Interagency Council on Affordable Housing Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9733 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9733

To establish a Federal Interagency Council on Housing Affordability and
                 Preservation, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 16, 2026

    Ms. Clarke of New York (for herself, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Norton, Mr.
   Magaziner, Mr. Takano, Mr. McGovern, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Jackson of
Illinois, Mr. Bell, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Norcross, Mr. Carter of Louisiana,
 and Mr. Garcia of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was
            referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To establish a Federal Interagency Council on Housing Affordability and
                 Preservation, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Interagency Council on Affordable
Housing Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established in the executive branch an independent
establishment to be known as the United States Interagency Council on
Housing Affordability and Preservation, whose mission shall be to
develop Federal policy designed to preserve and increase affordable
housing supply and increase fairness in the rental market and further
the principles of fair housing and create a national partnership at
every level of government and with the private sector to carry out such
purposes.

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Members.--The Council shall be composed of the heads of the
following agencies or offices, or the designee of such agency or office
head:
            (1) Department of Housing and Urban Development.
            (2) Department of Justice.
            (3) Department of Labor.
            (4) Department of the Treasury.
            (5) Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.
            (6) Department of Health and Human Services.
            (7) Department of Education.
            (8) Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (9) Department of Agriculture.
            (10) Department of Commerce.
            (11) Department of Defense.
            (12) Department of Energy.
            (13) Department of Homeland Security.
            (14) Department of Interior.
            (15) Department of Transportation.
            (16) Corporation for National and Community Service.
            (17) General Services Administration.
            (18) Office of Management and Budget.
            (19) Social Security Administration.
            (20) United States Postal Service.
            (21) White House Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood
        Partnerships.
    (b) Chairperson.--The Council shall elect a Chairperson and a Vice
Chairperson from among its members. The positions of Chairperson and
Vice Chairperson shall rotate among its members on an annual basis.
    (c) Meetings.--The Council shall meet at the call of its
Chairperson or a majority of its members, but not less often than four
times each year, and the rotation of the positions of Chairperson and
Vice Chairperson required under subsection (b) shall occur at the first
meeting of each year.
    (d) Prohibition of Additional Pay.--Members of the Council shall
receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their
service on the Council.
    (e) Administration.--The Executive Director of the Council shall
report to the Chairman of the Council.

SEC. 4. FUNCTIONS.

    (a) Duties.--The Council shall--
            (1) not later than 12 months after the date of the
        enactment of this Act, develop, make available for public
        comment, and submit to the President and to the Congress a
        National Strategic Plan to Preserve Affordable Housing, and
        shall update such plan annually;
            (2) review all Federal activities and programs relating to
        public housing, affordable housing production, affordable
        housing programs, and housing voucher programs;
            (3) monitor, evaluate, and recommend improvements in
        programs and activities to assist affordable housing production
        conducted by Federal agencies, State and local governments, and
        private voluntary organizations;
            (4) provide professional and technical assistance (by not
        less than 5, but in no case more than 10, regional coordinators
        employed by the Council, each having responsibility for
        interaction and coordination of the activities of the Council
        within the 10 standard Federal regions) to States, local
        governments, and other public and private nonprofit
        organizations, in order to enable such governments and
        organizations to--
                    (A) interpret regulations and assist in the
                application process for Federal assistance, including
                grants;
                    (B) provide assistance on the ways in which Federal
                programs may best be coordinated to complement the
                objectives of this Act;
                    (C) develop recommendations and program ideas based
                on regional specific issues in serving homeless and
                low-income populations; and
                    (D) establish a schedule for biennial regional
                workshops to be held by the Council in each of the 10
                standard Federal regions to further carry out and
                provide the assistance described in subparagraphs (A),
                (B), and (C) and other appropriate assistance as
                necessary;
            (5) encourage the creation of State Interagency Councils on
        Affordable Housing and the formulation of jurisdictional 10-
        year plans to end homelessness at State, city, and county
        levels;
            (6) annually obtain from Federal agencies their
        identification of consumer-oriented entitlement and other
        resources for which individuals may be eligible and the
        agencies' identification of improvements to ensure access;
        develop mechanisms to ensure access by persons and families to
        all Federal, State, and local programs for which the persons
        are eligible, and to verify collaboration among entities within
        a community that receive Federal funding under programs
        targeted for persons experiencing homelessness, and other
        affordable housing programs for which persons and families are
        eligible;
            (7) conduct research and evaluation related to its
        functions as defined in this section;
            (8) develop joint Federal agency and other initiatives to
        fulfill the goals of the agency;
            (9) collect and disseminate information relating to low-
        income individuals;
            (10) prepare the annual reports required in subsection
        (c)(2);
            (11) prepare and distribute to States (including State
        contact persons described in section 7(a)), local governments,
        and other public and private nonprofit organizations, a
        bimonthly bulletin that describes the Federal resources
        available to them to assist with affordable housing; and
            (12) not later than 6 months after completion of the
        report, convene a meeting of representatives of all Federal
        agencies and committees of the House of Representatives and the
        Senate having jurisdiction over any Federal program to assist
        affordable housing programs or production, local and State
        governments, academic researchers who specialize in
        homelessness, nonprofit housing and service providers that
        receive funding under any Federal program to assist homeless
        individuals or families, organizations advocating on behalf of
        such nonprofit providers and persons receiving housing or
        services under any such Federal affordable housing program, and
        persons receiving housing or services under any such Federal
        program, at which meeting such representatives shall discuss
        all issues relevant to the council's jurisdiction.
    (b) Authority.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Council may--
            (1) arrange national, regional, State, and local
        conferences for the purpose of developing and coordinating
        effective programs and activities to assist in carrying out the
        mission described in section 2 and pay for expenses of
        attendance at meetings which are concerned with the functions
        or activities for which the appropriation is made; and
            (2) publish a newsletter concerning Federal, State, and
        local programs that are effective in carrying out such mission.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) By agencies.--Within 90 days after the date of the
        enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the head of
        each Federal agency that is a member of the Council shall
        prepare and transmit to the Congress and the Council a report
        that describes--
                    (A) each affordable housing program administered by
                such agency and the number of individuals served by
                such program;
                    (B) impediments, including any statutory and
                regulatory restrictions, to the use by individuals of
                each such program and to obtaining services or benefits
                under each such program; and
                    (C) efforts made by such agency to increase the
                opportunities for individuals to obtain permanent
                housing, supportive services, and access to legal
                services in regards to housing matters.
            (2) By council.--The Council shall prepare and transmit to
        the President and the Congress an annual report that--
                    (A) assesses the nature and extent of the problems
                relating to affordable housing and the needs of low-
                income individuals;
                    (B) provides a comprehensive and detailed
                description of the activities and accomplishments of
                the Federal Government in resolving the problems and
                meeting the needs assessed pursuant to subparagraph
                (A);
                    (C) describes the accomplishments and activities of
                the Council, in working with Federal, State, and local
                agencies and public and private organizations in order
                to preserve and expand affordable housing;
                    (D) assesses the level of Federal assistance
                necessary to adequately resolve the problems and meet
                the needs assessed pursuant to subparagraph (A); and
                    (E) specifies any recommendations of the Council
                for appropriate and necessary legislative and
                administrative actions to resolve such problems and
                meet such needs.
    (d) Notification of Other Federal Agencies.--If, in monitoring and
evaluating programs and activities to assist in carrying out the
mission described in section 2 conducted by other Federal agencies, the
Council determines that any significant problem, abuse, or deficiency
exists in the administration of the program or activity of any Federal
agency, the Council shall submit a notice of the determination of the
Council to the Inspector General of the Federal agency (or the head of
the Federal agency, in the case of a Federal agency that has no
Inspector General).
    (e) Program Timetables.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the head of each Federal agency or office
that is a member of the Council and responsible for administering a
program to assist in carrying out the mission described in section 2
shall provide to the Council a timetable regarding program funding
availability and application deadlines. The Council shall furnish such
information to each State (including the State contact person described
in section 7(a)).

SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

    (a) Director.--The Council shall appoint an Executive Director, who
shall be compensated at a rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay
payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of
title 5, United States Code. The Council shall appoint an Executive
Director at the first meeting of the Council held under section 3(c).
    (b) Additional Personnel.--With the approval of the Council, the
Executive Director of the Council may appoint and fix the compensation
of such additional personnel as the Executive Director considers
necessary to carry out the duties of the Council.
    (c) Details From Other Agencies.--Upon request of the Council, the
head of any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of
the personnel of such agency to the Council to assist the Council in
carrying out its duties under this Act.
    (d) Administrative Support.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development shall provide the Council with such administrative and
support services as are necessary to ensure that the Council carries
out its functions under this Act in an efficient and expeditious
manner.
    (e) Experts and Consultants.--With the approval of the Council, the
Executive Director of the Council may procure temporary and
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States
Code.

SEC. 6. POWERS.

    (a) Meetings.--For the purpose of carrying out this Act, the
Council may hold such meetings, and sit and act at such times and
places, as the Council considers appropriate.
    (b) Delegation.--Any member or employee of the Council may, if
authorized by the Council, take any action that the Council is
authorized to take in this Act.
    (c) Information.--The Council may secure directly from any Federal
agency such information as may be necessary to enable the Council to
carry out this Act. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Council, the
head of such agency shall furnish such information to the Council.
    (d) Donations.--The Council may accept, use, and dispose of gifts
or donations of services or property, both real and personal, public
and private, without fiscal year limitation, for the purpose of aiding
or facilitating the work of the Council.
    (e) Mails.--The Council may use the United States mails in the same
manner and under the same conditions as other Federal agencies.

SEC. 7. ENCOURAGEMENT OF STATE INVOLVEMENT.

    (a) State Contact Persons.--Each State shall designate an
individual to serve as a State contact person for the purpose of
receiving and disseminating information and communications received
from the Council.
    (b) State Interagency Councils and Lead Agencies.--Each State is
encouraged to establish a State interagency council on housing
affordability and preservation or designate a lead agency for the State
for the purpose of assuming primary responsibility for coordinating and
interacting with the Council and State and local agencies as necessary.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
            (1) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the United States
        Interagency Council on Housing Affordability and Preservation
        established in section 2.
            (2) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the
        meaning given the term ``agency'' in section 551(1) of title 5,
        United States Code.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$4,800,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031. Any amounts
appropriated to carry out this Act shall remain available until
expended.
                                 <all>