Rep. Waters Introduces Public Housing Legislation

The ranking member of the committee on financial services, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), recently introduced the Public Housing Tenant Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2017. Its goal is to preserve public housing, increase tenant protections, and provide additional funds to address the significant backlog of capital needs. If passed, the bill would require replacing demolished or sold public housing units on a one-for-one basis, reinstating a provision that Congress eliminated in 1995.

Specifically, the bill would authorize full funding for the public housing program, plus provide an additional $5 billion a year for capital needs. It would provide a loan guarantee for public housing agencies to attract outside investment, and would authorize a grant program to revitalize the most distressed public housing units.