Tlaib Introduces the Housing Our Communities Act

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) has introduced the Housing Our Communities Act, legislation to help communities across the country plan for and deliver more affordable housing by providing federal grants to local, regional, and state governments and agencies.

As families face an escalating housing affordability crisis, the bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish a competitive grant program to support a broad array of planning and implementation activities tied to affordable housing. The program would help states, cities, urban counties, and regional planning agencies strengthen housing plans, update zoning codes, increase inspection capacity, reduce barriers to housing supply, and better coordinate housing with transportation and community development goals, among other activities.

“Our country is facing a deepening affordability crisis, and families across our district are in dire need of more affordable housing options,” said Congresswoman Tlaib. “State and local governments desperately need federal investment to equip them with the resources to fight our affordable housing crisis at every level.”

The legislation recognizes that many local officials are eager to expand affordable housing but need additional assistance to do so effectively. Grants could facilitate faster housing inspections to reduce delays and costs, planning that increases access to public transportation and economic opportunities, and strategies that improve accessibility for people with disabilities or advance sustainable development.

The need is especially urgent in communities like Detroit–where chronic homelessness increased by 33 percent last year–underscoring the consequences of underinvestment and policy barriers that limit housing production and affordability.

“Widespread homelessness should shame a country of our immense wealth,” Tlaib added. “This bill provides civil servants and policymakers with the support they need to make affordable housing a reality in their communities.”

The Housing Our Communities Act prioritizes coordination with transit agencies, limits administrative costs, and allows funds to be used for planning, implementation, and housing construction. The bill aims to ensure that rising housing demand results in more homes being built, rather than higher prices for families already stretched thin amidst the affordability crisis. Although it is a strong step in the right direction, this bill alone will not solve all of our housing crisis. We must build our way out of this crisis, and only the Federal government has the funds and—more importantly—the will to build the millions of units we need to end this crisis.

The Housing Our Communities Act was included as part of a larger housing package, the Housing For the 21st Century Act, led by Representatives French Hill, Maxine Waters, Mike Flood, and Emanuel Cleaver, which passed out of the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday. 

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

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