I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3211 
To establish the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2019 
Mr. PETERS (for himself, Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER, and Mr. KHANNA) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Finan-
cial Services 
A BILL 
To establish the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable 
Housing Crisis, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Task Force on the 
Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE OF TASK FORCE. 
The purpose of this Act is to establish the Task Force 
on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis, which 
shall— 
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(1) evaluate and quantify the impact that a 
lack of affordable housing has on other areas of life 
and life outcomes; 
(2) evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by 
other Federal, State, and local programs due to a 
lack of affordable housing; and 
(3) make recommendations to Congress on how 
to use affordable housing to improve the effective-
ness of other Federal programs and improve life out-
comes. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AFFORDABLE HOUSING.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘affordable 
housing’’ means— 
(i) housing for which the household is 
required to pay not more than 30 percent 
of the household income for gross housing 
costs, including utilities, where such in-
come is less than or equal to the area me-
dian income for the municipality in which 
the housing is located, as determined by 
the Secretary; and 
(ii) housing— 
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(I) for which the household pays 
more than 30 percent of the house-
hold income for gross housing costs, 
including utilities, where such income 
is less than or equal to the area me-
dian income for the municipality in 
which the housing is located, as deter-
mined by the Secretary; and 
(II) that is assisted or considered 
affordable by the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, in-
cluding— 
(aa) public housing; 
(bb) housing assisted under 
section 8(o) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1437f(o)); 
(cc) housing receiving the 
low-income housing credit under 
section 42 of the Internal Rev-
enue Code; and 
(dd) housing assisted under 
other Federal or local housing 
programs serving households with 
incomes at or below 80 percent of 
the area median income or pro-
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viding services or amenities that 
will primarily be used by low-in-
come housing. 
(B) APPLICATION.—The definition in sub-
paragraph (A) shall apply to Federal, State, 
and local affordable housing programs. 
(2) LOW-INCOME HOUSING; PUBLIC HOUSING.— 
The terms ‘‘low-income housing’’ and ‘‘public hous-
ing’’ have the meanings given those terms in section 
3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
U.S.C. 1437a(b)). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 
(4) TASK
FORCE.—The term ‘‘Task Force’’ 
means the Task Force on the Impact of the Afford-
able Housing Crisis established under section 4(a). 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a bipar-
tisan task force to be known as the Task Force on the 
Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall be 
composed of 18 members, of whom— 
(A) 1 member shall be appointed by the 
Majority Leader of the Senate and the Speaker 
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of the House of Representatives, who shall 
serve as co-chair of the Task Force; 
(B) 1 member shall be appointed by the 
Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority 
Leader of the House of Representatives, who 
shall serve as co-chair of the Task Force; 
(C) 4 members shall be appointed by the 
Majority Leader of the Senate; 
(D) 4 members shall be appointed by the 
Minority Leader of the Senate; 
(E) 4 members shall be appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives; and 
(F) 4 members shall be appointed by the 
Minority Leader of the House of Representa-
tives. 
(2) CRITERIA.—Each member of the Task 
Force shall be an academic researcher, an expert in 
a field or policy area related to the purpose of the 
Task Force, or an individual who has experience 
with government programs related to the purpose of 
the Task Force. 
(3) ADDITIONAL STAFF.—The co-chairs of the 
Task Force may appoint and fix the pay of addi-
tional staff to the Task Force. 
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(4) DETAILEES.—Any Federal Government em-
ployee may be detailed to the Task Force without re-
imbursement from the Task Force, and the detailee 
shall retain the rights, status, and privileges of his 
or her regular employment without interruption. 
(5) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Members of 
the Task Force may be allowed travel expenses, in-
cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates au-
thorized for employees of agencies under subchapter 
I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while 
away from their homes or regular places of business 
in the performance of services for the Task Force. 
(c) TIMING OF APPOINTMENTS.—Appointments to 
the Task Force shall be made not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(d) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—A member of the Task 
Force shall be appointed for the life of the Task 
Force. 
(2) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the Task 
Force— 
(A) shall not affect the powers of the Task 
Force; and 
(B) shall be filled in the same manner as 
the original appointment. 
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(e) INITIAL MEETING.—The Task Force shall meet 
not later than 30 days after the date on which a majority 
of the members of the Task Force have been appointed. 
(f) MEETINGS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall meet 
at the call of the co-chairs of the Task Force. 
(2) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of 
the Task Force shall constitute a quorum, but a 
lesser number of members may hold hearings. 
SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall utilize avail-
able survey and statistical data related to the purpose of 
the Task Force to complete a comprehensive report to— 
(1) evaluate and quantify the impact that a 
lack of affordable housing has on other areas of life 
and life outcomes for individuals living in the United 
States, including— 
(A) education; 
(B) employment; 
(C) income level; 
(D) health; 
(E) nutrition; 
(F) access to transportation; 
(G) the poverty level of the neighborhood 
in which individuals live; 
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(H) regional economic growth; 
(I) neighborhood and rural community sta-
bility and revitalization; and 
(J) other areas of life and life outcomes re-
lated to the purpose of the Task Force nec-
essary to complete a comprehensive report; 
(2) evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by 
other Federal, State, and local programs due to a 
lack of affordable housing; and 
(3) make recommendations to Congress on how 
to use affordable housing to improve the effective-
ness of other Federal programs and improve life out-
comes for individuals living in the United States. 
(b) PUBLIC COMMENT.—The Task Force shall pub-
lish in the Federal Register a notice for a public comment 
period of 90 days on the purpose and activities of the Task 
Force. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than the date on which the 
Task Force terminates, the Task Force shall submit to 
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 
and the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the 
Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on 
Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and 
make publicly available a final report that— 
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(1) contains the information, evaluations, and 
recommendations described in subsection (a); and 
(2) is signed by each member of the Task 
Force. 
SEC. 6. POWERS OF TASK FORCE. 
(a) HEARINGS.—The Task Force may hold such 
hearings, take such testimony, and receive such evidence 
as the Task Force considers advisable to carry out this 
Act. 
(b) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force may secure 
directly from any Federal department or agency 
such information as the Task Force considers nec-
essary to carry out this Act. 
(2) FURNISHING INFORMATION.—On request of 
the co-chairs of the Task Force, the head of a Fed-
eral department or agency described in paragraph 
(1) shall furnish the information to the Task Force. 
(c) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Task Force may use the 
United States mails in the same manner and under the 
same conditions as other Federal departments and agen-
cies. 
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SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF TASK FORCE. 
The Task Force shall terminate not later than 2 
years after the date on which all members of the Task 
Force are appointed under section 4. 
SEC. 8. FUNDING. 
There are authorized such sums as may be necessary 
to be appropriated to carry out this Act for fiscal years 
2020 through 2023. 
Æ 
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