This Act mandates that the Secretaries of HUD, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs establish a data-sharing agreement and submit a joint report outlining opportunities to improve interagency coordination on housing programs.
Dave McCormick
Senator
PA
The HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act mandates that the Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs establish a formal agreement to share relevant housing research and market data. Furthermore, these agencies must collaborate on a report detailing opportunities to improve coordination across their respective housing programs. This initiative aims to enhance evidence-based policymaking and streamline federal housing assistance.
New Act Forces HUD, USDA, and VA to Share Housing Data and Plan Better Collaboration
If you’ve ever had to deal with three different government agencies on the same issue and wished they would just talk to each other, this bill is for you. The HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act is essentially a mandate for three major federal departments—Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—to finally get on the same page regarding housing.
The Mandate: Sharing Notes and Making a Plan
This legislation tackles two core problems: siloed data and lack of coordinated planning. First, Section 2 requires the heads of all three agencies to sign a formal agreement, known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to start sharing specific research and market data related to housing. Think of it like this: HUD might have great data on urban housing affordability, while the USDA knows the most about rural housing needs, and the VA understands the unique challenges facing veterans trying to buy or rent. By forcing them to pool this information, the goal is to ensure that federal housing policy is based on the most complete picture possible, leading to smarter decisions down the line.
The Homework: A 180-Day Deadline
Section 3 is where the rubber meets the road. It requires HUD, USDA, and VA to produce a joint report within 180 days of the bill becoming law. This report must detail all the opportunities they have to increase collaboration and make their existing housing programs run more efficiently. This isn't just a suggestion; it's a hard deadline for them to figure out how to stop stepping on each other's toes and start working together, particularly on issues that affect veterans and rural communities where USDA housing programs are key.
The Public Review: Your Chance to Weigh In
Perhaps the most interesting procedural step is the public review process. Before the agencies can send their final collaboration report to the relevant committees in Congress, they must publish it in the Federal Register. This opens up a 30-day window for you—or any interested party—to review the report and submit comments. This ensures that the public, and the groups that rely on these housing programs, get a chance to critique the plan before it’s finalized. It’s a built-in mechanism for accountability, preventing the agencies from just churning out a superficial report to meet the deadline.