[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5733 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5733

 To establish a competitive grant program at the Department of Housing 
  and Urban Development to support the construction, preservation, or 
rehabilitation of affordable workforce housing in areas with shortages 
     of affordable housing units for sale, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2023

 Ms. Slotkin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a competitive grant program at the Department of Housing 
  and Urban Development to support the construction, preservation, or 
rehabilitation of affordable workforce housing in areas with shortages 
     of affordable housing units for sale, 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 ``Workforce Housing Development Act''.

SEC. 2. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Affordable.--The term ``affordable'', with respect to a 
        workforce housing unit, means that the total housing costs for 
        the unit do not exceed 30 percent of the income of the buyer of 
        the workforce housing unit.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
                Affairs of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Financial Services of the 
                House of Representatives.
            (3) Dwelling.--The term ``dwelling'' means any building, 
        structure, or portion thereof that is occupied as, or designed 
        or intended for occupancy as, a residence by 1 or more 
        individuals.
            (4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a State or unit of local government;
                    (B) a nonprofit housing developer;
                    (C) an agency or instrumentality of a State;
                    (D) a public housing agency;
                    (E) a community development financial institution, 
                as defined in section 103 of the Community Development 
                Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 (12 
                U.S.C. 4702);
                    (F) a resident-owned community; and
                    (G) any other entity that supports housing 
                development, as determined by the Secretary.
            (5) First-time homebuyer.--The term ``first-time 
        homebuyer'' has the meaning given the term in section 104 of 
        the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 
        U.S.C. 12704).
            (6) Nonprofit housing developer.--The term ``nonprofit 
        housing developer'' means a nonprofit organization having as 
        one of its principal purposes the creation, development, or 
        preservation of housing, including a subsidiary of a public 
        housing agency.
            (7) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the grant program 
        established under this section.
            (8) Public housing agency; state.--The terms ``public 
        housing agency'' and ``State'' have the meanings given those 
        terms in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
        (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)).
            (9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development.
            (10) Total housing costs.--The term ``total housing costs'' 
        means mortgage principal and interest, taxes, and insurance.
            (11) Workforce housing unit.--The term ``workforce housing 
        unit'' means a 1- to 4-unit dwelling--
                    (A) that is the primary residence of the buyer;
                    (B) in which none of the units are rented; and
                    (C) that is affordable to buyers with incomes of 
                not more than 100 percent of the area median income.
    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a competitive 
grant program to award grants to eligible entities to increase the 
supply of affordable workforce housing units.
    (c) Use of Funds.--A recipient of a grant under the Program shall 
use grant funds for the construction, preservation, or rehabilitation 
of workforce housing units, which shall remain affordable for a period 
of not less than 5 years from the sale of the workforce housing unit.
    (d) Application and Selection Process.--
            (1) Application.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under 
        the Program shall submit to the Secretary an application at 
        such time, in such manner, and containing--
                    (A) a description of the construction, 
                preservation, or rehabilitation projects to be 
                supported by the grant; and
                    (B) any additional information as the Secretary may 
                require.
            (2) Selection of grantees.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall establish 
                criteria to award grants under the Program on a 
                competitive basis, which may include consideration of 
                whether--
                            (i) the median price of workforce housing 
                        units in the area to be served by the grant is 
                        increasing;
                            (ii) the supply of available workforce 
                        housing units in the area to be served by the 
                        grant is decreasing; and
                            (iii) whether employers in the area to be 
                        served by the grant are struggling to recruit 
                        employees due to the lack of affordable housing 
                        options.
                    (B) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize 
                awarding grants to eligible entities that demonstrate a 
                lack of affordable workforce housing units in the area 
                to be served by the grant.
    (e) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the 
implementation of the Program, which shall include--
            (1) a list of grant recipients and the amount awarded to 
        each grant recipient;
            (2) a description of the projects assisted using grant 
        funds, including the number of affordable workforce housing 
        units created, preserved, and rehabilitated under the Program;
            (3) a description of the households that purchased homes 
        assisted under the Program, including the number of first-time 
        homebuyers; and
            (4) any other metrics that the Secretary determines 
        necessary.
    (f) Workforce Housing Development Fund.--
            (1) In general.--There is established in the Treasury a 
        fund to be known as the ``Workforce Housing Development Fund'' 
        to carry out the Program.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated and deposited into the fund established 
        under paragraph (1) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal 
        year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter.
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