1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act of 2019”.
Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act of 2019
A BILL
To establish the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis, and for other purposes.
2. Purpose of Task Force
The purpose of this Act is to establish the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis, which shall—
evaluate and quantify the impact that a lack of affordable housing has on other areas of life and life outcomes;
evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by other Federal, State, and local programs due to a lack of affordable housing; and
make recommendations to Congress on how to use affordable housing to improve the effectiveness of other Federal programs and improve life outcomes.
3. Definitions
In this Act:
Affordable housing—
In general— The term affordable housing means—
housing for which the household is required to pay not more than 30 percent of the household income for gross housing costs, including utilities, where such income is less than or equal to the area median income for the municipality in which the housing is located, as determined by the Secretary; and
housing—
for which the household pays more than 30 percent of the household income for gross housing costs, including utilities, where such income is less than or equal to the area median income for the municipality in which the housing is located, as determined by the Secretary; and
that is assisted or considered affordable by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, including—
public housing;
housing assisted under section 8(o) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o));
housing receiving the low-income housing credit under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code; and
housing assisted under other Federal or local housing programs serving households with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area median income or providing services or amenities that will primarily be used by low-income housing.
Application— The definition in subparagraph (A) shall apply to Federal, State, and local affordable housing programs.
Low-income housing; public housing— The terms low-income housing and public housing have the meanings given those terms in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)).
Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Task Force— The term Task Force means the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis established under section 4(a).
4. Establishment of Task Force
Establishment— There is established a bipartisan task force to be known as the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis.
Membership—
Composition— The Task Force shall be composed of 18 members, of whom—
1 member shall be appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall serve as co-chair of the Task Force;
1 member shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, who shall serve as co-chair of the Task Force;
4 members shall be appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate;
4 members shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;
4 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
4 members shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Criteria— Each member of the Task Force shall be an academic researcher, an expert in a field or policy area related to the purpose of the Task Force, or an individual who has experience with government programs related to the purpose of the Task Force.
Additional staff— The co-chairs of the Task Force may appoint and fix the pay of additional staff to the Task Force.
Detailees— Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to the Task Force without reimbursement from the Task Force, and the detailee shall retain the rights, status, and privileges of his or her regular employment without interruption.
Compensation of members— Members of the Task Force may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Task Force.
Timing of Appointments— Appointments to the Task Force shall be made not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
Period of appointment; vacancies—
In general— A member of the Task Force shall be appointed for the life of the Task Force.
Vacancies— Any vacancy in the Task Force—
shall not affect the powers of the Task Force; and
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
Initial meeting— The Task Force shall meet not later than 30 days after the date on which a majority of the members of the Task Force have been appointed.
Meetings—
In general— The Task Force shall meet at the call of the co-chairs of the Task Force.
Quorum— A majority of the members of the Task Force shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
5. Duties of the Task Force
In general— The Task Force shall utilize available survey and statistical data related to the purpose of the Task Force to complete a comprehensive report to—
evaluate and quantify the impact that a lack of affordable housing has on other areas of life and life outcomes for individuals living in the United States, including—
education;
employment;
income level;
health;
nutrition;
access to transportation;
the poverty level of the neighborhood in which individuals live;
regional economic growth;
neighborhood and rural community stability and revitalization; and
other areas of life and life outcomes related to the purpose of the Task Force necessary to complete a comprehensive report;
evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by other Federal, State, and local programs due to a lack of affordable housing; and
make recommendations to Congress on how to use affordable housing to improve the effectiveness of other Federal programs and improve life outcomes for individuals living in the United States.
Public comment— The Task Force shall publish in the Federal Register a notice for a public comment period of 90 days on the purpose and activities of the Task Force.
Report— Not later than the date on which the Task Force terminates, the Task Force shall submit to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and make publicly available a final report that—
contains the information, evaluations, and recommendations described in subsection (a); and
is signed by each member of the Task Force.
6. Powers of Task Force
Hearings— The Task Force may hold such hearings, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Task Force considers advisable to carry out this Act.
Information from federal agencies—
In general— The Task Force may secure directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the Task Force considers necessary to carry out this Act.
Furnishing information— On request of the co-chairs of the Task Force, the head of a Federal department or agency described in paragraph (1) shall furnish the information to the Task Force.
Postal Services— The Task Force may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal departments and agencies.
7. Termination of Task Force
The Task Force shall terminate not later than 2 years after the date on which all members of the Task Force are appointed under section 4.
8. Funding
There are authorized such sums as may be necessary to be appropriated to carry out this Act for fiscal years 2020 through 2023.