May 1, 2025
Ms. Ansari (for herself, Mr. Casar, Mr. Fields, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Lieu, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Omar, and Ms. Tlaib) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To amend certain Acts related to housing to adjust rental payments with respect to certain Federal rental assistance programs, to ban source of income discrimination in housing, to reform and expand the housing choice voucher program, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Housing Accessibility and Voucher Expansion Now Act
or the HAVEN Act
.
Sec. 2. Adjustments to rental payments with respect to certain Federal rental assistance programs
(a) In general
(1) United States Housing Act of 1937
The United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et. seq.) is amended—
(A)
in section 3(a)(1)(A), by striking 30
and inserting 20
;
(B)
in section 8(o)(2)(A)(i), by striking 30
and inserting 20
; and
(C)
in section 9(e)(2)(A)—
(i)
in clause (vi), by striking and
at the end;
(ii)
by redesignating clause (vii) as clause (viii) and by moving such clause 1 em to the right; and
(iii)
by inserting after clause (vi) the following:
(vii)
the amount of public housing rental income forgone by the public housing agency as a result of lowering the percentage of monthly adjusted income for the calculation of rental payments; and
(2) Housing Act of 1949
Section 521(a)(3) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490a(a)(3)) is amended by striking 30
in each place it occurs and inserting 20
.
(3) Housing Act of 1959
Section 202(c)(3) of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q(c)(3)) is amended by striking 30
and inserting 20
.
(4) Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act
Section 811(d)(3) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013(d)(3)) is amended by striking 30
and inserting 20
.
(b) Effect on recipients of assistance
To the extent practicable, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall ensure that the adjustments made by subsection (a) do not reduce the number of recipients of the Federal rental assistance programs described in subsection (a).
Sec. 3. Authorization of appropriations with respect to certain Federal rental assistance programs
(a) United States Housing Act of 1937
The United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et. seq.) is amended—
(1)
in section 9(c)(2)(A), by striking , and 2003
and inserting 2003, 2026, and each fiscal year thereafter
; and
(2)
in section 9(c)(2)(B), by striking , and 2003
and inserting 2003, 2026, and each fiscal year thereafter
.
(b) Housing Act of 1959
Section 202(m) of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q(m)) is amended to read as follows:
(m) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
(c) Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act
Subsection (m) of section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013(m)) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting , and such sums as necessary for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter
.
Sec. 4. Unlawful discrimination based on source of income
The Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) is amended—
(1)
in section 804, by striking or national origin
each place it appears and inserting national origin, or lawful source of income
;
(2)
in section 805—
(A)
in subsection (a), by striking or national origin
and inserting national origin, or lawful source of income
; and
(B)
in subsection (e), by striking or familial status
and inserting familial status, or lawful source of income
;
(3)
in section 806, by striking or national origin
and inserting national origin, or lawful source of income
;
(4)
in section 807(a), by striking or national origin
and inserting national origin, or lawful source of income
; and
(5)
in section 808(e)(6), by striking and family characteristics
and inserting family characteristics, and lawful sources of income,
.
Sec. 5. Housing navigation grant for housing choice voucher program
Section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(23) Housing navigation grant
(A) In general
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall establish a grant program to award housing navigation grants to public housing agencies.
(B) Eligible uses
A public housing agency that is awarded a grant under this paragraph shall use such grant to—
(i)
assist families receiving tenant-based assistance with the search to find a suitable dwelling unit; or
(ii)
engage with owners of dwelling units for the purpose of assisting such families in such search.
(C) Subgrants
A public housing agency that is awarded a grant under this paragraph may use such grant amounts to provide subgrants to nonprofit organizations to carry out the eligible uses described in subparagraph (B).
(D) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this paragraph $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter.
Sec. 6. Use of small area fair market rents for housing choice voucher program
Section 8(o)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(1)) is amended—
(1)
in subparagraph (B), by striking subparagraph (D)
and inserting subparagraphs (D) and (F)
; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following:
(F) Use of small area fair market rents
Effective for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter, the area fair market rents used for purposes of subparagraph (B) shall be established by the Secretary by zip code areas.
Sec. 7. Technical assistance for applicants for admission to a public housing project
Section 9(h)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(h)(1)) is amended by inserting applicants for admission to a project,
after organizations,
.
Sec. 8. Expansion of housing choice voucher program
(a) Expanded vouchers
(1) Funding
There is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for providing incremental vouchers for rental assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) in accordance with this section for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029, the amount necessary to fund—
(A)
the number of incremental vouchers required to be allocated under paragraph (2);
(B)
annual renewals of the vouchers allocated under paragraph (2); and
(C)
administrative fees for vouchers allocated under paragraph (2).
(2) Allocation
(A) Incremental vouchers
The Secretary shall allocate 500,000 incremental vouchers in fiscal year 2026 and 1,500,000 incremental vouchers in increments of 500,000 in each calendar year from 2027 through 2029 under this section to public housing agencies pursuant to section 213(d) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 1439(d)).
(B) Selection criteria
The Secretary shall, by notice in the Federal Register, establish selection criteria under section 213(d) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 1439(d)) that prioritizes housing needs among eligible households and severe housing hardship, such as experiencing homelessness, overcrowding, or evictions.
(b) Entitlement to vouchers
(1) In general
On and after the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, any family that is otherwise eligible for tenant-based rental assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) shall be entitled to that rental assistance during any period that the family is an eligible household.
(2) Funding
There is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary—
(A)
to provide assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) in accordance with the entitlement under paragraph (1) of this subsection for each eligible household in the amount determined under such section 8(o); and
(B)
to provide administrative fees under section 8(q) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(q)) in connection with each voucher for assistance provided pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
(c) Eligible household defined
In this section, term eligible household means a family who has an income that does not exceed 80 percent of the area median income, as determined by a public housing agency.
Sec. 9. Section 8 Management Assessment Program
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall issue a rule to consider the timeliness of approval for both eligible families and landlords with respect to the Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) or any successor assessment program, as described in part 985 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations.