February 27, 2025
Mr. Hernández (for himself and Mr. Torres of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
To amend the definition of extremely low-income families under the United States Housing Act of 1937.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Puerto Rico Low-Income Housing Support Act
.
Sec. 2. Definition of extremely low-income families
Clause (i) of section 3(b)(2)(C) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(2)(C)(i)) is amended—
(1)
by striking Puerto Rico or any other
and inserting any
; and
(2)
by inserting before the closing parentheses the following: other than Puerto Rico and in the case of public housing agencies and projects located in Puerto Rico, the same poverty guidelines as used for the contiguous 48 States and the District of Columbia shall apply
.
Sec. 3. Report on low income housing access in Puerto Rico
(a) In general
The Comptroller General shall, not later than 180 day after the date of the enactment of this section, submit a report to the Congress about efforts made by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in collaboration with the Government of Puerto Rico, to connect low-income families residing in Puerto Rico with—
(1)
housing assistance available in Puerto Rico; and
(2)
affordable dwelling units, including dwelling units that are part of a housing project assisted under the United States Housing Act of 1937.
(b) Contents
The report required under subsection (a) shall include—
(1)
an assessment of how the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration (PRPHA) identify and address housing needs for extremely low-income families that reside in Puerto Rico;
(2)
an assessment how the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development uses Federal disaster recovery funds to rebuild and expand low-income housing after natural disasters in Puerto Rico, including hurricanes and earthquakes; and
(3)
recommendations to improve the effectiveness of Federal and local housing programs that serve extremely low-income families that reside in Puerto Rico.