Build Housing Affordably Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9311
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Housing and Community Development
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-15: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-01T21:02:58Z
AI-Generated Summary
Summary of H.R. 9311: Build Housing Affordably Act
Purpose of the Legislation
This bill seeks to reduce costs and delays in building affordable housing by temporarily pausing certain domestic purchasing requirements for projects funded through specific housing assistance programs. It directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to examine how these requirements affect housing development and to streamline the process for seeking exemptions.
Key Provisions Outlined
- Study Requirement: HUD must study the direct and indirect costs of complying with the Build America, Buy America Act on grantees, builders, and developers, including material procurement expenses, administrative burdens, project delays, and any incomplete projects or lost housing units.
- Report to Congress: Within 90 days after completing the study, HUD must submit findings to the House Committee on Financial Services and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- Implementation Pause: Covered projects funded by listed housing programs are exempt from the requirements of chapter 83 of title 41, United States Code (commonly known as the Buy American Act), until 60 days after the report is delivered.
- Waiver Timeline: HUD must decide on waiver requests from the Build America, Buy America Act within 90 days; if no decision is made, the waiver is automatically granted and cannot be reversed.
- Definitions: Specifies "covered programs" as various HUD initiatives (such as public housing, Section 8 rental assistance, HOME program, and others) and "covered projects" as those primarily involving the purchase, construction, or rehabilitation of residential housing that are subject to the domestic content rules.
Significant Changes to Existing Law Introduced
- Temporarily suspends application of the Buy American Act to affordable housing projects under the listed programs, overriding current regulations and guidance.
- Establishes a strict 90-day deadline for HUD waiver decisions, with an automatic approval mechanism if the deadline is missed.
- Makes automatically granted waivers final and not subject to further federal review, altering standard administrative processes for exemptions.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: HUD would face new obligations to conduct a study, issue a report, and process waivers more quickly, potentially requiring additional resources for compliance reviews.
- On Citizens and Housing Development: Builders and developers could experience lower material and administrative costs, shorter project timelines, and fewer incomplete projects, which may lead to more affordable housing units being completed.
- On International Relations: No direct effects are specified, though the pause in domestic content rules could indirectly affect sourcing of materials from foreign suppliers.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- HUD and its subagencies responsible for housing programs.
- Grantees, subgrantees, builders, developers, and contractors involved in federally assisted affordable housing.
- Congressional committees overseeing housing policy.
- Low-income individuals and communities reliant on programs such as public housing, rental assistance, and supportive housing for the elderly or disabled.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- The bill modifies the enforcement of an existing federal statute (the Build America, Buy America Act) by creating time-limited exemptions and automatic approvals, which could raise questions about administrative finality in federal decision-making.
- It introduces a "deemed granted" provision for waivers, limiting opportunities for further review and potentially affecting standard due process in agency actions.
- Politically, the measure focuses on easing regulatory burdens to address housing affordability without altering the underlying domestic preference policy permanently.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2], Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-15: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- 2026-06-15: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-15: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Build Housing Affordably Act — issued 2026-06-15 — PDF (8 pages)