Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
This bill establishes a Blighted Building to Housing Conversion Pilot Program (the RESIDE Act) administered by HUD to award competitive grants to eligible jurisdictions to convert vacant and abandoned commercial or industrial properties (e.g., warehouses, factories, malls, strip malls, hotels) into "attainable housing." For FY2027–2031, if HOME Investment Partnerships Program appropriations exceed $1,350,000,000 in a given year, HUD may use up to $100,000,000 of the excess to fund grants of $1,000,000–$10,000,000 (or a larger number of smaller grants if less than $100M is available). Grants may be used for acquisition, demolition, remediation, site preparation, construction/rehabilitation, and community land trusts; HOME program rules for rental/sale/resale apply to units created.
Scale and role of federal involvement: liberals view pilot as helpful targeted federal action, conservatives see it as unwanted federal intervention.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes a well-integrated statutory pilot grant program within the existing HOME framework, with useful definitions, funding triggers, priority criteria, and a required post-pilot report.
This bill establishes a Blighted Building to Housing Conversion Pilot Program (the RESIDE Act) administered by HUD to award competitive grants to eligible jurisdictions to convert vacant and abandoned commercial or industrial properties (e.g., warehouses, factories, malls, strip malls, hotels) into "attainable housing." For FY2027–2031, if HOME Investment Partnerships Program appropriations exceed $1,350,000,000 in a given year, HUD may use up to $100,000,000 of the excess to fund grants of $1,000,000–$10,000,000 (or a larger number of smaller grants if less than $100M is available).
Grants may be used for acquisition, demolition, remediation, site preparation, construction/rehabilitation, and community land trusts; HOME program rules for rental/sale/resale apply to units created.
HUD must prioritize projects in economically distressed communities, Qualified Opportunity Zones, projects that meet consolidated plan needs, or jurisdictions that have reduced regulatory barriers to conversion (excluding safety/habitability rules).
Content-wise the bill is modest, administrative, and targeted — features that increase acceptability. Its pilot design, limited per-year cap, and reliance on existing HOME program structure lower legislative risk. However, it still involves federal grant dollars and reallocation triggers, contains waiver authority that some will scrutinize, and as a standalone measure would face procedural hurdles in the Senate. The bill would have a better chance if folded into a larger housing or appropriations package rather than considered alone.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes a well-integrated statutory pilot grant program within the existing HOME framework, with useful definitions, funding triggers, priority criteria, and a required post-pilot report. It provides a clear high-level mechanism and statutory fit but leaves operational, fiscal, and oversight details to HUD rulemaking or practice.
Scale and role of federal involvement: liberals view pilot as helpful targeted federal action, conservatives see it as unwanted federal intervention.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Scale and role of federal involvement: liberals view pilot as helpful targeted federal action, conservatives see it as unwanted federal intervention.
A mainstream progressive would likely view the bill favorably as a practical, targeted federal effort to increase affordable housing by repurposing blighted commercial properties.
They would welcome the program's focus on "attainable housing" tied to area median income, the allowance for community land trusts, and prioritization of distressed communities and local housing needs.
They may be concerned the program is small relative to national housing needs and that funding is conditional on HOME appropriations exceeding a threshold, making its scale uncertain.
A pragmatic moderate would see the bill as a focused, market-aware effort to convert underused commercial real estate into housing with reasonable guardrails and local prioritization.
They would appreciate that the program is a pilot with capped funding, ties into existing HOME program rules, and includes prioritization for demonstrated local need.
Concerns would center on fiscal clarity (funding depends on HOME appropriations exceeding a threshold), administrative complexity, and the waiver authority's scope.
A mainstream conservative would be skeptical of a HUD-administered federal grant program that subsidizes conversion of private commercial property into housing, viewing it as federal intervention in local land markets.
They may, however, appreciate the emphasis on reusing blighted properties, the prioritization for jurisdictions reducing regulatory barriers, and protections that prevent waivers of core labor, environmental, and fair housing rules.
Key objections would be the creation of another federal subsidy program, uncertain fiscal impact, and potential crowding out of private investment or local decision-making.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Content-wise the bill is modest, administrative, and targeted — features that increase acceptability. Its pilot design, limited per-year cap, and reliance on existing HOME program structure lower legislative risk. However, it still involves federal grant dollars and reallocation triggers, contains waiver authority that some will scrutinize, and as a standalone measure would face procedural hurdles in the Senate. The bill would have a better chance if folded into a larger housing or appropriations package rather than considered alone.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Scale and role of federal involvement: liberals view pilot as helpful targeted federal action, conservatives see it as unwanted federal int…
Content-wise the bill is modest, administrative, and targeted — features that increase acceptability. Its pilot design, limited per-year ca…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes a well-integrated statutory pilot grant program within the existing HOME framework, with useful definitions, funding triggers, priority criteria, and a re…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.