A requirement within the The Build America, Buy America Act (BABA), which became a federal law in 2021, stipulates that federally funded infrastructure projects, including federally subsidized housing, utilize domestically produced materials.

For housing providers, compliance often means incurring additional costs—often greater than the funding that triggers it if the project uses applicable federal financial assistance—which undercuts the purpose of both BABA and the affordable housing programs.

To help remedy this, Reps. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) and Mike Flood (R-NE) are asking their colleagues in the House to sign onto a “Dear Colleague” letter that asks the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the White House’s Made In America Office (MIAO) to improve their approach to issuing waivers for BABA requirements.

LeadingAge encourages members to contact their Representatives and ask them to add their signature to this letter before the November 10, 2026 deadline.