Streamlining Rural Housing Act of 2025

This bill aims to make it faster and simpler to build and maintain affordable housing, especially in rural areas. It tells HUD and the USDA to sign a shared plan within six months so they don’t duplicate work. They must pick a lead agency for joint projects, accept each other’s environmental reviews to cut extra paperwork, and consider doing joint inspections of properties. It also keeps current environmental protections in place while they streamline the process.

The bill creates a working group with residents, nonprofits, builders, property owners, public housing agencies, and state housing officials to help guide these changes. Within a year, the agencies must send a report with ideas to speed up projects without reducing safety, shifting long-term costs to residents, or weakening environmental standards.

• Who is affected: People in HUD- or USDA-assisted housing; affordable housing developers; property managers; public housing agencies; state housing agencies; and other housing stakeholders.
• What changes: A shared HUD–USDA agreement to streamline environmental checks, choose a lead agency for joint projects, possibly use joint inspections, and propose improvements that protect residents and the environment.
• When: The agreement and the working group are due within 180 days of the bill becoming law; the report is due within one year.