Housing to Homes Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6477
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Housing and Community Development
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-04: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-02-10T09:05:23Z
AI-Generated Summary
Housing to Homes Act of 2025 (H.R. 6477)
Purpose
This legislation amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to expand the types of activities eligible for funding under the Continuum of Care Program. The main goal is to allow payments to furniture banks for providing household furnishings to certain homeless individuals and families, with the aim of supporting stable housing.
Key Provisions
- Definition added: Creates a new term "furniture bank" in the law, defined as a registered charity, nonprofit organization, or social enterprise that supplies household furnishings to people in need, including those experiencing homelessness, often at little or no cost.
- New eligible activity: Allows Continuum of Care Program funds to cover payments to furniture banks for the costs of household furnishings, including delivery, installation, and assembly, for:
- Individuals and families who are currently homeless.
- Those who were homeless in the prior six months but now live in permanent housing.
- Those who were homeless and now reside in permanent supportive housing.
- Ownership rule: Any furnishings provided become the sole property of the recipient individual or family.
- Reporting requirements:
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) must submit a report to Congress within three years on the impact of these furniture bank payments.
- HUD must also publish annual reports on "furniture poverty" (defined as the inability to access, afford, or maintain essential household furniture and goods for a functional, safe, and healthy home), including data on its prevalence, effects on homelessness recurrence, and the role of the new payments.
- Sunset clause: The entire Act and its amendments automatically repeal five years after enactment.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
The bill modifies the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act by:
- Adding furniture banks as a new category of eligible recipients under the Continuum of Care Program.
- Expanding the list of allowable uses for program funds beyond traditional housing and services to include furniture-related assistance.
- Introducing new reporting mandates on furniture poverty and program impacts, which did not previously exist in this context.
- Including a five-year automatic repeal, making the changes temporary rather than permanent.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: HUD would gain new responsibilities for oversight, data collection, and annual reporting on furniture poverty and program effectiveness.
- On citizens: Homeless individuals and families could gain access to essential household items to support housing stability, potentially reducing the risk of returning to homelessness.
- On international relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Individuals and families experiencing or recently experiencing homelessness.
- Furniture banks and similar nonprofit organizations.
- Local Continuum of Care programs and service providers.
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
- Congress (through required reports).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The legislation introduces a time-limited (five-year) expansion of federal funding authority under an existing homeless assistance program, with built-in evaluation through reports. It focuses on addressing "furniture poverty" as a factor in housing stability but does not alter core constitutional frameworks or create new enforcement mechanisms. The automatic repeal provision limits long-term fiscal commitments.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-04: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- 2025-12-04: Introduced in House
- 2025-12-04: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Housing to Homes Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-04 — PDF (5 pages)