Congress paid significant attention to federal housing programs June 21, as new bills to address housing for low-income individuals were introduced and a hearing on the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) oversight took place.

House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) introduced three bills June 21, and LeadingAge backs each.

• The Housing Crisis Response Act of 2023 would provide $150 billion for new and preserved affordable rental housing.
• The Ending Homelessness Act of 2023 would transition HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program to a housing entitlement program for households with incomes at or below half of the extremely low-income threshold or have incomes below the extremely low-income threshold and include a household member who is a recipient of Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
• The Downpayment Toward Equity Act of 2023 would help address the U.S. racial wealth and homeownership gaps by providing $100 billion in direct assistance to help first-time, first-generation homebuyers.

Read more about the bills here.

Also, HUD inspector General Rae Oliver Davis testified before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing & Insurance on a range of issues, including HUD capacity and resources to administer and oversee its programs effectively and efficiently.

“America broadly supports a social safety net, and HUD offers one of the most important [pieces], housing,” Subcommittee Chair Warren Davidson (R-OH) said. “A place of shelter. A core need for human survival. [HUD] doesn’t do as good a job at it as we think they could.”

Representative Nydia Velasquez (D-NY) responded. “It is unfair to starve a department of resources and then criticize it for not meeting its mission.”

Watch the hearing and read Ms. Oliver Davis’ testimony here.