[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4563 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4563
To direct the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development to take certain actions regarding the housing shortage for
members of the Armed Forces.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 20, 2022
Mr. Warnock (for himself and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development to take certain actions regarding the housing shortage for
members of the Armed Forces.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Building More Housing for
Servicemembers Act''.
SEC. 2. RESPONSES TO THE HOUSING SHORTAGE FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED
FORCES.
(a) Report on Housing Shortage for Members of the Armed Forces.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the
Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a
report on the housing shortage for members of the Armed Forces.
(2) Elements.--The report required under subsection (a)
shall include the following elements:
(A) The determination of the Secretary regarding
the feasibility of acquiring real property near
military installations that face housing shortages to
be used for the development of privatized housing.
(B) The determination of the Secretary regarding
the need for an officer or civilian employee of the
Department of Defense to serve, at each military
installation, as a housing manager.
(b) Guidance to Landlords of Privatized Housing.--Not later than
one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Defense shall prescribe guidance for eligible entities and landlords
regarding acceptable housing standards for privatized housing.
(c) Pilot and Grant Programs.--
(1) Pilot program on using rental partnership programs of
the armed forces to assure tenants for developers of privatized
housing.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Defense shall establish a pilot program to assess the
feasibility of using the rental partnership programs of
the Armed Forces to assure tenants for eligible
entities to secure financing to construct privatized
housing.
(B) Locations.--The Secretary shall operate the
pilot program under subparagraph (A) in not more than
10 military housing areas that each have a rental
vacancy rate of less than seven percent.
(C) Term.--The pilot program under subparagraph (A)
shall terminate on the date that is five years after
the Secretary establishes the pilot program.
(D) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the
termination of the pilot program under subparagraph
(A), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on
the results of the pilot program.
(2) Joint pilot program on financial incentives for
developers of privatized housing.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development, shall develop a pilot program to
provide financial incentives to eligible entities to
build privatized housing or to purchase or lease
existing facilities to house members of the Armed
Forces and their dependents and to house low-income
individuals and families, as determined by the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
(B) Eligible projects.--
(i) In general.--In order to be eligible
for an incentive under the pilot program under
subparagraph (A), proposed privatized housing
shall ensure that a percentage of such housing
is reserved for members of the Armed Forces and
dependents of such members.
(ii) Percentage.--The percentage under
clause (i) shall vary proportionately to the
value of the incentive provided under
subparagraph (A).
(C) Locations.--The Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall
operate the pilot program under subparagraph (A) in
areas that have the longest wait times for on-base
housing.
(D) Priority.--In selecting eligible entities under
the pilot program under subparagraph (A), the Secretary
of Defense and the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development shall give priority to entry-level housing
and projects with greater density.
(E) Term.--The pilot program under subparagraph (A)
shall terminate on the date that is five years after
the Secretary of Defense establishes the pilot program.
(F) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the
termination of the pilot program, the Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development shall submit to Congress a report on the
results of the pilot program.
(3) Joint grant program.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary of Defense and
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may jointly
operate a grant program through the Office of Local
Defense Community Cooperation of the Department of
Defense to build housing for members of the Armed
Forces and their dependents and for low-income
individuals and families.
(B) Treatment of household income limits.--
Household income limits for entities eligible to
receive a grant under subparagraph (A) shall not differ
based on whether a household includes a member of the
Armed Forces.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible entity; landlord.--The terms ``eligible
entity'' and ``landlord'' have the meanings given such terms in
section 2871 of title 10, United States Code.
(2) Privatized housing.--The term ``privatized housing''
means housing under subchapter IV of chapter 169 of such title.
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