Bill Details
HR.1696 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-02-27 - Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Introduced Date
2025-02-27
Policy Area
Housing and Community Development
Committees
View committees (1)
Cosponsors
View cosponsors (1)
6
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would change how the federal government defines “extremely low-income” families for housing programs in Puerto Rico. It would make Puerto Rico use the same poverty guidelines that apply in the 48 mainland states and Washington, D.C. for certain public housing agencies and projects. The bill also asks for a government report on how well federal and local agencies are helping low-income families in Puerto Rico find housing assistance and affordable homes, including homes supported by federal housing programs and disaster recovery money.
- It updates the housing law so that Puerto Rico is treated the same as the mainland states and Washington, D.C. when setting the income standard for extremely low-income families in public housing programs.
- The change is meant to help more low-income families in Puerto Rico qualify for housing help under federal rules.
- The Government Accountability Office must send Congress a report within 180 days after the bill becomes law.
- That report must look at how HUD and Puerto Rico’s housing agency identify housing needs, use disaster recovery funds after events like hurricanes and earthquakes, and improve access to affordable housing for extremely low-income families.
Official Summaries
No summaries available
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1696 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1696
To amend the definition of extremely low-income families under the
United States Housing Act of 1937.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2025
Mr. Hernandez (for himself and Mr. Torres of New York) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial
Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the definition of extremely low-income families under the
United States Housing Act of 1937.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Puerto Rico Low-Income Housing
Support Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.
Clause (i) of section 3(b)(2)(C) of the United States Housing Act
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(2)(C)(i)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``Puerto Rico or any other'' and inserting
``any''; and
(2) by inserting before the closing parentheses the
following: ``other than Puerto Rico and in the case of public
housing agencies and projects located in Puerto Rico, the same
poverty guidelines as used for the contiguous 48 States and the
District of Columbia shall apply''.
SEC. 3. REPORT ON LOW INCOME HOUSING ACCESS IN PUERTO RICO.
(a) In General.--The Comptroller General shall, not later than 180
day after the date of the enactment of this section, submit a report to
the Congress about efforts made by the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, in collaboration with the Government of Puerto Rico, to
connect low-income families residing in Puerto Rico with--
(1) housing assistance available in Puerto Rico; and
(2) affordable dwelling units, including dwelling units
that are part of a housing project assisted under the United
States Housing Act of 1937.
(b) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) an assessment of how the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) and the Puerto Rico Public Housing
Administration (PRPHA) identify and address housing needs for
extremely low-income families that reside in Puerto Rico;
(2) an assessment how the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development uses Federal disaster recovery funds to rebuild and
expand low-income housing after natural disasters in Puerto
Rico, including hurricanes and earthquakes; and
(3) recommendations to improve the effectiveness of Federal
and local housing programs that serve extremely low-income
families that reside in Puerto Rico.
<all>