The "Healthy Affordable Housing Act" establishes a grant and loan program through HUD to develop affordable housing near essential community services like healthcare, grocery stores, childcare, pharmacies, and public transportation.
Haley Stevens
Representative
MI-11
The Healthy Affordable Housing Act establishes a grant and loan program through HUD to develop and preserve affordable housing in areas with shortages, prioritizing projects near healthcare, grocery stores, childcare, pharmacies, or public transportation. It requires HUD to survey residents to assess the perceived benefits of nearby amenities and report the findings to Congress. The bill allocates \$100 million annually from 2025 to 2029 to fund the program.
New Bill Offers $500M Over 5 Years for Affordable Housing Near Healthcare, Groceries & Childcare
The Healthy Affordable Housing Act proposes a new grant and loan program managed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), kicking off within a year if enacted. This initiative dedicates $100 million annually from fiscal year 2025 through 2029 – totaling $500 million – specifically to develop, create, or preserve affordable housing units. The core idea is to place this housing strategically in neighborhoods already equipped with essential services.
Location, Location, Location: Qualifying Neighborhoods
So, what makes a neighborhood eligible? To get funding under Section 2, a proposed housing project needs to be near at least one key community asset. We're talking practical stuff: a Federally qualified health center or another primary care provider that accepts Medicaid; a grocery store accepting SNAP, WIC, and Nutrition Assistance Program benefits; a state-licensed childcare provider; a pharmacy; or access to public transportation (as officially defined in federal transit law).
The bill gives a leg up to projects that hit multiple targets. Priority goes to developments near two or more of these amenities, or even better, projects where the amenities are built right into the housing complex itself. HUD gets the authority to fine-tune selection criteria, considering factors like the number of affordable units planned and the area's median income.
Checking In: How HUD Will Track Impact
This isn't just about building units; it's about seeing if the location actually helps residents. Starting two years after people move in, HUD is required to conduct voluntary surveys every two years for a decade. The goal is to gauge residents' perceived benefits of having these services nearby. These findings, potentially compared against a control group, must be reported back to Congress, along with updates on whether the nearby amenities have stuck around or moved.
It's worth noting this funding is designed to stack. Receiving a grant or loan here doesn't block developers or projects from tapping into other HUD programs or Section 8 housing assistance. Eligible applicants are broad, including local governments, tribes, housing authorities, non-profits, and private developers focused on affordable housing.