Housing BOOM Act Funds 1 Million New Vouchers & Converts Vacant Buildings to Affordable Homes

The aptly named Housing BOOM Act is a massive piece of legislation designed to attack the national housing crisis from every angle, aiming to simultaneously increase the supply of affordable homes, stabilize renters, and tackle homelessness. Think of it as a comprehensive federal intervention that moves beyond just building houses and starts coordinating services and preventing evictions.

The Million-Dollar Question: More Vouchers and Eviction Protection

For renters, the biggest headline is the commitment to authorize 1,000,000 new rental assistance vouchers over the next decade (2026-2035). That’s a huge increase in the Section 8 program, which helps low-income families afford private market housing. If you’re stuck on a waiting list, this could eventually mean a light at the end of the tunnel.

The bill also creates a brand-new Office of Eviction Prevention within HUD, funded at $100 million annually. This office isn't just a paper pusher; it's tasked with coordinating all federal efforts, collecting national eviction data, and, crucially, running a grant program to fund legal aid and services for tenants at risk of losing their homes. If you’ve ever had to navigate a crisis without knowing your rights, this office is designed to be the lifeline that provides the necessary legal and financial support to keep you housed.

Building Supply: Middle-Class Housing and Creative Conversions

Title I focuses squarely on the supply crunch, which is what drives up costs for everyone. The Act throws significant money at existing programs—like block grants for states and rural housing—but also targets the “missing middle” who earn too much for traditional aid but too little for market rents.

It establishes new loan funds and block grants specifically for building rental housing aimed at households earning between 60% and 120% of the area’s median income. For a young family or a teacher in a high-cost city, this could mean the difference between affording a decent apartment and having to commute two hours. It also includes funding for “gap financing” to quickly finish affordable projects that are already mostly funded and approved, aiming to get construction started within a year.

Perhaps the most creative part is the push to repurpose existing structures. The bill funds grants to convert commercial properties—think vacant hotels, motels, or unused government buildings—into emergency shelters and permanent affordable rental units. This could be a game-changer for revitalizing downtown areas hit hard by remote work, turning empty office space into much-needed housing.

Labor Standards: Prevailing Wages and Apprenticeships

There’s a significant catch—or benefit, depending on your perspective—attached to nearly all the construction funding in this bill (Title I and II). Any project built with this federal money must adhere to strict labor standards. This means construction workers must be paid local prevailing wages (the standard wage for similar work in the area), and contractors must ensure that at least 15% of labor hours are performed by registered apprentices.

For construction workers, this is a clear win: higher pay and more structured training pathways into skilled trades. For developers, this adds a layer of cost and compliance. While the goal is to create good jobs, some might worry that these mandates could increase the total cost of construction, potentially limiting the total number of units built compared to a project using lower-wage labor. It’s a classic trade-off between job quality and unit volume.

Tackling Homelessness and Interagency Chaos

The bill dedicates serious resources to combating homelessness, including billions in new funding for housing and support services. Notably, it creates a new center and a $1 billion annual grant program within SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) specifically to expand mental and behavioral health services for unhoused individuals. This acknowledges that housing stability often requires more than just a roof.

Finally, the Act attempts to bring order to the often-chaotic world of federal housing policy by creating an Interagency Council on Housing Affordability and Preservation. This council, made up of leaders from 20 different federal agencies, is tasked with coordinating policy and developing a national strategy. The idea is to stop different federal programs from accidentally working against each other—a common frustration when dealing with bureaucracy. HUD is also required to develop a Language Access Plan, ensuring that non-English speakers can actually access the services this bill funds.