Sponsors
The bill makes it easier and cheaper to create affordable housing by repurposing federal land and streamlining transfers, but does so at the potential cost of reduced recreational/conservation land, shifted fiscal burdens to local taxpayers, possible exclusion of some households under strict income definitions, and limited long-term continuity without reauthorization.
Low-income individuals and renters gain increased access to affordable housing because underused or surplus federal lands can be conveyed and repurposed for affordable housing developments.
Local and state governments and nonprofits can lower site acquisition costs by using transferred federal land, making more affordable housing projects financially feasible.
Communities (urban and rural) could see faster housing development and expanded supply due to streamlined identification and transfer of federal land for housing.
Residents and recreation users could lose access to recreational or conservation federal lands as parcels are conveyed for housing development.
Taxpayers and local governments may bear substantial fiscal costs (site preparation, infrastructure upgrades, environmental remediation) and the federal government may forgo future uses or revenue by transferring valuable land.
If statutory income definitions are applied inflexibly, moderate‑income households in high‑cost areas may be excluded from projects intended to serve broad affordability needs.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Declares affordable housing a public-purpose use of federal lands under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act and creates a HUD–Interior task force to identify and streamline transfers for housing.
Introduced May 6, 2025 by Steven Horsford · Last progress May 6, 2025
Makes development, operation, and maintenance of affordable housing for extremely low-, very low-, and low-income families an eligible "public purpose" use of federal lands under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, allowing those lands to be transferred or conveyed for affordable housing. Directs the Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development and the Interior to create a Joint Task Force within 30 days to identify underused federal land for housing, streamline land transfer processes, promote policies to increase affordable housing, evaluate costs of insufficient housing, report to Congress annually, and sunset after 10 years.