Landlord Accountability Act of 2019

Bill: 116-hr-232
Sponsor: Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
Introduced: 2019-01-03 in the House
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Housing and community development funding
Housing discrimination
Housing supply and affordability
Income tax credits
Landlord and tenant
Low- and moderate-income housing
Residential rehabilitation and home repair

Summary:
action_date: 2019-01-03
text: 

Landlord Accountability Act of 2019

 
This bill provides protections to tenants of certain federally assisted housing and establishes a low-income housing maintenance tax credit for eligible landlords.
 
Specifically, the bill prohibits discrimination, in the context of rental housing, against individuals who possess a housing choice voucher. Additionally, landlords may not take, or fail to take, certain actions with the intent to make a unit ineligible to receive assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Landlords that violate this prohibition shall be fined by HUD for each violation and may be sued by tenants who are harmed.
 
In addition, the bill allows HUD to provide grants to states, Indian tribes, local governments, and affordable housing organizations to develop, expand, and assist tenant harassment prevention programs.
 
The bill also provides protections to tenants of multifamily housing projects by requiring HUD to (1) increase the staffing level for the Multifamily Housing Complaint Line, (2) create a Multifamily Housing Complaint Resolution Program, and (3) publicly disclose on its website information regarding each complaint received under the program. Landlords must also display in certain multifamily housing projects information about the complaint line and the phone number of the regional or local HUD office.
 
In addition, the bill provides a tax credit to qualifying landlords that is equal to the landlord's low-income housing maintenance expenses for the year. To qualify, landlords must have addressed within 30 days any complaints filed against them under the complaint resolution program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-01-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
action_date: 2019-01-03
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-01-03
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-01-03
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-01-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-01-03
text: Introduced in House