Homes for All Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.7191 | Sponsor: Rep. Omar, Ilhan (D-MN)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Homes for All Act of  2021
This bill provides funding for the construction of new public housing units, authorizes additional assistance for the construction of new affordable housing units, and otherwise addresses housing affordability.
Specifically, the bill provides permanent, mandatory funding for the capital and operating funds available to public housing agencies (PHAs) and allows PHAs to use such funds to construct new public housing units. Under current law, a PHA generally may not use such funds to construct public housing units if doing so would result in a net increase of the number of public housing units owned, assisted, or operated by the PHA.
The bill also (1) provides annual funding through FY2032 for the construction of new public housing units; and (2) authorizes additional assistance through FY2032 from the Housing Trust Fund for the construction of new, private-market, affordable housing units. A PHA may not discriminate, with respect to the rental of a unit developed with assistance under the bill, based on an individual's criminal record or immigration status. Additionally, a PHA receiving such assistance must meet specified requirements with respect to the new units regarding other forms of discrimination, supportive services, environmental standards, and accessibility.
Finally, the bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish a Community Control and Anti-Displacement Fund to award grants to local governments for the purpose of combatting gentrification and neighborhood destabilization.

To establish new units of public housing and private market affordable 
 housing, to provide grants to combat gentrification and neighborhood 
                destabilization, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Homes for All Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) Every State and large metropolitan area in the United 
        States is facing a shortage of affordable housing options for 
        people who are very or extremely low-income.
            (2) More than 18 million households--1 in 6--are paying 
        more than half of their income on housing and are considered 
        severely cost-burdened.
            (3) The current affordable housing shortage facing the 
        United States cannot be addressed solely by the private market, 
        necessitating significant Federal intervention and investment.
            (4) The Federal Government must adopt a policy that 
        guarantees the right to housing for all individuals, strengthen 
        neighborhoods, and address the failures of the free market in 
        housing by building new public housing and investing in private 
        affordable housing.

SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION OF NEW PUBLIC HOUSING.

    (a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to fund the 
construction of 9,500,000 publicly owned dwelling units over 10 years.
    (b) Repeal of Faircloth Amendment.--Section 9(g) of the United 
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(g)) is amended by striking 
paragraph (3) (relating to limitation on new construction).
    (c) Full Funding of Public Housing Operating and Capital Expenses 
Under Mandatory Spending.--Subsection (c) of section 9 of the United 
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(c)) is amended by striking 
paragraph (2) and inserting the following new paragraphs:
            ``(2) Funding.--For fiscal year 2022 and each fiscal year 
        thereafter, each public housing agency shall be entitled to 
        assistance in the following amounts:
                    ``(A) Capital fund.--From the Capital Fund under 
                subsection (d), such amount as may be necessary to 
                fully fund the capital needs of the agency for such 
                fiscal year, as determined in accordance with such 
                subsection.
                    ``(B) Operating fund.--From the Operating Fund 
                under subsection (e), such amount as may be necessary 
                to fully fund the operating needs of the agency for 
                such fiscal year, as determined in accordance with such 
                subsection.
            ``(3) Permanent appropriations.--For fiscal year 2022 and 
        each fiscal year thereafter, there is appropriated--
                    ``(A) for the Capital Fund, an amount equivalent to 
                the aggregate of the amounts to which each public 
                housing agency is entitled under paragraph (2)(A); and
                    ``(B) for the Operating Fund, an amount equivalent 
                to the aggregate of the amounts to which each public 
                housing agency is entitled under paragraph (2)(B).''.
    (d) Homes for All New Construction Program.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--Section 8 of the 
        United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f) is amended 
        by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(ee) Homes for All.--
            ``(1) In general.--There shall be appropriated 
        $80,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2032 for 
        annual contribution contracts for assistance under section 
        5(a)(2) to cover the development costs for new public housing 
        dwelling units that meet the requirements of this subsection.
            ``(2) Requirements.--
                    ``(A) Public housing.--All dwelling units funded 
                with amounts made available pursuant to this subsection 
                shall comply with and be operated in compliance with 
                all requirements applicable to public housing (as 
                defined in section 3(b)) and the requirements of this 
                subsection.
                    ``(B) Regulations.--The Secretary shall issue 
                regulations to ensure, to the extent practicable, that 
                dwelling units funded with amounts made available 
                pursuant to this subsection comply with the following:
                            ``(i) Use.--Notwithstanding any provision 
                        of this Act, such units shall be operated as 
                        public housing during the entire useful life of 
                        such dwelling units and may not be sold or 
                        otherwise alienated by the public housing 
                        agency receiving such amounts during such 
                        useful life.
                            ``(ii) Location and accessibility.--Such 
                        units shall be located in a manner that 
                        complies with such standards as the Secretary, 
                        in conjunction with the Secretary of the 
                        Department of Transportation, shall establish 
                        to ensure proper integration of housing and 
                        public transit and ensure that residents of 
                        such units have access to sufficient 
                        transportation options. Standards should ensure 
                        that such units should be integrated with 
                        public transit and vehicle alternatives such as 
                        walking and biking and should accommodate 
                        differences between a transit hub in a town or 
                        reservation compared with a large city.
                            ``(iii) Environmental standards.--Such 
                        units shall comply with such standards as the 
                        Secretary shall establish to ensure such units 
                        are designed, built, and operated according to 
                        the highest possible environmental standard, 
                        with a focus on minimizing energy costs and 
                        achieving carbon neutrality.
                            ``(iv) Tenancy restrictions.--A public 
                        housing agency receiving assistance made 
                        available pursuant to this subsection shall not 
                        refuse to rent a dwelling unit developed with 
                        such assistance or otherwise discriminate in 
                        the rental of such a dwelling unit based on an 
                        individual's criminal record or immigration 
                        status.
                            ``(v) Anti-discrimination.--A public 
                        housing agency receiving assistance made 
                        available pursuant to this subsection shall not 
                        refuse to rent a dwelling unit developed with 
                        such assistance or otherwise discriminate in 
                        the rental of such a dwelling unit because of 
                        the sexual orientation or gender identity of 
                        any person.
                            ``(vi) Affirmatively furthering fair 
                        housing.--A public housing agency receiving 
                        assistance made available pursuant to this 
                        subsection shall comply with the final rule 
                        entitled `Affirmatively Furthering Fair 
                        Housing' (80 Fed. Reg. 42272 (July 16, 2015)).
                            ``(vii) Supportive services.--A public 
                        housing agency receiving assistance made 
                        available pursuant to this subsection shall 
                        develop a supportive services plan to ensure 
                        that residents have access to free, voluntary 
                        programs that address the needs of people 
                        experiencing chronic homelessness and housing 
                        instability. Services provided should include 
                        assistance with accessing healthcare, 
                        employment, education, childcare, financial 
                        literacy and other community-based supportive 
                        services.''.

SEC. 4. CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVATE MARKET AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

    (a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to fund the 
construction of 2,500,000 private market affordable housing dwelling 
units over 10 years.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $20,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2032 
for crediting to the Housing Trust Fund under section 1338 of the 
Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4568), which 
amounts shall be available only for assistance for production of new 
dwelling units that comply with the requirements of such section 1338 
and this section.
    (c) Use.--Notwithstanding any provision of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.), all units developed using 
amounts made available pursuant to this section shall remain affordable 
housing units for the entire useful life of such dwelling units.
    (d) Location and Accessibility.--All dwelling units developed using 
amounts made available pursuant to this section shall be located in a 
manner that complies with such standards as the Secretary of Housing 
and Urban Development (in this subsection referred to as the 
``Secretary''), in conjunction with the Secretary of the Department of 
Transportation, shall establish to ensure proper integration of housing 
and public transit and ensure that residents of such units have access 
to sufficient transportation options. Standards should ensure that such 
units should be integrated with public transit and vehicle alternatives 
such as walking and biking and should accommodate differences between a 
transit hub in a town or reservation compared with a large city.
    (e) Environmental Standards.--All dwelling units developed using 
amounts made available pursuant to this section shall comply with such 
standards as the Secretary shall establish to ensure units are 
designed, built, and operated according to the highest possible 
environmental standard, with a focus on minimizing energy costs and 
achieving carbon neutrality.
    (f) Tenancy Restrictions.--A public housing agency receiving 
assistance made available pursuant to this section shall not refuse to 
rent a dwelling unit developed with such assistance or otherwise 
discriminate in the rental of such a dwelling unit based on an 
individual's criminal record or immigration status.
    (g) Anti-Discrimination.--A public housing agency receiving 
assistance made available pursuant to this section shall not refuse to 
rent a dwelling unit developed with such assistance or otherwise 
discriminate in the rental of such a dwelling unit because of the 
sexual orientation or gender identity of any person.
    (h) Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.--A public housing agency 
receiving assistance made available pursuant to this section shall 
comply with the final rule entitled ``Affirmatively Furthering Fair 
Housing'' (80 Fed. Reg. 42272 (July 16, 2015)).
    (i) Supportive Services.--A public housing agency receiving 
assistance made available pursuant to this section shall develop a 
supportive services plan to ensure that residents have access to free, 
voluntary programs that address the needs of people experiencing 
chronic homelessness and housing instability. Services provided should 
include assistance with accessing healthcare, employment, education, 
childcare, financial literacy and other community-based supportive 
services.

SEC. 5. COMMUNITY CONTROL AND ANTI-DISPLACEMENT FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
shall establish a program to be known as the ``Community Control and 
Anti-Displacement Fund'' to provide grants to local governments for the 
purposes of combating gentrification and neighborhood destabilization.
    (b) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize awards to local 
governments that propose projects or programs that encourage 
alternative ownership housing models that give renters agency over how 
the housing is operated and that protect housing affordability.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
$200,000,000,000 for fiscal years 2022 through 2032 to carry out this 
section.
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