Housing Our Communities Act

New federal grants for affordable housing

If enacted, this bill would require HUD to set up a competitive grant program within one year. Grants would go to States, insular areas, metropolitan cities, urban counties, and regional planning agencies or consortia. Recipients could not use more than 10 percent of each award for administrative costs. Funds would pay for planning and implementation work like housing plans, zoning updates, inspection capacity, programs to reduce barriers to housing supply and affordability, community development planning, and could be used for new housing construction and some government buildings for hazard mitigation. HUD would be asked to coordinate with the Federal Transit Administrator, and the bill defines “housing plan” and references existing housing strategy rules.