HAVEN Act
- house
- senate
- president
Last progress May 1, 2025 (7 months ago)
Introduced on May 1, 2025 by Yassamin Ansari
Sponsors (10)
House Votes
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.
Senate Votes
Presidential Signature
AI Summary
This bill aims to make renting fairer and to help more families afford a home. It would add “lawful source of income” (like housing vouchers or disability benefits) to federal fair housing protections, so landlords couldn’t reject someone just because of how they pay rent. It updates how rent is calculated in several federal housing programs to lower the share of income that tenants must pay, while telling HUD to avoid reducing the number of people who get help. It would also help families search for housing and bring more landlords into the program, and it changes rent limits to reflect prices by ZIP code starting in 2026, so vouchers better match local markets.
The bill would grow the housing choice voucher program and then make it an entitlement: 500,000 new vouchers in 2026 and another 1.5 million from 2027–2029, for 2 million total, with funding for renewals and administration; five years after the law takes effect, every eligible family would have a right to a voucher, with funding provided as needed. “Eligible household” means income at or below 80% of area median income. It also funds “housing navigation” help (grants to local housing agencies and nonprofits) starting in 2026, and tells HUD to factor in how quickly families and landlords are approved when scoring local voucher programs . The bill updates authorizations so key housing programs have ongoing funding starting in 2026.
Key points
- Who is affected: Renters using federal assistance, families up to 80% of area median income, landlords, public housing agencies, and local nonprofits.
- What changes: Bans income-source discrimination; lowers how tenant rent shares are calculated; adds housing search help; uses ZIP-code-based rent limits; expands vouchers and then guarantees them for all eligible families; improves program timeliness measures; continues funding for key programs .
- When: ZIP-code rent limits and navigation grants start in fiscal year 2026; voucher expansion runs 2026–2029; the universal voucher entitlement begins five years after enactment .