A bill to authorize a $100 million grant program for intergenerational housing supports was added to a “must-pass” defense authorization bill in the House on July 14.

The grandfamily supports bill, the “Grandfamily Housing Act of 2021,” was is cosponsored by Representatives James McGovern (D-MA) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA). Grants could be used to employ a service coordinator, facilitate outreach to intergenerational families, plan and offer services to intergenerational families, and retrofit and maintain existing spaces within a property that contains intergenerational housing. Read more about the grandfamily support bill here.

In addition to a successful amendment to add the Grandfamily bill, an amendment from House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) to the defense authorization bill was also approved. This amendment would expand eligible uses of the Community Development Block Grant program to include new affordable housing construction. Currently, only about 24% of CDBG is used for affordable housing. This amount could increase if the program’s eligible uses are expanded.

The bill these provisions were amended into, the National Defense Authorization Act, is an annual “must-pass” bill that authorizes Pentagon spending levels and sets overarching military policy. The Senate will soon take up its version of NDAA and differences between the two will be negotiated in a conference committee.