I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1981 
To increase the number of landlords participating in the Housing Choice 
Voucher program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 10, 2025 
Mr. CLEAVER (for himself, Mr. LAWLER, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. GOODEN, Mr. 
LYNCH, and Mr. CISCOMANI) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To increase the number of landlords participating in the 
Housing Choice Voucher program. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Choice in Affordable 
Housing Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘Housing Choice Voucher pro-
gram’’ means the tenant-based assistance program 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act 
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)); 
(2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development; and 
(3) the term ‘‘Tribal Housing and Urban Devel-
opment-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing pro-
gram’’ means the demonstration program estab-
lished under paragraph (5) under the heading ‘‘TEN-
ANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE’’ under the heading 
‘‘PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING’’ in title II of divi-
sion K of the Consolidated and Further Continuing 
Appropriations Act, 2015 (Public Law 113–235; 
128 Stat. 2732) (commonly known as ‘‘Tribal 
HUD–VASH’’). 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Housing Choice Voucher program is 
the Federal Government’s largest program helping 
low-income families, the elderly, and persons with 
disabilities to afford decent, safe, and sanitary hous-
ing in the private market. 
(2) The Housing Choice Voucher program is 
proven to have positive impacts on voucher holders, 
including increased housing stability, reduced home-
lessness, and children lifted out of poverty. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(3) As a public-private partnership, the Hous-
ing Choice Voucher program relies on the willingness 
of private landlords to accept vouchers. 
(4) Landlord participation is declining in the 
Housing Choice Voucher program, with an average 
of 10,000 housing providers leaving the program 
each year between 2010 and 2016. 
(5) Landlord participation is especially lacking 
in ‘‘high-opportunity neighborhoods’’ that have low 
poverty rates and good access to quality schools, 
jobs, and public transportation. 
(6) The Secretary has conducted and continues 
to conduct research on landlord participation in the 
Housing Choice Voucher program. 
(7) The Moving to Work demonstration pro-
gram of the Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment has given participating public housing 
agencies the ability to test innovative strategies to 
incentivize landlords to accept vouchers. 
(8) Indian Tribes and tribally designated hous-
ing entities, which do not participate in the Housing 
Choice Voucher program, benefit from the Tribal 
Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs 
Supportive Housing program, which provides rental 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
assistance to Native American veterans who are ex-
periencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. 
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the Housing Choice 
Voucher program should be improved to increase the num-
ber of landlords, particularly landlords with units in high- 
opportunity neighborhoods, who accept vouchers in order 
to expand housing choice and opportunity, and further fair 
housing. 
SEC. 5. INCENTIVIZING LANDLORD PARTICIPATION IN 
HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM. 
(a) ONE-TIME INCENTIVE PAYMENTS.—Section 8(o) 
of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(o)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(23) ONE-TIME INCENTIVE PAYMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITION.—In this paragraph, the 
term ‘eligible unit’ means a dwelling unit 
that— 
‘‘(i) is located in a census tract with 
a poverty rate of less than 20 percent; and 
‘‘(ii) has not previously been subject 
to a housing assistance payment contract 
under this subsection. 
‘‘(B) INCENTIVE PAYMENT AUTHORITY.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—To incentivize 
landlords who own dwelling units in low- 
poverty areas to enter into housing assist-
ance payment contracts under this sub-
section, the Secretary shall provide assist-
ance under this paragraph to public hous-
ing agencies to be used to offer a one-time 
payment directly to the owner of an eligi-
ble unit entering into a housing assistance 
payment contract with the public housing 
agency for the eligible unit. 
‘‘(ii) AMOUNT.—The amount of an in-
centive payment made to an eligible owner 
under clause (i) may not exceed 200 per-
cent of the monthly housing assistance 
payment made to the eligible owner for the 
eligible unit. 
‘‘(iii) CONDITIONS PERMITTED.—Sub-
ject to paragraph (7), a public housing 
agency may require the owner of an eligi-
ble unit, as a condition of receiving an in-
centive payment under clause (i), to com-
mit to lease the eligible unit to tenants as-
sisted under this subsection for more than 
1 year. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(iv) LIMIT.—The owner of an eligible 
unit may not receive more than 1 incentive 
payment under clause (i), regardless of— 
‘‘(I) the number of eligible units 
owned by the owner; or 
‘‘(II) the number of public hous-
ing agencies with which the owner has 
entered into housing assistance pay-
ment contracts.’’. 
(b) SECURITY DEPOSIT PAYMENTS.—Section 8(o) of 
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(o)), as amended by subsection (a), is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(24) SECURITY DEPOSIT PAYMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) SECURITY
DEPOSIT
PAYMENT
AU-
THORITY.—The Secretary shall provide assist-
ance to public housing agencies to be used to 
pay the owner of a dwelling unit assisted under 
this subsection for a security deposit, or a sub-
stantial portion thereof, on behalf of the tenant 
of the dwelling unit in accordance with subpara-
graph (B). 
‘‘(B) MINIMUM
PHA
REQUIREMENTS.—A 
public housing agency that receives assistance 
from the Secretary under subparagraph (A) 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
shall administer the assistance in accordance 
with the following conditions: 
‘‘(i) The public housing agency shall 
pay the owners of dwelling units assisted 
under this subsection for a security de-
posit, or a substantial portion thereof, in 
an amount determined by the public hous-
ing agency, on behalf of the tenants of the 
dwelling units. 
‘‘(ii) In making payments to owners of 
dwelling units under clause (i), the public 
housing agency shall give priority to own-
ers of dwelling units occupied by extremely 
low-income families. 
‘‘(iii) The owner of a dwelling unit 
may deduct amounts from a security de-
posit payment received under clause (i) to 
cover damages beyond normal wear and 
tear caused by the tenant of the dwelling 
unit, any member of the tenant’s house-
hold, or any guest or other person under 
the tenant’s control. 
‘‘(iv) The public housing agency shall 
conduct a damage claims process where-
by— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(I) in order to deduct amounts 
from a security deposit payment re-
ceived under clause (i), the owner of 
a covered dwelling unit must submit a 
claim to the public housing agency 
with an itemized list of damages and 
evidence and request reimbursement; 
and 
‘‘(II) the tenant of a covered 
dwelling unit may refute a claim sub-
mitted under subclause (I). 
‘‘(v) 
The 
public 
housing 
agency 
shall— 
‘‘(I) establish an amount of re-
pair costs for which a tenant will be 
responsible; and 
‘‘(II) notify a tenant, upon the 
tenant entering into a lease for a 
dwelling unit assisted under this sub-
section, of the amount described in 
subclause (I). 
‘‘(vi) The public housing agency may 
determine what action to take if a tenant 
demonstrates an inability to pay the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
amount of repair costs for which the ten-
ant is responsible under clause (v). 
‘‘(vii) At the end of a tenant’s occu-
pancy of a dwelling unit assisted under 
this subsection, the landlord shall return to 
the public housing agency any unused 
amount of a security deposit payment re-
ceived under clause (i). 
‘‘(C) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing 
in subparagraph (B) shall be construed to pro-
hibit a public housing agency from establishing 
additional conditions for the administration of 
assistance received under subparagraph (A) in 
accordance with applicable State and local 
laws.’’. 
(c) LANDLORD LIAISON BONUS PAYMENTS.—Section 
8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(o)), as amended by subsection (b), is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(25) LANDLORD LIAISON BONUS PAYMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each year, the Sec-
retary shall award 1 bonus payment to each 
public housing agency that employs, contracts 
with a service partner that employs, or dem-
onstrates an intent to employ or contract with 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
a service partner that employs, not less than 1 
dedicated landlord liaison whose duties include, 
with respect to the tenant-based assistance pro-
gram under subsection (o)— 
‘‘(i) conducting landlord outreach, re-
cruitment, and retention; 
‘‘(ii) educating and training landlords 
regarding the program; and 
‘‘(iii) operating a phone hotline, online 
portal, monitored email address, or other 
mechanism designated by the Secretary for 
landlord questions and concerns regarding 
the program. 
‘‘(B) DEMONSTRATING COMPLIANCE.—The 
Secretary shall determine how a public housing 
agency may demonstrate that it offers or in-
tends to offer a landlord liaison service for pur-
poses of subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(C) AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish an amount for the landlord liaison bonus 
payment authorized under subparagraph (A) 
that— 
‘‘(i) may vary by region; 
‘‘(ii) does not exceed the 150 percent 
of the average cost of employing, or con-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
tracting with a service partner that em-
ploys, such a landlord liaison, based on 
local market conditions; and 
‘‘(iii) is sufficient to incentivize public 
housing agencies to employ, or contact 
with a service partner that employs, such 
a landlord liaison.’’. 
(d) HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND.—Section 8 of the 
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(ee) HERSCHEL LASHKOWITZ HOUSING PARTNER-
SHIP FUND.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish a fund, to be known as the ‘Herschel 
Lashkowitz Housing Partnership Fund’, for the pur-
pose of incentivizing landlords to participate in the 
tenant-based assistance program under subsection 
(o) in accordance with paragraph (2) of this sub-
section. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED USES.—The Secretary shall 
use amounts from the Housing Partnership Fund 
for— 
‘‘(A) incentive payments under subsection 
(o)(23); 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(B) security deposit payments under sub-
section (o)(24); 
‘‘(C) landlord liaison bonus payments 
under subsection (o)(25); and 
‘‘(D) other uses, as determined by a public 
housing agency and approved by the Secretary, 
designed primarily— 
‘‘(i) to recruit owners of dwelling 
units, particularly dwelling units in census 
tracts with a poverty rate of less than 20 
percent, to enter into housing assistance 
payment contracts under subsection (o); 
and 
‘‘(ii) to ensure that owners that enter 
into housing assistance payment contracts 
as described in clause (i) of this subpara-
graph continue to lease their dwelling units 
to tenants assisted under subsection (o). 
‘‘(3) REPORTS.—The Secretary shall require a 
public housing agency that receives assistance from 
the Herschel Lashkowitz Housing Partnership Fund 
to submit an annual report to the Secretary on the 
use of the assistance. 
‘‘(4) AUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL APPRO-
PRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
for deposit in the Herschel Lashkowitz Housing 
Partnership Fund $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029, to remain available until 
expended.’’. 
SEC. 6. HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS. 
(a) SATISFACTION OF INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS 
THROUGH PARTICIPATION
IN OTHER HOUSING PRO-
GRAMS.—Section 8(o)(8) of the United States Housing 
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(8)), as amended by sec-
tion 101(a) of the Housing Opportunity Through Mod-
ernization Act of 2016 (Public Law 114–201; 130 Stat. 
783), is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(I) SATISFACTION
OF
INSPECTION
RE-
QUIREMENTS
THROUGH
PARTICIPATION
IN 
OTHER HOUSING PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(i) 
LOW-INCOME
HOUSING
TAX 
CREDIT-FINANCED
BUILDINGS.—A dwell-
ing unit shall be deemed to meet the in-
spection requirements under this para-
graph if— 
‘‘(I) the dwelling unit is in a 
building, the acquisition, rehabilita-
tion, or construction of which was fi-
nanced by a person who received a 
low-income housing tax credit under 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
section 42 of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 in exchange for that fi-
nancing; 
‘‘(II) the dwelling unit was phys-
ically inspected and passed inspection 
as part of the low-income housing tax 
credit program described in subclause 
(I) during the preceding 12-month pe-
riod; and 
‘‘(III) the applicable public hous-
ing agency is able to obtain the re-
sults of the inspection described in 
subclause (II). 
‘‘(ii) HOME INVESTMENT PARTNER-
SHIPS
PROGRAM.—A dwelling shall be 
deemed to meet the inspection require-
ments under this paragraph if— 
‘‘(I) the dwelling unit is assisted 
under the HOME Investment Part-
nerships Program under title II of the 
Cranston-Gonzalez National Afford-
able Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12721 et 
seq.); 
‘‘(II) the dwelling unit was phys-
ically inspected and passed inspection 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
as part of the program described in 
subclause (I) during the preceding 12- 
month period; and 
‘‘(III) the applicable public hous-
ing agency is able to obtain the re-
sults of the inspection described in 
subclause (II). 
‘‘(iii) RURAL
HOUSING
SERVICE.—A 
dwelling unit shall be deemed to meet the 
inspection requirements under this para-
graph if— 
‘‘(I) the dwelling unit is assisted 
by the Rural Housing Service of the 
Department of Agriculture; 
‘‘(II) the dwelling unit was phys-
ically inspected and passed inspection 
in connection with the assistance de-
scribed in subclause (I) during the 
preceding 12-month period; and 
‘‘(III) the applicable public hous-
ing agency is able to obtain the re-
sults of the inspection described in 
subclause (II). 
‘‘(iv) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.— 
Nothing in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) shall be 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
construed to affect the operation of a hous-
ing program described in, or authorized 
under a provision of law described in, that 
clause.’’. 
(b) PRE-APPROVAL OF UNITS.—Section 8(o)(8)(A) 
of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(o)(8)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iv) INITIAL INSPECTION PRIOR TO 
LEASE AGREEMENT.— 
‘‘(I) 
DEFINITION.—In 
this 
clause, the term ‘new landlord’ means 
an owner of a dwelling unit who has 
not previously entered into a housing 
assistance payment contract with a 
public housing agency under this sub-
section for any dwelling unit. 
‘‘(II) EARLY INSPECTION.—Upon 
the request of a new landlord, a public 
housing agency may inspect the dwell-
ing unit owned by the new landlord to 
determine whether the unit meets the 
housing quality standards under sub-
paragraph (B) before the unit is se-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
lected by a tenant assisted under this 
subsection. 
‘‘(III) EFFECT.—An inspection 
conducted under subclause (II) that 
determines that the dwelling unit 
meets the housing quality standards 
under subparagraph (B) shall satisfy 
this subparagraph and subparagraph 
(C) if the new landlord enters into a 
lease agreement with a tenant assisted 
under this subsection not later than 
60 days after the date of the inspec-
tion. 
‘‘(IV) INFORMATION WHEN FAM-
ILY
IS
SELECTED.—When a public 
housing agency selects a family to 
participate in the tenant-based assist-
ance program under this subsection, 
the public housing agency shall in-
clude in the information provided to 
the family a list of dwelling units that 
have been inspected under subclause 
(II) and determined to meet the hous-
ing quality standards under subpara-
graph (B).’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 7. SMALL AREA FAIR MARKET RENT. 
(a) USE OF SMALL AREA FAIR MARKET RENT.— 
Section 8(o)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
(42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(1)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(F) SMALL AREA FAIR MARKET RENT.— 
‘‘(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this subpara-
graph— 
‘‘(I) the term ‘metropolitan area’ 
means a metropolitan statistical area, 
as defined by the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget; and 
‘‘(II) the term ‘small area fair 
market rent’ means the fair market 
rent established for a ZIP Code area 
within a metropolitan area. 
‘‘(ii) USE OF SMALL AREA FAIR MAR-
KET
RENT.—Notwithstanding subsection 
(c) or any other provision of this sub-
section, not later than 3 years after the 
date of enactment of this subparagraph, 
the Secretary shall designate a number of 
metropolitan areas in which public housing 
agencies are required to use the small area 
fair market rent to determine the fair mar-
ket rental for dwelling units for purposes 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
of tenant-based assistance under this sub-
section that is not less than 3 times the 
number of metropolitan areas so des-
ignated in the final rule of the Secretary 
entitled ‘Establishing a More Effective 
Fair Market Rent System; Using Small 
Area Fair Market Rents in the Housing 
Choice Voucher Program Instead of the 
Current 50th Percentile FMRs’, published 
in the Federal Register on November 16, 
2016 (81 Fed. Reg. 80567). 
‘‘(iii) HOLD HARMLESS.—If the appli-
cation of clause (ii) would cause a decrease 
in the payment standard used to calculate 
the amount of tenant-based assistance pro-
vided to a family under this subsection, a 
public housing agency shall continue to use 
the existing higher payment standard to 
calculate the amount of such assistance for 
the family for as long as the family con-
tinues to receive such assistance in the 
same dwelling unit.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 8(o)(1)(B) 
of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(o)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘subsection 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:20 Mar 21, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1981.IH
H1981
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB