To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 and the Housing Act of 1949 to make financial assistance available to DACA recipients, and for other purposes.
📝 TL;DR
HR 10558 would make DACA recipients eligible for federal housing assistance programs by amending key housing laws from 1949 and 1980. The bill would extend rental assistance, public housing, and other federal housing programs to approximately 580,000 DACA recipients who are currently ineligible despite their legal work authorization.
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HR 10558 is a brief bill that would extend federal housing assistance eligibility to recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The bill amends two key housing laws - the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 and the Housing Act of 1949 - to explicitly include DACA recipients as eligible for financial assistance programs. Currently, DACA recipients face barriers accessing federal housing programs despite their legal presence in the United States under the deferred action program established in 2012.
The bill represents an effort to address housing insecurity among young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and have been granted temporary protection from deportation. DACA recipients, often called 'Dreamers,' can work legally but face restrictions on accessing many federal benefits. This legislation would remove those barriers specifically for housing assistance programs, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals nationwide.
Detailed Analysis
The bill's structure is notably concise, with the full legislative text consisting only of a title and statement of purpose, lacking the typical detailed provisions found in most housing legislation. The bill states it will amend both the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 and the Housing Act of 1949, but the provided text does not include the specific statutory language that would be added or modified. This suggests either the bill text is incomplete or the actual amendments would be developed through the legislative process.
The Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 governs various federal housing programs including rental assistance and community development block grants, while the Housing Act of 1949 established the foundational framework for federal housing policy including public housing and rural housing programs. By amending both acts, the bill would presumably create comprehensive eligibility for DACA recipients across the spectrum of federal housing assistance programs.
Without seeing the specific amendment language, it's unclear exactly how DACA recipients would be defined for eligibility purposes or whether there would be any limitations or special provisions. The bill's reference to 'financial assistance' is broad and could encompass rental vouchers, public housing, homeownership assistance, and community development programs. The phrase 'and for other purposes' in the title suggests there may be additional provisions not evident from the summary text provided.
The legislative mechanism would likely involve adding DACA recipients to the definition of eligible persons or households in the relevant sections of both housing acts. This would require careful drafting to ensure consistency with existing immigration law and DACA program requirements. The bill would need to address how eligibility would be verified and maintained, particularly given that DACA status requires periodic renewal and can be revoked.
🎯 Key Provisions
DACA Housing Assistance Eligibility: The bill would amend federal housing laws to make financial assistance available to DACA recipients. This represents the core purpose of the legislation. (Title - 'To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 and the Housing Act of 1949 to make financial assistance available to DACA recipients')
Housing and Community Development Act Amendment: The bill specifically targets the 1980 Act which governs rental assistance and community development programs. This would extend DACA eligibility to these programs. (Title reference to 'Housing and Community Development Act of 1980')
Housing Act of 1949 Amendment: The bill also amends the foundational federal housing law from 1949, which would extend DACA eligibility to public housing and other core programs established under this act. (Title reference to 'Housing Act of 1949')
Additional Purposes Provision: The bill includes language suggesting there may be additional provisions beyond the basic DACA eligibility extension, though these are not specified in the provided text. (Title - 'and for other purposes')
👥 Impact Analysis
Direct Effects If enacted, this bill would immediately expand housing assistance eligibility to approximately 580,000 current DACA recipients nationwide. These individuals would become eligible for federal rental assistance vouchers, public housing, rural housing programs, and homeownership assistance programs previously unavailable to them. The change would be particularly significant for DACA recipients in high-cost housing markets where federal assistance can mean the difference between stable housing and homelessness or overcrowding.
The bill would also affect housing agencies and program administrators who would need to update their eligibility procedures and documentation requirements to accommodate DACA recipients. This includes local public housing authorities, state housing finance agencies, and nonprofit organizations that administer federal housing programs. These entities would need training on DACA documentation and periodic renewal requirements.
Indirect Effects The legislation could have broader implications for the DACA program by establishing a precedent for federal benefit eligibility beyond work authorization. It might influence other policy debates about immigrant access to federal programs and could affect housing market dynamics in areas with large DACA populations. Additionally, the bill might face legal challenges regarding the scope of benefits available to individuals with temporary immigration status.
Affected Groups - DACA recipients - Public housing authorities - Housing assistance program administrators - Landlords participating in federal housing programs - Communities with significant DACA populations - Housing advocacy organizations
Fiscal Impact The bill does not specify funding mechanisms or appropriation levels for extending housing assistance to DACA recipients. The fiscal impact would depend on take-up rates among eligible DACA recipients and would likely increase overall program costs for affected housing programs. Without specific cost estimates or dedicated funding provisions in the bill, the additional expenses would presumably be absorbed within existing program appropriations, potentially creating strain on already limited housing assistance resources. Congress would need to consider whether additional appropriations would be necessary to serve this new eligible population without reducing assistance to currently eligible households.
📋 Latest Action
12/20/2024
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.