On Thursday, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced the HOME Investment Partnership Reauthorization Act (H.R. 7312) to create new affordable housing for low-income households in California and throughout the nation.

Original cosponsors are Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Michael F.Q. San Nicolas (D-GU), Anthony Brown (D-MD), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Ami Bera (D-CA), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), David N. Cicilline (D-RI), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Andre’ Carson (D-IN).

The HOME Investment Partnership Program, or HOME, is the largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households.

The program was authorized by the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, and most recently reauthorized in 1994.

“California is facing an affordable housing crisis,” Garamendi said. “Minimum wage workers have to work a 91-hour week on average to afford a modest one-bedroom rental at a fair market rate. My legislation reauthorizes the HOME Investment Partnership Program for the first time since 1994 to bring this crucial program into the 21st century and provide states and local governments with the funding to address their housing needs. I will always work in Congress to address our state’s housing crisis and provide affordable housing options for my constituents,” Garamendi said.

HOME funding gives states and local governments flexibility to address their community’s specific housing needs. HOME funds are utilized to finance a wide variety of affordable housing activities, such as:

· Rehabilitation of owner-occupied housing;
· Assistance to homebuyers;
· Rental housing activities, including rehabilitation or construction of affordable housing;
· Tenant-based rental assistance.

The HOME Investment Partnership Reauthorization Act would:

· Reauthorize the program for five years;
· Increase appropriation to $5 billion, with a 5 percent increase each following year;
· Make technical corrections.

To see HOME funds awarded in every Congressional District throughout America, please navigate to HUDs Community Assessment Reporting Tool that can be found here.

The legislation is endorsed by the National NeighborWorks Association, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, California State Association of Counties, California Coalition for Rural Housing, California Association of Housing Authorities and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ Housing Taskforce.