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Bill

HR 9014

Affordable Housing and Area Median Income Fairness Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Yvette Clarke and 14 co-sponsors

The bill boosts federal funding for affordable housing in high-cost urban areas and reevaluates AMI-based eligibility and rents to use locality-specific metrics.

Introduced in House
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 9014

Overview

  • Bill: HR 9014, Affordable Housing and Area Median Income Fairness Act of 2026
  • Session: 119th Congress, 2nd Session
  • Purpose: Increase the supply of affordable housing, lower rents, and reassess how area median income (AMI) is calculated for federal low-income housing programs, with a focus on urban areas and areas with high housing costs.

What the bill aims to do

  • Expand federal investment in affordable housing construction and preservation.
  • Reevaluate and potentially reform the use of AMI calculations that determine eligibility and rent levels for federal housing subsidies.
  • Explore alternative metrics and locality-specific approaches to make housing more affordable for low- and middle-income urban residents, particularly where high housing costs are prevalent.

Key provisions and changes

Section 2: Urgent support for affordable housing infrastructure

  • Authorizes substantial annual appropriations (with multi-year totals) for three programs:
    • Home Investment Partnerships Program (HIP) under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act: $5.0 billion each fiscal year from 2026 through 2035.
    • Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974: $5.0 billion each fiscal year 2026–2035.
    • Housing Trust Fund (HTF) under the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992: $5.0 billion each fiscal year 2026–2035.
  • Limitation: Funds from these programs may only be used for assistance in areas within jurisdictions where a high housing cost adjustment has been applied.

Section 3: Assessment regarding optimizing use of AMI for urban affordable housing

  • Mandates an assessment of alternative AMI calculation methods and other metrics for programs administered by HUD to improve affordability in urban areas.
  • Timeline:
    • Assessment initiation: within 180 days of enactment.
    • Final report: due to House Financial Services and Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committees, and publicly available within two years of enactment.
  • Required contents of the final report include:
    • Review of prior AMI-related findings and recommendations.
    • Analysis of urban affordable housing crises, with focus on jurisdictions with high housing cost adjustments, including rent burden comparisons for very low-income households in jurisdictions with and without such adjustments.
    • Effects of high housing cost adjustments on income limits and rents, and any impact on maximum rents for tax-subsidized units (IRC Sections 42 and 142).
    • Updated assessment of potential impacts of ZIP Code-level AMI calculation and other localized methods on affordability.
    • Process for states to designate AMI jurisdictions within the state.
    • Evaluation of alternative metrics to AMI for determining income levels and program thresholds.
    • Recommendations to reform or eliminate AMI usage to improve affordability, including leveraging existing authorities to assist low- and middle-income urban families, especially where high housing cost adjustments apply.
    • Additional recommendations on other Secretary authorities to enhance urban housing affordability.
    • Specific assessment of the impacts on New York’s Westchester and Rockland Counties on New York City’s AMI, related metrics, and affordable housing supply, including income limits and maximum rents for NYC-area units.

Section 4: Definitions

  • Area Median Income: Clarifies that AMI means area median income and related metrics used for HUD programs.
  • High Housing Cost Adjustment: Defines adjustments for areas with abnormally high housing costs or construction costs that raise income limits for program eligibility.
  • Secretary: HUD Secretary.

Who is affected

  • Federal housing programs and beneficiaries:
    • Households participating in HIP, CDBG, and HTF for affordable housing support.
    • Public housing authorities, state/local housing agencies implementing these programs.
  • Jurisdictions in high housing cost areas, where AMI adjustments are active or proposed.
  • Urban areas nationwide, with emphasis on low- to moderate-income households seeking affordable housing.
  • State housing authorities tasked with designating AMI jurisdictions under the new assessment framework.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduces multi-year funding authorizations through 2035 for HIP, CDBG, and HTF, contingent on applicability of high housing cost adjustments.
  • Commences AMI assessment within 180 days of enactment.
  • Requires a comprehensive final report within two years, plus an initial methodology report within 45 days of enactment.
  • Public release of the assessment findings, along with committee briefings and potential regulatory or programmatic adjustments based on findings.

Potential impact (high-level)

  • Increased federal funding for affordable housing construction and preservation in high-cost urban areas.
  • Institutional push to rethink AMI-based eligibility and rent calculations, potentially leading to new metrics or localized approaches to determine subsidies.
  • Greater consideration of ZIP Code-level data and local cost drivers in program design, with possible reforms to rent limits and income thresholds.
  • Focus on addressing rent burdens for very low-income households in urban markets and ensuring targeted investment in areas with elevated housing costs.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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