Housing Bills Pass Committee Along Party Lines

This article was written by Richa Goel, NAHRO’s Legislative Affairs Intern.

The House Financial Services Committee held a markup on July 27 and July 28 that included multiple housing-related bills. Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) led the markup, overseeing amendments offered by committee members. Waters began the markup by offering a brief overview of the housing-related legislation:

“This markup includes a slate of bills to strengthen oversight of our country’s affordable housing and give communities the tools they need to address the homelessness crisis”

The “Studying Barriers to Housing Act” and “Housing Inspections Accountability Act of 2022” would increase transparency and oversight of affordable housing. The first bill would instruct the Government Accountability Office to produce a report about the barriers that make it difficult to address homelessness with Housing Choice Vouchers. The second bill would require HUD and the USDA to provide a joint report to Congress about failed inspections in public housing. Rep. John Rose (R-TN) proposed an amendment to require HUD and the EPA to also analyze the prevalence of superfund sites within one mile of public housing. Rose’s amendment did not pass. Both bills passed along party lines.

The “Naomi Schwartz Safe Parking Act of 2022” addresses current needs among those experiencing homelessness. Many of those experiencing homelessness rely on sleeping in their cars when shelters are at capacity. The bill would allow the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development to provide funds to entities for the creation of safe parking programs. The bill passed along party lines.

The committee also heard bills related to consumer protection and the banking industry. The full markup and all bill texts are available on the House Financial Services Committee website.