This bill establishes a grant program to encourage the shared location of affordable housing and child care services, aiming to increase access to both for families. It also directs a study on child care access for public housing residents, seeking to identify barriers and recommend improvements.
Suzanne Bonamici
Representative
OR-1
The "Build Housing with Care Act of 2025" establishes a grant program to encourage the co-location of affordable housing and child care services. The program, managed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will award competitive grants to eligible entities for projects that design, plan, construct, or renovate co-location facilities. The bill prioritizes entities operating in childcare deserts or serving low-income families and requires a report to Congress on the program's implementation. Additionally, the bill directs the Comptroller General to study child care access for public housing residents and provide recommendations for improvement.
New Bill Offers $100M Annually for Housing Projects with On-Site Childcare, Starting 2025
The Build Housing with Care Act of 2025 is throwing a lifeline to families struggling with the one-two punch of finding a decent place to live and affordable childcare. This bill sets up a grant program, pumping $100 million a year from 2025 to 2030, into building or renovating housing that includes childcare facilities either on-site or super close. Think of it as combining two major needs into one solution.
Making Housing and Child Care Click
This isn't just about throwing money at the problem. The bill prioritizes projects in areas where childcare is scarce (so-called "childcare deserts"), low-income communities, and rural spots. It's a targeted approach to help those who need it most. For instance, imagine a new apartment complex in a rural town that includes a licensed daycare center on the ground floor. That's the kind of project this bill aims to make happen. Or consider a community development financial institution in a low-income neighborhood using the funds to create a loan program for renovating existing buildings to include childcare spaces. The goal is to make daily life easier for working families. SEC 3 lays out the specifics, prioritizing grants for providers who operate in childcare deserts, low-income communities, or rural areas, or those designated as Head Start providers.
Real-World Rollout
To get the grants, applicants have to prove their childcare providers are legit – meaning they can accept government childcare vouchers (SEC. 3). New facilities have a year to partner with a qualified childcare provider. This ensures the childcare part of the equation meets established standards. Plus, grant recipients can't use the money to kick out current residents. The idea is to add resources, not displace people. The bill authorizes up to $10 million per entity, with funds specifically earmarked for design, construction, or renovation of these "co-location facilities" (SEC. 3). This means tangible changes, like converting an unused space in an affordable housing complex into a bright, new daycare center, or adding a playground and child-friendly amenities to an existing development.
Digging Deeper
Beyond the grant program, the bill orders a deep-dive study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) into the childcare struggles of families living in public housing (SEC. 4). This isn't just about numbers; it's about understanding the real-world impact of housing and childcare costs on families' budgets. The study will look at everything from how existing programs are (or aren't) helping, to state and local laws that might be making it harder to build childcare facilities near public housing. It's a fact-finding mission to identify roadblocks and propose solutions. The study will also examine the effectiveness of tax credits and flexible spending accounts for child care, and how public housing agencies are informing residents about available resources (SEC. 4). It is a holistic look at the challenges and potential solutions for families in public housing.