House Democrats passed the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act on Friday, which includes a number of provisions for housing aid, including investments in public housing, rental assistance and down payment assistance. It now goes to the Senate, where it is likely to be revised again.
In total, the legislation allocates about $170 billion to provisions for affordable housing. It’s the largest investment in affordable housing in history, according to the Biden administration, and will build or preserve more than 1 million affordable homes.
Here are a few of the highlights.
Public housing
BBB allocates about $65 billion to preserve and rebuild public housing, including to “repair, replace, or construct properties.” The investment will also aim to reduce health hazards, increase energy efficiency and boost resilience to natural disasters.
Rental assistance
The act allocates about $25 billion for rental assistance. Most of the funding will go to federal housing vouchers, which can help lower-income tenants afford rent and reduce homelessness.
It includes about $24 billion for Housing Choice Vouchers, which would help an estimated 300,000 low-income households, including about 274,000 children, according to a newCenter on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) report.