H.R. 3133 — HAVEN Act

This section reduces the required tenant rent contribution from 30% to 20% of family adjusted monthly income in public housing (U.S. Housing Act of 1937, Section 3), Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance (Section 8(o)), Section 521 farm labor housing (Housing Act of 1949), Section 202 supportive housing for the elderly (Housing Act of 1959), and Section 811 supportive housing for persons with disabilities (Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act). (Section 202 provides capital advances and project rental assistance for very low-income seniors; Section 811 does the same for persons with disabilities; Section 521 provides similar assistance for domestic farm laborers.) It also amends the public housing operating fund formula (U.S. Housing Act of 1937, Section 9) to include forgone rental income due to the reduced tenant contribution in calculating eligible expenses. Finally, this section directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to the extent practicable, to ensure these changes do not reduce the number of assistance recipients.

This section revises authorizations of appropriations for three HUD rental assistance programs as follows: (1) Section 9 of the United States Housing Act of 1937.—Authorizes appropriations for public housing capital and operating funds for FY2026 and each fiscal year thereafter (previously through FY2003). (2) Section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959.—Authorizes such sums as may be necessary for supportive housing for the elderly (i.e., no-interest capital advances and project rental assistance for very low-income elderly persons, provided to private nonprofits and consumer cooperatives). (3) Section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act.—Authorizes such sums as necessary for supportive housing for persons with disabilities for FY2026 and each fiscal year thereafter.

This section amends the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination in housing sales, rentals, financing, brokerage services, and related practices based on lawful source of income, in addition to existing protected characteristics (i.e., race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and familial status). (Thus, the changes apply to specified provisions in FHA sections 804, 805(a) and (e), 806, 807(a), and 808(e)(6).)

This section establishes a housing navigation grant program under the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (i.e., tenant-based rental assistance enabling low-income families to lease privately owned housing). Not later than one year after enactment, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development must award grants to public housing agencies, which may use the funds (1) to assist voucher families in searching for suitable dwelling units, (2) to engage owners of dwelling units to aid those searches, or (3) to provide subgrants to nonprofits for such purposes, with $20 million authorized for FY2026 and each fiscal year thereafter.

This section mandates the use of small area fair market rents (SAFMRs), established by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by zip code area, for payment standards under the Housing Choice Voucher Program (i.e., Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance for low-income families), effective for FY2026 and each fiscal year thereafter. (Thus, such standards will reflect zip code-level rental market conditions rather than broader metropolitan area-wide fair market rents.)

This section provides mandatory funding, for FY2026 through 2029, for incremental Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) under the tenant-based rental assistance program (i.e., section 8(o) of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937), including (1) 500,000 vouchers allocated in FY2026 and 1,500,000 vouchers allocated in increments of 500,000 in each calendar year from 2027 through 2029 to public housing agencies (PHAs) pursuant to competitive selection criteria under section 213(d) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 that prioritize severe housing needs (e.g., homelessness, overcrowding, or evictions); and (2) associated annual renewals and administrative fees. The section further establishes an entitlement, effective 5 years after enactment, to HCV assistance for any eligible household (i.e., a family with income not exceeding 80% of area median income, as determined by a PHA) and appropriates such sums as necessary for the assistance payments and related administrative fees. (Thus, HCV funding becomes mandatory rather than subject to annual appropriations, potentially assisting up to 2 million additional low-income households in renting private-market housing.)

This section directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, not later than one year after enactment, to issue a rule requiring the Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP)—or any successor program—to consider the timeliness of approvals for both eligible families and landlords. (SEMAP assesses public housing agency performance in administering the Housing Choice Voucher Program.)