November 10, 2025
Mr. Harder of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
To establish a task force to conduct oversight of States with rising housing costs and develop a list of best practices for States to implement, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Bring Down Housing Costs Act
.
Sec. 2. Establishment of task force on bringing down housing costs
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall establish a task force to be known as the Task Force on Bringing Down Housing Costs
(in this Act referred to as the Task Force
).
Sec. 3. Duties of the task force
(a) Duties
The Task Force shall—
(1)
conduct oversight of States with rising housing costs;
(2)
not later than one year after conducting an initial meeting under section 3(h), identify States with rising housing costs and develop best practices for such States to address rising housing costs;
(3)
develop a report based on the best practices identified under paragraph (2);
(4)
recommend that States identified under paragraph (2) implement these best practices developed under paragraph (2); and
(5)
monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the best practices developed under paragraph (2) in States with rising housing costs.
Sec. 4. Membership
(a) Number and appointment
The Task Force shall be composed of 21 members as follows:
(1)
Two members of the Senate, including—
(A)
one member on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and
(B)
one member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.
(2)
12 members of the House of Representatives, including—
(A)
one member who represents HUD Region I;
(B)
one member who represents HUD Region II;
(C)
one member who represents HUD Region III;
(D)
one member who represents HUD Region IV;
(E)
one member who represents HUD Region V;
(F)
one member who represents HUD Region VI;
(G)
one member who represents HUD Region VII;
(H)
one member who represents HUD Region VIII;
(I)
one member who represents HUD Region IX;
(J)
one member who represents HUD Region X;
(K)
one member from the House Financial Services Committee; and
(L)
one member from the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.
(b)
A designee of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
(c)
A designee of the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
(d)
A designee of the Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service.
(e)
Two members from local community organizations impacted by, or that provide resources or relief to individuals impacted by, rising housing costs.
(f)
Two representatives of private sector entities, including—
(1)
one representative from a private sector entity with expertise navigating local zoning regulations to build housing; and
(2)
one representative from a private sector entity with expertise providing financial products to build housing.
(g) Chairperson; Vice Chairperson
The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Task Force shall be elected by the members of the Task Force.
(h) Meetings
The Task Force shall meet one month after the enactment of this Act, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, until the report required under section 4 is complete.
Sec. 5. Report
Not later than one year and yearly thereafter until the Task Force terminated under section 5, the Task Force shall submit the report required under section 2 to—
(1)
the Governors of States with rising housing costs;
(2)
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
(3)
the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency;
(4)
the Commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration;
(5)
the Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development;
(6)
the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives;
(7)
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives;
(8)
the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs of the Senate; and
(9)
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
Sec. 6. Termination
This Task Force shall terminate five years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Sec. 7. States with rising housing costs defined
In this Act, the term States with rising housing costs
means States which have a year-over-year increase in median existing home prices as collected by the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy Development and Research at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.