Michael Lawler (R-NY)
Housing for America’s Middle Class Act of 2026
A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.
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
This bill, known as the Housing for America's Middle Class Act of 2026'', directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a specific study. The Comptroller General is required to submit a report to Congress within 180 days of the Act's enactment. This report must look into housing affordability issues specifically affecting middle-income homeowners and renters. It aims to identify gaps where federal programs benefit lower-income households but exclude middle-income ones. Finally, the report must recommend a definition for workforce housing'' to help federal agencies include these households in existing programs.
Yes
- Scored +4
Would middle-income households be better off under this?
The bill aims to identify ways to include middle-income earners in federal housing assistance and incentive programs.
- Scored +3
Does this make housing cost less?
The bill directs a study to identify gaps in federal programs and recommend a definition for workforce housing to help middle-income families access affordable housing.
- Scored +2
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill mandates a GAO report to Congress to increase understanding of how federal housing programs impact middle-income households.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Identification of affordability issues: The report will identify issues with housing affordability for middle-income homeowners and renters, including specific geographic locations where housing is most unaffordable (Section 3, subsection 1).
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Highlighting program gaps: The bill requires the identification of Federal housing programs, such as tax credits, grants, and credit programs, that currently benefit lower-income households but are unavailable to middle-income households (Section 3, subsection 2). It also seeks to find gaps in the inclusion of middle-income households in programs designed to promote affordability (Section 3, subsection 3).
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Establishing a workforce housing definition: The report will provide recommendations for a definition of ``workforce housing'' based on income parameters (Section 3, subsection 4).
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Connecting definitions to incentives: The study will analyze how a new definition could relate to incentives for workforce housing development through Federal programs, policies, and other initiatives (Section 3, subsection 5).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are mentioned in the text.
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 middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill aims to identify ways to include middle-income earners in federal housing assistance and incentive programs.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — The bill directs a study to identify gaps in federal programs and recommend a definition for workforce housing to help middle-income families access affordable housing.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates a GAO report to Congress to increase understanding of how federal housing programs impact middle-income households.
- 2/11/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Josh GottheimerDemocrat · New Jersey