Sponsors
Introduced September 30, 2025 by Joseph Neguse · Last progress September 30, 2025
The bill aims to tailor AMI rules and raise income limits in high-cost and mountain areas to make housing assistance more locally responsive, but it increases complexity and risks uneven eligibility, diluted targeting, and potential unintended effects on housing production.
Low-income renters in high-cost and defined 'mountain' areas would see higher income limits (via a high-housing-cost adjustment and mountain-community recognition), making more households eligible for housing programs.
Local governments would be able to select an AMI method that better matches local housing markets, improving targeting of scarce housing funds to local needs.
State and local housing agencies (and applicants) would get a clearer, more consistent statutory definition of 'area median income,' making income limits and eligibility determinations more predictable.
Low-income households in lower-cost parts of a county could lose eligibility if ZIP-code or small-area AMI shrinks the defined eligible population, reducing access to assistance.
Fragmented AMI rules across neighboring areas would increase administrative complexity for landlords, housing agencies, and applicants, raising transaction costs and confusion.
Raising income limits in expensive areas (high-housing-cost adjustment) could dilute program targeting by admitting higher-income households, reducing benefits for the poorest applicants.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Permits mountain counties to use ZIP-code or contiguous-county AMI calculations for specified HUD/USDA housing programs, requires HUD to grant waivers, and mandates a two-year AMI study and report.
Creates a HUD waiver program letting eligible mountain counties choose to calculate area median income (AMI) using a ZIP Code or a group of contiguous counties instead of the program’s usual AMI geography for a set of federal housing programs; HUD must accept and grant waiver applications and set the process within 90 days of enactment. Directs HUD to study AMI methodology and alternatives (including the effect of counting roommates for seasonal workers) and to publish a report with findings and recommendations within two years.