would no longer have their benefits reduced because they receive non-cash assistance from others. The legislation directly affects low-income individuals who depend on SSI and receive such in-kind support, ensuring their benefit amounts are not decreased as a result.
HR 8469 is an appropriations bill that allocates federal funds for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and several related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027. The bill provides substantial funding for military construction projects across all service branches, including new facilities, upgrades, and family housing for military personnel and their families. It also dedicates significant resources to the Department of Veterans Affairs to support a wide range of veterans' benefits, healthcare services (including community care, mental health, and care for toxic exposures), medical research, and the modernization of the veterans' electronic health record system. Additionally, the bill funds national cemeteries, the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and the American Battle Monuments Commission, while setting administrative rules and conditions for how these funds can be obligated and spent. This legislation directly affects military members, veterans, and their families by providing the financial resources for their infrastructure, healthcare, and benefit programs.
This bill reauthorizes and modifies an existing Federal Housing Administration (FHA) pilot program designed to help prospective homebuyers, particularly those with limited credit history, qualify for mortgages. It allows the FHA to use credit scoring models that incorporate "additional data" (beyond traditional credit reports) for borrowers who voluntarily choose to participate, aiming to assess their creditworthiness more comprehensively. The legislation requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to select these models, ensure lenders provide clear information to borrowers about their options, and specifically prevents the program from being used for refinancing existing loans. It also mandates detailed reports to Congress on the pilot's effectiveness and impact, extending the program for an additional five years.
HR 6774, the FHA Small-Dollar Mortgages Act, authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a four-year pilot program to increase access to mortgages of $100,000 or less for individuals purchasing their primary residence. This program would offer incentives such as direct payments to lenders for originating these small-dollar mortgages and grants to borrowers to help cover costs like down payments, closing costs, and appraisals. It also allows for adjustments to Federal Housing Administration terms for these loans and mandates outreach to potential borrowers. The bill requires annual reports to Congress evaluating the program's outcomes and risks to the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund.
The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026 aims to update and improve federal housing programs for Indian tribes, tribally designated housing entities, and Native Hawaiian communities. The bill streamlines environmental reviews, increases flexibility for these entities in managing housing funds, and raises income limits for certain homeownership assistance. It also establishes new pilot programs to address homelessness among Native Americans
The Permanent Housing Affordability Act aims to create and preserve permanently affordable housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. It establishes a Treasury Department program to provide grants to states and financial institutions, enabling them to offer low-interest construction loans to non-profit organizations and local governments for developing or rehabilitating shared equity homes with long-term affordability requirements. A separate pilot program under HUD offers direct grants to eligible entities for acquiring land or properties to develop similar affordable housing for lower-income households. The bill also mandates research and public awareness campaigns for shared equity homeownership models and streamlines the transfer of surplus federal land to these models at a discounted rate for affordable housing use.
