Michael Lawler (R-NY)
Revitalizing America’s Housing Act
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Revitalizing America's Housing Act is a bill designed to improve the safety, affordability, and access to housing in the United States. It includes provisions to increase housing supply by addressing regulatory barriers and incentivizing zoning reform. The bill expands housing opportunities for specific groups, including the middle class, public servants, veterans, and volunteer first responders. Additionally, it aims to improve health and safety standards by addressing issues like mold, lead hazards, and proximity to Superfund sites. The legislation also introduces reforms to housing counseling and financial literacy programs, while addressing the transition of public housing agencies.
Yes· 3 of 24
- Scored +6
Would children be better off under this?
The bill includes protections against lead hazards and research into mold-related illnesses affecting children.
- Scored +6
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill expands housing program eligibility and includes specific service-connected disability protections for veterans.
- Scored +6
Does this make housing cost less?
The bill expands the scope of the 'Moving to Work' program and emphasizes achieving economic independence for families through housing assistance.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Tax Benefits for Opportunity Zones: The bill allows qualifying ordinary income to be included in special rules for investments in opportunity zones, which could encourage investment in these areas (Section 102).
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Increased Homeownership Benefits: The amount of gain excluded from the sale of a principal residence is increased (from $250,000 to $500,000 for individuals and $500,000 to $1,000,000 for married couples), which helps long-term homeowners (Section 105).
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Support for Public Servants: The bill expands housing assistance to include firefighters and emergency medical technicians, providing specific rental payment rules for these families (Section 202).
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Expanded Homeownership Programs: It expands the Good Neighbor Next Door Sales Program to include members of the Armed Forces, firefighters, and law enforcement officers (Section 203).
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Benefits for Volunteer First Responders: Qualified volunteer first responders can receive income deductions and qualify for discounted home prices through specific programs (Section 204).
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Improved Veteran Support: The bill excludes service-connected disability compensation from income calculations when determining eligibility for various housing programs (Section 205).
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Private Investment Incentives: A new "neighborhood homes credit" is created to attract private investment to build or rehabilitate owner-occupied homes in qualified census tracts (Section 207).
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Housing Land Utilization: Local governments may petition to use unused federal property for the construction of affordable housing (Section 208).
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Improved Health Standards: The bill mandates research into the health effects of indoor residential mold and creates a mapping tool to identify impacted areas (Section 304).
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Protection from Lead Hazards: The bill requires annual risk assessments and action plans for covered housing to address lead-based paint and lead service lines (Section s 305).
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Economic Independence via Moving to Work: The "Moving to Work" program is expanded to help families achieve economic independence through job training and educational programs (Section 501).
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Improved Counselor Quality: The Secretary must now require organizations to employ individuals who are certified in sustainable homeownership and can pass required examinations (Section 601(a)(1)(B)(ii)). This aims to ensure borrowers receive competent counseling.
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Accountability for Counselors: A mechanism is established to suspend the certification of individuals whose borrowers have default rates exceeding the local average (Section 601(a)(1)(B)(ii)(iii)). This could protect borrowers from poor counseling services.
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Targeted Support for Renters and those in Foreclosure: The Secretary is required to set aside 40 percent of funds for organizations providing rental or pre-foreclosure counseling (Section 601(a)(1)(B)(F)).
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Geographic Inclusion: Grant recipients are required to be geographically diverse, including organizations that serve both urban and rural areas (Section 601(a)(1)(B)(G)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Regulatory Constraints on Transformers: The bill prevents the Secretary from finalizing certain efficiency rules for distribution transformers, which could impact electrical infrastructure (Section 103).
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Mandatory Land Use Reporting: Recipients of certain community development grants must submit plans to track and implement specific land use policies, such as high-density zoning or reducing lot sizes (Section 104).
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Increased Inspection Requirements: The bill calls for a study to ensure public housing agencies inspect every dwelling unit each year, which may impact agency workloads (Section 302).
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Loss of Funding for Squatting Jurisdictions: Local government units that permit squatting or confer special rights to squatters may be prohibited from receiving certain federal funds (Section 406).
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Loss of Federal Mortgage Support: Local governments that permit squatting may be prohibited from receiving federal support for residential mortgages (Section 406).
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Recapture of Funds in Public Housing: Under the Moving to Work program, agencies may have to implement specific budget metrics and handle the transition of funds (Section 501).
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Mandatory Counseling Requirements: Purchasers of residential real property securing certain covered mortgage loans must participate in prepurchase housing counseling (Section 601(b)(2)).
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Mandatory Counseling for Delinquent Borrowers: Borrowers who are 30 days or more delinquent on payments for a covered mortgage loan are required to participate in foreclosure mitigation counseling (Section 601(b)(3)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The bill includes protections against lead hazards and research into mold-related illnesses affecting children. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill expands housing program eligibility and includes specific service-connected disability protections for veterans. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill increases tax exclusions for homeowners and addresses workforce housing needs. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill facilitates more flexible use of housing assistance and provides more robust counseling for pre-foreclosure and rental needs. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill includes provisions to improve housing options for the elderly. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill provides incentives for private investment in residential development. Would retired people be better off under this? — The bill includes provisions to improve housing for the elderly. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill explicitly includes provisions for organizations that serve rural areas in housing counseling grants. Would people in cities be better off under this? — The bill explicitly includes provisions for organizations that serve urban areas in housing counseling grants. Would women be better off under this? — The bill addresses housing security which disproportionately affects women in vulnerable economic positions.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this cut taxes for middle-income families? — The bill increases the exclusion of gain from the sale of a principal residence for individuals and married couples. Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill encourages investment in opportunity zones and residential rehabilitation through new credits. Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — The bill implements more rigorous annual reporting, budget planning, and oversight for public housing agencies to ensure effective use of funds. Does this cut taxes for small businesses? — The bill expands opportunity zone rules to include qualifying ordinary income. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill creates incentives for small dollar mortgage originators.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — The bill expands the scope of the 'Moving to Work' program and emphasizes achieving economic independence for families through housing assistance. Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — The bill provides incentives for local solutions and continuums of care to improve housing outcomes for homeless individuals. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill aims to assist more families from waiting lists and improve household incomes through more flexible housing agency operations. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill targets investment and housing development in qualified census tracts which often have higher poverty rates.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill mandates research into the health impacts of indoor residential mold and requires lead hazard risk assessments. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill directs that housing counseling grants include geographic diversity that covers rural areas.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill excludes service-connected disability compensation from income calculations for housing eligibility.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires public housing agencies to make annual budget plans and annual reports available for public inspection and comment.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill addresses environmental health hazards like mold and lead in housing.
- 12/19/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
- 8/1/2025
- Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, Energy and Commerce, and Veterans' Affairs, 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.
- Introduced in House
9 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
- 119-HR-7504: Housing for America’s Middle Class Act of 2026
- 119-HR-7595: Superfund Area Facts and Exposure Act
- 119-HR-7596: Improving Housing Access Act
- 119-HR-7597: Affordable Housing Barriers Transparency Act
- 119-HR-7700: Annual Public Housing Inspections Accountability Act
- 119-HR-7701: Public Housing Rent Reduction for First Responders Act
- 119-HR-9472: The Protecting Homeowners from Squatters Act
- 119-HR-9584: The Housing Voucher Funding Reallocation Act
- 119-S-3332: More Homes on the Market Act