H.R. 9014

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9014 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9014

To increase the supply of, and lower rents for, affordable housing and 
to assess calculations of area median income for purposes of Federal 
low-income housing assistance, and for other purposes.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 22, 2026

Ms. Clarke of New York (for herself, Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Kelly 
of Illinois, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Ms. Schakowsky, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. 
Norton, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Nadler, 
Mr. Lieu, Mrs. Watson Coleman, and Mr. Goldman of New York) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial 
Services

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To increase the supply of, and lower rents for, affordable housing and 
to assess calculations of area median income for purposes of Federal 
low-income housing assistance, 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 ``Affordable Housing and Area Median 
Income Fairness Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. URGENT SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE.

(a) Home Investment Partnerships Program.--
(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out title II of the Cranston-
Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 1721 et 
seq.) $5,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 
2035.
(2) Limitation.--Any amounts appropriated pursuant to 
paragraph (1) shall be used only for assistance for any area 
within a jurisdiction for which the Secretary has applied a 
high housing cost adjustment.
(b) Community Development Block Grants.--
(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
to be appropriated for community development block grant 
assistance under section 106 of the Housing and Community 
Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5306) $5,000,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2026 through 2035.
(2) Limitation.--Any amounts appropriated pursuant to 
paragraph (1) shall be used only for assistance for any area 
within a jurisdiction for which the Secretary has applied a 
high housing cost adjustment.
(c) Housing Trust Fund.--
(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
to be appropriated to the Housing Trust Fund established under 
section 1338(a) of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial 
Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4568(a)) 
$5,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2035.
(2) Limitation.--Any amounts appropriated pursuant to 
paragraph (1) shall be used only for assistance for any area 
within a jurisdiction for which the Secretary has applied a 
high housing cost adjustment.

SEC. 3. ASSESSMENT REGARDING OPTIMIZING USE OF AREA MEDIAN INCOME TO 
SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN URBAN AREAS.

(a) Assessment of Alternative Calculation Methods.--Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall commence an assessment of alternative methods for calculating 
area median income, and the use of alternative metrics, for programs 
administered by the Secretary that would make housing more affordable 
for low-income families residing in urban areas nationwide, which shall 
include analysis of the topics identified in subsection (b).
(b) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate, and make publicly 
available, a report setting forth the results of the assessment 
conducted pursuant to subsection (a), which shall include--
(1) a review and summarization of significant findings and 
recommendations from any related previous reports regarding 
area median income;
(2) an assessment of the extent and impacts of the 
affordable housing crisis in urban areas nationwide, 
particularly within jurisdictions for which the Secretary has 
applied a high housing cost adjustment, including a comparison 
of rent burdens for very low-income households in jurisdictions 
with and without high housing cost adjustments;
(3) an analysis and assessment of the effects that high 
housing cost adjustments have had on income limits and rent 
prices in jurisdictions for which the Secretary has applied 
such an adjustment, including any effects on maximum rents 
allowed under sections 42 and 142 of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 for tax-subsidized units;
(4) an updated assessment of the potential impacts to 
affordable housing, particularly on income limits and rent 
prices, of calculating area median income on a ZIP Code level 
basis and using other localized methodologies;
(5) a process through which State housing authorities may 
designate area median income jurisdictions within that State;
(6) an assessment of alternative metrics to area median 
income for the purposes of setting income levels and related 
thresholds for affordable housing programs administered by the 
Secretary;
(7) recommendations for how the Secretary could reform or 
eliminate use of area median income for the purposes of making 
housing more affordable for low-income and middle class 
families in urban areas;
(8) any further recommendations for how the Secretary could 
use existing authorities to make housing more affordable for 
low-income and middle class families in urban areas, 
particularly for such families for which the Secretary has 
applied a high housing cost adjustment; and
(9) an assessment of the impacts that Westchester and 
Rockland Counties in New York State have on the City of New 
York's area median income, related metrics, and affordable 
housing supply, including on income limits and maximum rent 
prices for affordable housing units within the jurisdiction of 
the City of New York.
(c) Methodology.--Not later than 45 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to the 
Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate 
describing the methodology that will be used to conduct the assessment 
under this section.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

For purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) Area median income.--The term ``area median income'' 
means median income for an area, as such term is used in 
section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
U.S.C. 1437a(b)), median family income, and any other 
substantively similar metric that the Secretary uses to refer 
to the median income level for a given area or jurisdiction for 
purposes of any program administered by the Secretary.
(2) High housing cost adjustment.--The term ``high housing 
cost adjustment'' means an adjustment for high housing costs or 
high construction costs, or any substantively similar 
adjustment that the Secretary may use to increase income limits 
for areas where the cost of housing is abnormally high compared 
to the median income for such area, for purposes of any program 
administered by the Secretary.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development.
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