[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9378 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9378

   To direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the 
   Administrator of the General Services Administration to establish 
   programs for the development of affordable housing, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 16, 2024

   Mr. Ryan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the 
   Administrator of the General Services Administration to establish 
   programs for the development of affordable housing, 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 ``Pro-Housing Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. LOCAL HOUSING POLICY GRANT AND LOAN PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Planning Grants.--Beginning not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall award grants 
on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the purpose of 
developing and evaluating housing policy plans.
    (b) Implementation Grants.--Beginning not later than 120 days after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall award 
grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the purpose of 
implementing housing policy plans.
    (c) Direct Loans.--
            (1) In general.--Beginning not later than 120 days after 
        the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 
        provide direct loans to eligible entities for the purpose of 
        implementing housing policy plans.
            (2) Terms and limitations.--
                    (A) In general.--A direct loan provided under this 
                section shall be subject to such terms and conditions 
                as the Secretary determines appropriate.
                    (B) Interest rate.--The interest rate on a direct 
                loan provided under this section shall be less than the 
                yield on United States Treasury obligations of a 
                similar maturity to the maturity of the direct loan on 
                the date of execution of the loan agreement, at a rate 
                determined by the Secretary, for the purpose of 
                providing low-cost credit to eligible entities.
    (d) Rural and Exurban Area Minimum.--The Secretary shall provide 
not less than 20 percent of the amounts awarded or loaned under this 
section to eligible entities that plan to use them to assist an area 
that is rural or exurban, as determined by the Secretary in 
consultation the Director of the United States Census Bureau.
    (e) Applications.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity seeking a planning 
        grant, implementation grant, or direct loan provided under this 
        section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such 
        time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
        Secretary may require.
            (2) Priority.--In awarding a planning grant, implementation 
        grant, or direct loan provided under this section, the 
        Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that--
                    (A) have developed or are likely to develop a 
                housing policy plan that will--
                            (i) improve housing supply, affordability, 
                        and accessibility for all individuals of every 
                        race and income level;
                            (ii) reduce barriers to affordable housing 
                        development; and
                            (iii) avoid the displacement of residents 
                        by new housing developments in the area under 
                        the jurisdiction of the eligible entity;
                    (B) in developing or implementing a housing policy 
                plan, intend to leverage and efficiently use amounts 
                from--
                            (i) another Federal, State, or local 
                        assistance program relating to housing; or
                            (ii) a private funding source;
                    (C) intend to--
                            (i) increase the supply and affordability 
                        of housing that is located--
                                    (I) near local transit options; and
                                    (II) in areas in which a 
                                significant or expanding supply of jobs 
                                or demand for employment is 
                                concentrated;
                            (ii) coordinate with local transportation 
                        and workforce agencies in accomplishing the 
                        increase described in clause (i);
                            (iii) leverage existing infrastructure by 
                        rehabilitating or converting existing 
                        properties when developing or implementing a 
                        housing policy plan; and
                            (iv) where appropriate, coordinate policy 
                        development for, and analysis and 
                        implementation of, the housing policy plan of 
                        the eligible entity at a regional scale to 
                        achieve a more equitable distribution of 
                        affordable housing across jurisdictional 
                        boundaries; or
                    (D) are a coalition of States or political 
                subdivisions of States.
            (3) Scoring.--The Secretary shall base the degree of 
        priority given to an eligible entity that satisfies 1 or more 
        subparagraphs under paragraph (2) on a scoring system 
        established by the Secretary.
    (f) Matching Requirement for Grants.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        planning grant or implementation grant shall contribute non-
        Federal amounts for developing or implementing a housing policy 
        plan financed using amounts provided in such grant in the 
        following amounts:
                    (A) If the area under the jurisdiction of an 
                eligible entity has a population of 15,000 or fewer, 
                the eligible entity shall provide non-Federal 
                contributions in an amount equal to 15 percent of the 
                amount of the grant.
                    (B) If the area under the jurisdiction of an 
                eligible entity has a population between 15,001 and 
                30,000, the eligible entity shall provide non-Federal 
                contributions in an amount equal to 25 percent of the 
                amount of the grant.
                    (C) If the area under the jurisdiction of an 
                eligible entity has a population between 30,001 and 
                40,000, the eligible entity shall provide non-Federal 
                contributions in an amount equal to 35 percent of the 
                amount of the grant.
                    (D) If the area under the jurisdiction of an 
                eligible entity has a population between 40,001 and 
                70,000, the eligible entity shall provide non-Federal 
                contributions in an amount equal to 45 percent of the 
                amount of the grant.
                    (E) If the area under the jurisdiction of an 
                eligible entity has a population of 70,001 or more, the 
                eligible entity shall provide non-Federal contributions 
                in an amount equal to 45 percent of the amount of the 
                grant.
            (2) Eligible matching amounts.--If an eligible entity uses 
        amounts provided by the Federal Government not under this 
        section to develop or implement a housing policy plan for which 
        the eligible entity also receives a grant under this section, 
        any non-Federal contribution made by the eligible entity as 
        part of that Federal assistance program shall be counted 
        towards the requirements under paragraph (1).
            (3) Reduced matching requirement.--Based on the available 
        resources of an eligible entity, the Secretary may, at the 
        discretion of the Secretary, reduce the amount of non-Federal 
        contributions required to be provided by the eligible entity 
        under paragraphs (1) and (2).
    (g) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        planning grant, implementation grant, or direct loan provided 
        under this section shall use a portion of the amounts from such 
        grant or loan to submit the report required under subsection 
        (j)(1).
            (2) Planning grants.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        planning grant shall use amounts from such grant to finance 
        activities to develop and evaluate a housing policy plan for 
        the area under the jurisdiction of the eligible entity, 
        including--
                    (A) quantifying existing and projected housing 
                needs for households of every income level, including 
                extremely low-income families, as defined in section 
                3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
                U.S.C. 1437a(b));
                    (B) documenting the characteristics of--
                            (i) the housing in the area;
                            (ii) the households of the area, including 
                        cost-burdened households; and
                            (iii) housing underproduction in the area;
                    (C) developing strategies to increase the housing 
                supply and the variety of housing types in the area to 
                satisfy the housing needs of the population of the 
                area;
                    (D) analyzing population and employment trends in 
                the area and documenting projections of those trends;
                    (E) considering strategies to minimize displacement 
                of low-income families, as defined in section 3(b) of 
                the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
                1437a(b)), as a result of redevelopment in the area;
                    (F) providing for participation and input from 
                community members, community groups, local builders, 
                local realtors, nonprofit housing advocates, and local 
                religious groups; and
                    (G) creating a schedule of programs and actions to 
                implement the recommendations of the housing policy 
                plan, including a plan for adopting actions through a 
                local implementing ordinance or another regulatory 
                process, such as a land use plan or a comprehensive 
                plan.
    (h) Housing Policy Plan Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue 
        guidance that includes recommended policies, strategies, and 
        reforms for eligible entities to adopt in housing policy plans 
        to--
                    (A) improve the elasticity of housing supply;
                    (B) expand the supply and affordability of housing;
                    (C) reduce barriers to housing development; and
                    (D) meaningfully reduce housing segregation by 
                income and race.
            (2) Policies.--The guidance issued under paragraph (1) 
        shall include recommendations for policies, strategies, and 
        reforms to--
                    (A) encourage and support the repurposing of land 
                or structures for housing development;
                    (B) allow for a greater variety of housing types;
                    (C) revise land use policies to allow for the 
                development of more housing;
                    (D) streamline approval processes for housing 
                development;
                    (E) provide financial incentives to support 
                affordable housing development; and
                    (F) support inclusive engagement with community 
                members relating to reforms to expand housing supply.
            (3) Areas.--The guidance issued under paragraph (1) shall 
        include recommendations for policies, strategies, and reforms 
        for urban, suburban, exurban, and rural areas.
    (i) Learning Network.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
        which the Secretary awards the first planning grant, 
        implementation grant, or direct loan provided under this 
        section, the Secretary shall establish a learning network to--
                    (A) facilitate problem solving relating to the 
                development and implementation of housing policy plans; 
                and
                    (B) disseminate best practices and effective 
                strategies and policies to improve local housing supply 
                and affordability.
            (2) Accessibility.--The learning network established under 
        paragraph (1) shall be accessible to--
                    (A) eligible entities that receive a grant or loan 
                under this section; and
                    (B) eligible entities that submit an application 
                under subsection (e).
    (j) Reports and Study.--
            (1) Grant and loan recipient reports.--Not later than 180 
        days after the date on which an eligible entity receives a 
        planning grant, implementation grant, or direct loan provided 
        under this section, and not less frequently than quarterly 
        thereafter for a 3-year period, the eligible entity shall 
        submit to the Secretary a report that includes--
                    (A) a description of the expenditures the eligible 
                entity has made with amounts from such grant or loan;
                    (B) for an eligible entity receiving a planning 
                grant, a summary of the progress of the eligibility 
                entity towards finalizing a housing policy plan; and
                    (C) for an eligible entity receiving an 
                implementation grant, data relating to the success of 
                the implementation of the housing policy plan of the 
                eligible entity.
            (2) Secretary study and report.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the 
                date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
                shall conduct a study with respect to--
                            (i) the impact of implementation grants, 
                        planning grants, and direct loans provided 
                        under this section on the areas under the 
                        jurisdiction of eligible entities receiving 
                        those grants or loans; and
                            (ii) successful strategies from housing 
                        policy plans that were impactful in--
                                    (I) expanding the housing supply; 
                                and
                                    (II) increasing the quantity of 
                                quality and affordable housing while 
                                avoiding the displacement of the 
                                residents of an area.
                    (B) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
                on which the Secretary completes the study required 
                under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall submit to 
                the appropriate committees of the Congress a report on 
                the study.
    (k) Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Secretary $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 
        through 2030 to carry out this section.
            (2) Costs of direct loans.--The Secretary may use any 
        amounts made available under paragraph (1) to pay the costs of 
        providing direct loans under this section.
    (l) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Cost-burdened household.--The term ``cost-burdened 
        household'' means a household that spends not less than 30 
        percent of the income of the household on housing.
            (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Housing and Urban Development.
            (3) Direct loan.--The term ``direct loan'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 502 of the Federal Credit Reform Act 
        (2 U.S.C. 661a).
            (4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        State, a political subdivision of a State, a coalition of 
        States or political subdivisions of States, an Indian Tribe, or 
        a Native Hawaiian organization that--
                    (A) demonstrates, with respect to the area under 
                the jurisdiction of the State, political subdivision, 
                coalition, Indian Tribe, or organization--
                            (i) rising housing costs or a reasonable 
                        expectation that housing costs will rise in the 
                        area; and
                            (ii) a housing supply shortage;
                    (B) if applying for a planning grant--
                            (i) intends to develop, or is in the 
                        process of developing, a housing policy plan; 
                        and
                            (ii) demonstrates an intent to use a 
                        portion of the planning grant to engage with 
                        community stakeholders and housing 
                        practitioners in developing a housing policy 
                        plan; and
                    (C) if applying for an implementation grant or 
                direct loan under this section--
                            (i) has adopted and plans to implement, or 
                        is in the process of implementing, a housing 
                        policy plan; and
                            (ii) demonstrates the engagement of 
                        community stakeholders and housing 
                        practitioners in developing the housing policy 
                        plan.
            (5) Housing policy plan.--The term ``housing policy plan'' 
        means a comprehensive plan of an eligible entity to, with 
        respect to the area under the jurisdiction of the eligible 
        entity--
                    (A) increase the housing supply in the area, while 
                avoiding the displacement of the residents of the area;
                    (B) increase the affordability of housing in the 
                area; and
                    (C) reduce barriers to housing development in the 
                area.
            (6) Implementation grant.--The term ``implementation 
        grant'' means a grant awarded under subsection (b).
            (7) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (8) Native hawaiian organization.--The term ``Native 
        Hawaiian organization'' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 2 of the Native American Graves Protection and 
        Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001).
            (9) Planning grant.--The term ``planning grant'' means a 
        grant awarded under subsection (a).
            (10) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development, acting through the Assistant 
        Secretary for Community Planning and Development, in 
        coordination with--
                    (A) the Office of Economic Resilience of the Office 
                of Community Planning and Development of the 
                Department;
                    (B) the Office of Policy Development and Research 
                of the Department;
                    (C) the Office of Fair Housing and Equal 
                Opportunity of the Department;
                    (D) the Office of Housing of the Department; and
                    (E) the Office of Public and Indian Housing of the 
                Department.
            (11) State.--The term ``State'' means any State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any 
        possession of the United States.

SEC. 3. TRANSFER OF UNUSED FEDERAL REAL PROPERTY TO STATE AND LOCAL 
              AUTHORITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Administrator of General Services shall 
establish a pilot program under which unused Federal real property is 
transferred in accordance with subsection (b)(2) to eligible entities 
for the development of mixed-use neighborhoods or affordable housing.
    (b) Transfer of Property.--
            (1) In general.--Any unused Federal real property shall be 
        transferred by the head of the agency concerned to the 
        Administrator.
            (2) Transfer to eligible entity.--The Administrator shall 
        transfer to eligible entities any unused Federal real property 
        transferred to the Administrator under paragraph (1).
    (c) Sunset.--Any transfers of property described in subsection (b) 
shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of the 
enactment of this section.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the General Services.
            (2) Affordable housing.--The term ``affordable housing'' 
        means housing that qualifies as affordable housing under 
        section 215 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable 
        Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12745).
            (3) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given the 
        term ``Executive agency'' in section 105 of title 5, United 
        States Code.
            (4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
        entity established under State or local law as responsible for 
        housing and urban development planning.
            (5) Unused federal real property.--The term ``unused 
        Federal real property'' means land or a building--
                    (A) owned by the Federal Government; and
                    (B) declared unused by the head of an agency.
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