S.1091 - Rural Housing Accessibility Act (119th Congress)
Summary
S.1091, the Rural Housing Accessibility Act, aims to improve the portability of housing choice vouchers, particularly in rural areas. It requires public housing agencies (PHAs) that utilize less than 95% of their budget authority to absorb port-in vouchers from families seeking to move into their jurisdiction. The bill also limits the billing period for initial PHAs to a maximum of 12 months.
This legislation seeks to address situations where families with vouchers face difficulties finding housing in new locations due to PHA policies. By mandating absorption in certain cases, the bill intends to increase housing options for voucher holders.
The Act focuses on PHAs with underutilized funds, suggesting an attempt to optimize existing resources before requesting additional funding.
Expected Effects
The primary effect of this bill would be to increase housing options for families using housing choice vouchers, especially in rural areas served by covered PHAs. It could lead to more efficient use of existing housing voucher funds by incentivizing PHAs to absorb vouchers.
Covered PHAs may experience increased administrative burdens and potential strain on their resources, at least initially. Initial PHAs would have greater certainty regarding the duration of billing for portable families.
Over time, the bill may encourage greater geographic mobility for low-income families, potentially leading to improved access to employment and educational opportunities.
Potential Benefits
- Increased housing options for low-income families, particularly in rural areas.
- More efficient use of existing housing voucher funds.
- Greater geographic mobility for voucher holders, potentially improving access to jobs and education.
- Reduced administrative burden for initial PHAs after the 12-month billing period.
- Encourages PHAs to utilize their allocated budget authority more effectively.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential strain on resources for covered PHAs, especially those with limited administrative capacity.
- Possible increased administrative burden for covered PHAs due to the requirement to absorb vouchers.
- Could lead to unintended consequences if covered PHAs struggle to manage the increased demand for vouchers.
- May not fully address the underlying issues of housing availability and affordability in rural areas.
- Potential for covered PHAs to reduce other housing programs to accommodate the absorption requirement.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill appears to align with the general welfare clause of the Constitution (Preamble), as it aims to improve housing accessibility for low-income families. It does not appear to infringe upon any specific constitutional rights or limitations.
Congress's authority to legislate in this area stems from its power to regulate interstate commerce and provide for the general welfare through taxation and spending (Article I, Section 8). The bill's provisions regarding housing assistance fall under this purview.
There are no apparent constitutional conflicts arising from this legislation.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).