Housing (Homeownership)

This bill directs the Comptroller General to conduct a comprehensive study on housing affordability challenges facing middle-income American families. The report will identify specific geographic areas where housing is most unaffordable for these households and examine existing federal programs that currently exclude middle-income families from benefits available to lower-income groups. Additionally, the study will analyze how to define workforce housing based on income parameters and provide recommendations for expanding federal housing assistance to include middle-income households. The legislation focuses on gathering data and making policy recommendations rather than implementing immediate changes to housing programs.

This joint resolution seeks to disapprove a rule from the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection that would have withdrawn a 2015 regulation regarding the Section 8 housing choice voucher homeownership program. If passed, the resolution would prevent the Bureau from removing the existing guidance that allows low-income families to use housing vouchers to purchase homes. The measure directly affects the Bureau's regulatory authority and the housing assistance program it oversees. It does not change the underlying law but instead blocks a specific administrative action that would have altered how the program operates.

This bill directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on workforce housing within one year of enactment. The study will identify barriers middle-income households face in securing affordable housing, pinpoint areas with the highest unaffordability, and list federal programs currently unavailable to this group due to income limits. The GAO will also propose a clear federal definition for workforce housing and analyze how to modify or create new housing programs to include this category. The bill defines middle-income households as those earning between 80 and 120 percent of the median family income in their area.

This bill, titled the HOPE for Homeownership Act, imposes a 15 percent excise tax on hedge funds that purchase single-family homes with 1 to 4 units. The tax applies to any hedge fund taxpayer that manages at least $50 million in assets and acquires a majority ownership interest in such residential properties. Additionally, the legislation disallows mortgage interest deductions and depreciation for hedge funds that rent or lease these homes, while also reducing their eligibility for certain business income tax benefits. These tax changes are designed to discourage institutional investors from buying residential properties for investment purposes.

This bill creates American Dream Accounts, which are tax-advantaged savings accounts designed to help eligible U.S. citizens save for purchasing a first home. The accounts allow contributions up to $7,500 annually (or $10,000 for those aged 35 or older) with tax-free growth and tax-free withdrawals when used to buy a first home, subject to a $500,000 lifetime limit on qualified distributions. Funds must be kept in a bank or qualified trustee, cannot be invested in life insurance, and cannot be commingled with other property. Withdrawals for purposes other than qualified first-time home purchases are subject to income tax and a 10% penalty. The bill also establishes rules for rollovers between accounts, reporting requirements, and penalties for excess contributions or prohibited transactions.

This bill amends the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 to require the Treasury Secretary to testify annually before Congress about the Fund's operations. It also strengthens the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program by adjusting guarantee limits and extending the program's authorization period. Additionally, the bill expands capital assistance options for community development financial institutions and creates a new lending program specifically for Native community development financial institutions to support homeownership in Tribal and Native communities.

This bill, known as the First Look for First-time Homebuyers Act of 2026, requires federal housing agencies and mortgage corporations to give first-time homebuyers priority access to foreclosed single-family homes for a 15-day period after they are listed for sale. During this window, properties must be priced based on independent appraisals or disclosed valuation models, listed on public websites with clear eligibility information, and cannot be bundled with other properties. The legislation also mandates regular reporting to Congress on sales data and requires internal audits to ensure compliance with these new requirements.

This bill creates a new type of tax-advantaged savings account specifically designed for first-time homebuyers. It allows individuals who have not owned a home in the past three years to make tax-deductible contributions to a special savings account, with a contribution limit based on income and capped at 20% of the national average home price. Money withdrawn from the account is tax-free if used for qualified expenses like purchasing a home or making major repairs, but taxable with a 10% penalty if used for other purposes. The bill also permits limited tax-free withdrawals for emergencies such as job loss, major health events, or marriage, and allows contributions to be rolled over into a new account within 60 days.

Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025 This bill sets forth requirements for the processing of a proposed residential leasehold mortgage, business leasehold mortgage, land mortgage, or right-of-way document by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA must notify lenders upon receipt of such documentation, perform a preliminary review of such documents not later than 10 days after receipt, and approve or disapprove of such documents within 20 or 30 days, depending on the type of application. Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements for the BIA regarding (1) response times for the completion of certified title status reports, (2) notification of delays in processing, and (3) the form of notices and delivery of certain reports. The bill also provides relevant federal agencies and Indian tribes with read-only access to the Trust Asset and Accounting Management System maintained by the BIA. The Government Accountability Office must report on digitizing documents for the purpose of streamlining and expediting the completion of mortgage packages for residential mortgages on Indian land. Finally, the bill establishes within the BIA's Division of Real Estate Services the position of Realty Ombudsman.

The VA Home Loan Program Reform Act (HR 1815) establishes a new "Partial Claim Program" that allows the Department of Veterans Affairs to purchase up to 25% (or 30% for certain cases) of the unpaid principal balance on a VA-guaranteed home loan when a veteran is in default or at imminent risk of default. This partial payment helps prevent foreclosure while giving the VA a subordinate secured interest in the property, and requires veterans to go through a sequence of loss mitigation options before the VA can fully purchase the loan. The program includes provisions for audits, finality of VA decisions (not subject to judicial review), and a five-year sunset clause. The bill also requires the VA to submit a report on strategies to prevent veterans from being disadvantaged in home purchasing due to litigation.