Federal Healthy Housing Bills

Healthy Housing Council Bill (Update): On September 10, 2009, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced the Healthy Housing Council Act of 2009. The Bill is co-sponsored by Senator Johanns (R-NE), Boxer (D-CA), Merkley (D-OR), and Franken (D-MN). It would create a Healthy Housing Council (Council) with the objectives of: encouraging healthy housing through capacity building, technical assistance, public policy, and education; and facilitating coordination and collaboration between federal agencies. Additionally, the Bill authorizes $750,000 for each of the next five years for the Council to review, monitor, and evaluate existing housing, health, energy, and environmental programs.The Council's focus would be on improving the impact and eliminating duplication in existing programs, targeting current and future resources to the most vulnerable, high-risk persons and communities, and ensuring household access to existing programs. The Council would also identify policy, program, and research deficits as well as best practices for addressing healthy housing needs.

On October 13, 2009, Representative Robert Brady (D-PA) introduced the House version of the Council Bill - H.R.3793, the Healthy Housing Council Act of 2009.

Healthy Housing "Vision" Bill: On October 2, 2008, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced Senate bill S. 3654 to improve the quality of housing in the United States. The bill emphasizes cost-effective approaches and market-based incentives to make homes healthier and safer without detracting from their affordability. Entitled the Research, Hazard Intervention, and National Outreach for Healthier Housing Act, the multi-faceted legislation aims to improve research, enhance the capacity of federal programs, and expand national outreach efforts.

On October 21, 2009, Representative Robert Brady (D-PA) introduced H.R.3891, The Safe and Healthy Housing Act of 2009.

Key bill provisions include:

  • Funding for existing federal housing programs, such as CDBG, HOME, and LIHEAP to add healthy homes components to their programs.
  • Leveraging the private market interest in healthy homes by creating a voluntary “Healthy Homes Seal of Approval” modeled after the successful Energy Star program.
  • Authorizing $7,000,000 for each of the next five years for the National Institute of Environmental Health Science and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to evaluate the health risks and human health effects of indoor exposure to chemical pollutants including carbon monoxide, chemical asthma triggers, and common household and garden pesticides.
  • Authorizing $6,000,000 for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to study methods for the assessment and control of housing-related health hazards.
  • Providing $10,000,000 for HUD and CDC to study the indoor environmental quality of existing housing and to create a system for monitoring housing related hazards.

Livable Communities Act of 2010

The Livable Communities Act of 2010 (H.R. 4690 and S. 1619) was introduced on 2/25/10 by Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO7). The act proposes a nation-wide plan to promote livable communities through sustainable infrastructure for transportation, housing, land use and economic development. The act establishes an Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC) as well as an independent, Interagency Council on Sustainable Communities in the executive branch to administer and oversee grants that support building and development projects at the local, regional and nation levels.

The Livable Communities Act passed a major legislative milestone on August 3, 2010 when it was reported out of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. It is the first major legislation to include healthy housing provisions, representing an unprecedented commitment from Capitol Hill to work for healthier housing for all Americans.

Community Building Code Administration Grant Act of 2009

Introduced on May 5, 2009, the Community Building Code Administration Grant Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to the extent amounts are made available for grants under this Act, to award grants, on a competitive basis and with federal matching funds, to qualified local building code enforcement departments to increase staffing, provide staff training, increase staff competence and professional qualifications, support individual certification or departmental accreditation, or for capital expenditures specifically dedicated to department administration. Click here to read the one-page summary of the S.970: Community Building Code Adminstration Grant Act of 2009.
 

Green Resources for Energy Efficient Neighborhoods Act of 2009

Introduced in the House (H.R. 2336) on May 7, 2009 and the Senate (as the “Energy Efficiency in Housing Act of 2009, S. 1379) on June 25, 2009.  Green Resources for Energy Efficient Neighborhoods Act of 2009 - or the GREEN Act - encourages energy efficiency, conservation and development of renewable energy sources for housing, commercial structures, and other buildings, and aims to create sustainable communities. Click here to read the one page summary of H.R. 2336. On April 27, 2010, the House Committee on Financial services passed an amendment incorporating language from the Community Building Code Administration Grant Act of 2009 to the GREEN Act.

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