119-hr646

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 646 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 646

 To establish a grant program to address the crises in accessing 
 affordable housing and child care through the co-location of housing 
 and child care, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 23, 2025

 Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Ms. Titus, Ms. Barragan, Ms. Scanlon, Mr. 
Panetta, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Norton, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Hayes, 
 Mr. McGovern, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Bynum, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. 
 Keating, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Ms. Jacobs, 
Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Nadler, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Tokuda, Ms. McClellan, 
Ms. Ross, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Landsman, Ms. Castor of Florida, 
 Ms. Escobar, Ms. Hoyle of Oregon, and Ms. Dexter) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial 
 Services, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish a grant program to address the crises in accessing 
 affordable housing and child care through the co-location of housing 
 and child care, and for other purposes.

 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 ``Build Housing with Care Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

 The purpose of this Act is to expand access to affordable housing 
and child care through the establishment of a grant program to promote 
the co-location of housing and child care providers.

SEC. 3. HOUSING AND CHILD CARE PROVIDER CO-LOCATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
shall establish a program (hereafter in this section referred to as 
``the Program'') to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
entities to facilitate the design, planning, construction, conversion, 
retrofitting, preservation, or renovation of a co-location facility.

    (b) Consultation.--In developing the Program, the Secretary shall 
consult with--

    (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
 through the Assistant Secretary of the Administration for 
 Children and Families;

    (2) the Secretary of the Treasury, acting through the 
 Director of the Community Development Financial Institutions 
 Fund; and

    (3) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Under 
 Secretary for Rural Development.
            (c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the 
Program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an 
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary determines appropriate, including the 
following:

    (1) A certification that the eligible child care provider 
 associated with such application is eligible to receive 
 vouchers or assistance under the Child Care and Development 
 Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.), or in the 
 case of an application to construct a new facility, or an 
 application when the eligible entity intends to subgrant or 
 capitalize amounts provided, a commitment to--
        (A) establish a partnership with an eligible child 
 care provider not later than 1 year after the date on 
 which funding is received;
        (B) submit to the Secretary a certification of such 
 eligibility of said provider to receive vouchers or 
 assistance under the Child Care and Development Block 
 Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.); and
            (C) clearly establish a project pipeline, and 
 submission of a certification to the Secretary that a 
 child care provider associated with a co-location 
 facility project receives vouchers or assistance under 
 the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 
 (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.) or the Head Start Act (42 
 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.).

    (2) A certification that activities funded by grant amounts 
 will not result in the eviction of residents of the housing 
 facility associated with such application.

    (3) A description of a plan to inform and engage residents 
 of the housing facility associated with such application about 
 the proposed use of grant amounts.

    (4) A certification of compliance with required Federal, 
 State, and local environmental laws and State and local land 
 use policies, unless the eligible entity--
        (A) intends to use grant amounts to facilitate the 
 planning or design required for permit approval; or
        (B) demonstrates that the construction, 
 preservation, conversion, retrofitting, or renovation 
 of an existing facility does not require environmental 
 review.

    (5) A business plan for the eligible child care provider 
 associated with such application, submitted at the time of 
 application or not later than 1 year after the date on which 
 the application is submitted, including--
        (A) a budget or, in the case of a new eligible 
 child care provider, a proposed budget;
        (B) appropriate State and local licensing or, in 
 the case of a new eligible child care provider, a copy 
 of the application of such provider for appropriate 
 State and local licensing; and
            (C) copies of contracts between such provider and a 
 local, county, regional, State, or Federal governmental 
 entity, to facilitate--
            (i) the business operations of such 
 provider; or
            (ii) the enrollment of children from low-
 income families with such provider.
            (d) Awarding of Grants.--

    (1) Priority.--In awarding grants under the Program, the 
 Secretary shall give priority to each eligible entity that 
 demonstrates that the eligible child care provider associated 
 with the application of such entity will--
        (A) operate in a child care desert, in a low-income 
 community, or a rural area as determined by the 
 Secretary;
        (B) certify designation as a Head Start provider, 
 Early Head Start Provider, Migrant and Seasonal Head 
 Start Provider, American Indian and Alaska Native Head 
 Start Provider, or enroll at least 10 percent of 
 children from very-low income families; or
            (C) demonstrate a partnership with a community 
 development financial institution, including through 
 the provision of financial or technical assistance.

    (2) Grant amounts.--An eligible entity may be awarded not 
 more than $10,000,000 under this Act.

    (e) Use of Amounts.--

    (1) An eligible entity may only use grant amounts provided 
 under the Program to facilitate the design, planning, 
 construction, acquisition, preservation, conversion, 
 retrofitting, long-term leasing, or renovation of a new or 
 existing co-location facility.

    (2) An eligible entity receiving a grant under this section 
 may distribute grant amounts to a government entity, a 
 nonprofit organization that develops housing, a public housing 
 agency, a Tribally designated housing entity, or other 
 appropriate entity as determined by the Secretary, to carry out 
 activities in accordance with this section.

    (3) A community development financial institution receiving 
 a grant under this section may capitalize amount received to 
 create financial products, including loans, to carry out 
 activities in accordance with this section.

    (4) An eligible entity may use--
        (A) not more than 10 percent of amounts awarded to 
 facilitate the pre-development phase of a new facility, 
 including planning and design; and
        (B) not more than 10 percent of amounts awarded to 
 partner with a community development financial 
 institution that provides technical assistance and 
 capacity building to help the eligible entity to submit 
 applications to the Program, support an eligible child 
 care provider that is home-based with meeting relevant 
 State and local licensing and quality standards, and 
 conduct pre-development activities.

    (f) Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical assistance 
and publish best practices online to facilitate the operation of co-
location facilities.

    (g) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the duration of 
the Program, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committees on 
Financial Services and Education and Workforce of the House of 
Representatives and the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 
regarding the implementation of the Program, including--

    (1) the number of grants awarded;

    (2) a description of the activities funded;

    (3) the number of child care slots created, including the 
 number of child care slots serving children from low-income 
 families or children who are dual language learners;

    (4) the number of child care slots preserved that were at 
 risk of elimination due to a child care center closing or 
 proposed price increases;

    (5) the number and percentage of residents in a co-location 
 facility that use or are employed by the associated child care 
 program;

    (6) the number of staff employed by the child care 
 provider;

    (7) demographic data of residents of housing facilities 
 associated with the Program;

    (8) the number and type of projects facilitated through 
 eligible uses of amounts described in subsections

    (e)

    (2) and

    (e)

    (3) ;

    (9) the number of early childhood providers supported with 
 funds from the program; and

    (10) the number of eligible entities of each type that 
 receive grant funding under the Program.

    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2030.
            (i) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Caregiver.--The term ``caregiver'' has the meaning 
 given such term in 

section 658P of the Child Care and 
 Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n).

    (2) Eligible child care provider.--The term ``eligible 
 child care provider'' has the meaning given that term under 
 

section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act 
 of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n).

    (3) Child care desert.--The term ``child care desert'' 
 means a census tract that contains not less than 3 times more 
 children than the licensed child care providers in such census 
 tract have the capacity to care for, or a census tract where 
 there are no licensed child care providers.

    (4) Co-location facility.--The term ``co-location 
 facility'' means a housing facility that contains an eligible 
 child care provider within, on the premises of such facility or 
 nearby such facility, where such provider serves the residents 
 of such housing facility.

    (5) Community development financial institution.--The term 
 ``community development financial institution'' has the meaning 
 given such term in 

section 103 of the Community Development 
 Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 (12 U.S.C. 
 4702).

    (6) Community development corporation.--The term 
 ``community development corporation'' has the same meaning as 
 when used in the Cranston-Gonzalex National Affordable Housing 
 Act.

    (7) Community housing development organization.--The term 
 ``community housing development organization'' has the meaning 
 given in the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act 
 of 1990.

    (8) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
        (A) a community development financial institution;
        (B) an eligible child care provider;
            (C) a public housing authority;
            (D) a government entity including a public housing 
 agency;
        (E) an Indian Tribe or a Tribal organization;
        (F) a community development corporation;
        (G) a housing developer using--
            (i) low income housing tax credits; or
            (ii) new market tax credits;
        (H) a nonprofit organization that develops housing;
            (I) community housing development organization;
        (J) a consortia of 2 or more entities under this 
 paragraph; or
        (K) another entity identified as appropriate by the 
 Secretary.

    (9) Indian tribe; tribal organization.--The terms ``Indian 
 Tribe'' and ``Tribal organization'' have the meanings given 
 such terms in 

section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
 Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304) and shall include 
 tribally designated housing entities (as such term is defined 
 in 

section 4 of the Native American Housing Assistance and 
 Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103)) and entities 
 that serve Native Hawaiians (as such term is defined in 

section 338K
            (c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254s
            (c) )).

    (10) Low-income family.--The term ``low-income family'' has 
 the meaning given such term in 

section 3

    (b) of the United 
 States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a

    (b) ).

    (11) Public housing agency.--The term ``public housing 
 agency'' has the meaning given such term in 

section 3

    (b)

    (6) of 
 the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a

    (b)

    (6) ).

    (12) Very low-income family.--The term ``very low-income 
 family'' has the meaning given such term in 

section 3

    (b) of the 
 United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a

    (b) ).

SEC. 4. GAO STUDY AND REPORT REGARDING CHILD CARE ACCESS FOR RESIDENTS 
 OF PUBLIC HOUSING.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study regarding the availability and affordability of child 
care for residents of public housing dwelling units, that shall 
include--

    (1) a description of how amounts from the following 
 programs have been used by eligible child care providers to 
 establish, renovate, or improve facilities--
        (A) Community Development Block Grant funds;
        (B) New Market Tax Credits;
            (C) Community Development Financial Institution 
 Program funds;
            (D) Low Income Housing Tax Credits;
        (E) Capital Management Fund funds; or
        (F) HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds;

    (2) an evaluation of the effects of housing and child care 
 costs on the economic outlook of residents of public housing 
 dwelling units;

    (3) an evaluation of what percentage of residents of public 
 housing dwelling units are both--
        (A) cost-burdened, as defined by the Secretary of 
 Housing and Urban Development; and
        (B) part of a household where not less than 7 
 percent of the income of such household is spent on 
 child care;

    (4) identification and analysis of State or local laws that 
 are barriers to building or maintaining a facility for use by 
 eligible child care providers within or near a public housing 
 dwelling unit;

    (5) an assessment of how housing assistance provided under 
 the program for rental assistance under 

section 8 of the United 
 States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f) affects the 
 ability of residents of public housing dwelling units to afford 
 child care and other essential expenses, including--
        (A) food;
        (B) telecommunications services and equipment such 
 as broadband internet connectivity and cellular phones; 
 and
            (C) means of transportation such as automobiles, 
 bicycles, or public transportation;

    (6) an evaluation of the efficacy of the Child and 
 Dependent Care Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax 
 Credit, and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account for 
 residents of public housing dwelling units, including--
        (A) the degree of public knowledge about such 
 programs;
        (B) the degree of success of outreach or public 
 education programs regarding such programs; and
            (C) an assessment of the sufficiency of each 
 program to cover the costs of child care;

    (7) an evaluation of the extent that residents of public 
 housing dwelling units receive information regarding child care 
 resources from Federal agencies or public housing agencies; and

    (8) recommendations to improve access to child care within 
 and near public housing dwelling units and to improve awareness 
 of the availability of Federal programs to assist with the 
 costs of housing and child care.

    (b) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit a report to 
the Committees on Financial Services and Education and Workforce of the 
House of Representatives and the Committees on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, 
describing the results and conclusions of the study required in 
subsection

    (a) .
            (c) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Eligible child care provider.--The term ``eligible 
 child care provider'' has the meaning given such term in 
 

section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act 
 of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n).

    (2) Public housing dwelling unit.--The term ``public 
 housing dwelling unit'' means a dwelling unit assisted under 
 the public housing program under the United States Housing Act 
 of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.).

    (3) Public housing agency.--The term ``public housing 
 agency'' has the meaning given such term in 

section 3

    (b)

    (6) of 
 the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a

    (b)

    (6) ).
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