PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12] · D–NC
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Oct 16, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-21 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Faith-Based Affordable Housing Predevelopment Fund Act would create competitive federal grants to pay for planning and preparation before affordable housing is built or rehabilitated on land owned by faith-based organizations. Eligible governments, nonprofits, and community development financial institutions could receive grants. The proposal focuses on expenses before construction, such as designs, studies, and legal work. Housing would have to qualify as affordable under a referenced existing law.
This Act may be cited as the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Predevelopment Fund Act.
establish a program to provide grants to eligible entities on a competitive basis to fund pre-development activities associated with the new construction or rehabilitation of housing that qualifies as affordable (as described in section 215 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act) on land owned by faith-based organizations.
(A) a State (as such term is defined in section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act); (B) a unit of general local government (as such term is defined under section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act); (C) a nonprofit organization (as such term is defined under section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act); and (D) a community development financial institution (as such term is defined in section 104(a)(1) of the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994).
(1) initial architectural and engineering schematic designs; (2) environmental reviews and assessments; (3) feasibility studies; (4) legal work;
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development would have to establish the competitive grant program within one year after section 2 becomes law. The program would end five years after it is established.
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section establish a program to provide grants to eligible entities on a competitive basis
(b) Program duration The grant program established under subsection (a) shall terminate 5 years after the Secretary establishes such grant program.
Eligible applicants would include states, units of general local government, nonprofit organizations, and community development financial institutions. The proposal incorporates existing statutory definitions for all four categories; the supplied source does not reproduce those definitions.
(1) Eligible entities The term eligible entity means— (A) a State (as such term is defined in section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act); (B) a unit of general local government (as such term is defined under section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act); (C) a nonprofit organization (as such term is defined under section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act); and (D) a community development financial institution (as such term is defined in section 104(a)(1) of the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994).
The Secretary would have to prioritize applicants with a demonstrated record of either working with faith-based organizations or developing housing. The Secretary would determine whether applicants have that record.
(c) Priority When awarding grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that have a demonstrated track record of working with faith-based organizations or developing housing, as determined by the Secretary.
Recipients would have to use grant money for preparation expenses for new or rehabilitated affordable housing on faith-based organizations' land. Permitted expenses would include initial architectural and engineering schematic designs, environmental reviews and assessments, feasibility and market studies, legal work, construction-financing applications, project consultants, and other costs the Secretary considers appropriate.
(d) Use of amounts Any eligible entity that receives amounts under this section shall use such amounts for pre-development expenses associated with new construction or rehabilitation of housing that qualifies as affordable (as described in section 215 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act) on land owned by the faith-based organization, including expenses associated with— (1) initial architectural and engineering schematic designs; (2) environmental reviews and assessments; (3) feasibility studies; (4) legal work; (5) preparing applications for financing to cover expenses associated with the construction of housing that qualifies as affordable (as described in section 215 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act); (6) performing market studies; (7) hiring project consultants; and (8) such other costs as the Secretary determines appropriate.
Every grant recipient would have to provide training and technical assistance to each faith-based organization associated with the preparation expenses it funds. Recipients could use grant money to provide that training and assistance.
(e) Training and technical assistance Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section— (1) shall provide training and technical assistance to each faith-based organization associated with pre-development expenses funded by such eligible entity using amounts provided under this section; and (2) may use amounts provided under this section to provide such training and technical assistance.
The Secretary would define which organizations qualify as faith-based organizations. That definition would have to include any entity assisted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Center for Faith.
(2) Faith-based organization The term faith-based organization shall have the meaning given the term by the Secretary and shall include any entity that is assisted by the Center for Faith at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The bill would authorize an appropriation of $100 million to the Secretary for fiscal year 2027, with those funds available through the end of fiscal year 2031. This provision authorizes funding; it does not itself appropriate the money.
(g) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $100,000,000 in fiscal year 2027 to carry out this section and such amounts shall be available to carry out this section through the end of fiscal year 2031.
Within 180 days after the program ends, the Secretary would have to conduct a study and report to Congress. The report would address any impacts on increasing affordable rental housing and homeownership units, best practices identified through the program, and recommendations for improving it. This reporting requirement does not establish that the program would increase housing.
(f) Report Not later than 180 days after termination of the grant program under subsection (b), the Secretary shall conduct a study and submit a report to Congress on the impact of the grant program that includes— (1) a description of any impacts the grant program had on increasing the amount of affordable rental housing; (2) a description of any impacts the grant program had on increasing homeownership units; (3) a best practices identified through the grant program; and (4) any recommendations for improving the grant program.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 16, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Financial Services on September 21, 2026. It does not establish any subsequent legislative action or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-16T13:50:13Z. 2026-09-21: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. 2026-09-21: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-21. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials, or establish any amendment's attachment history.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No earmark was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. A competitive program authorization alone does not establish an earmark. This conclusion is limited to this version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials; member disclosures, committee reports, and conference materials were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced text contains a narrow guaranteed inclusion within an otherwise discretionary definition. This classification concerns the specified treatment and is not a judgment about its justification.
Entities assisted by HUD's Center for Faith would be guaranteed inclusion in the definition of a faith-based organization, while the Secretary would otherwise determine that definition. This gives the specified group assured recognition within the landowner category used by the affordable-housing predevelopment program. The targeted treatment is that definitional guarantee, rather than the program's general coverage of faith-based landowners. It does not automatically make those entities eligible grant applicants or guarantee an award: grants would remain competitive and limited to eligible entities.
The term faith-based organization shall have the meaning given the term by the Secretary and shall include any entity that is assisted by the Center for Faith at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
establish a program to provide grants to eligible entities on a competitive basis to fund pre-development activities associated with the new construction or rehabilitation of housing that qualifies as affordable (as described in section 215 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act) on land owned by faith-based organizations.
(1) Eligible entities The term eligible entity means— (A) a State (as such term is defined in section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act); (B) a unit of general local government (as such term is defined under section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act); (C) a nonprofit organization (as such term is defined under section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act); and (D) a community development financial institution (as such term is defined in section 104(a)(1) of the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994).
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 16, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI