July 30, 2026
Ms. Wasserman Schultz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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
To require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish a grant program to provide grants to eligible entities to create housing units and provide direct homelessness response, supportive housing, and transitional services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Build Homes, Not Hate Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Grant program
(a) In general
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, establish a program to provide grants to eligible entities to create housing units and provide direct homelessness response, supportive housing, and transitional services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
(b) Use of amounts
Amounts made available to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the under this section shall be used as follows:
(1) Housing units
Not less than $54,000,000,000 shall be used for grants to eligible entities to build, acquire, rehabilitate, convert, preserve, or otherwise create new affordable and market-rate housing units.
(2) Direct homelessness response, supportive housing, and transitional services
Not less than $14,000,000,000 shall be used for grants to eligible entities to provide direct homelessness response, supportive housing, and transitional services, including emergency shelter, rental assistance, rapid rehousing, homelessness prevention, housing navigation and case management, behavioral health and substance use disorder services, employment services, transportation assistance, services for survivors of domestic violence, youth services, veteran services, disability-related services, document replacement, and other services necessary to help homeless individuals and families obtain and maintain stable housing.
(3) Administration, technical assistance, and oversight
Not more than $2,000,000,000 may be used for administration, technical assistance, data systems, oversight, inspections, capacity building, and program integrity.
(c) Housing activities
Housing units under this section may be created through new construction, modular construction, manufactured housing, acquisition and rehabilitation of existing housing, conversion of hotels, motels, office buildings, or other vacant or underutilized properties, preservation of affordable housing, site acquisition, infrastructure, environmental remediation, accessibility modifications, accessibility modifications, and project operating reserves.
(d) Allocation
The Administrator may award grants under this section by formula, competition, or a combination of formula and competitive awards, and shall prioritize communities with high numbers or rates of unsheltered homelessness, chronic homelessness, or severe housing cost burdens, including areas with substantial recent increases in the average cost of rent.
(e) Federal share
The Federal share of a project or activity carried out with a grant under this section may be up to 100 percent.
(f) Supplement, not supplant
Amounts made available under this section shall supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, local, Tribal, territorial, or private funds otherwise available for affordable housing, homelessness assistance, supportive housing, emergency shelter, or transitional services.
(g) Prohibition on immigration enforcement uses
None of the funds made available under this section may be used for immigration enforcement, detention, removal operations, border wall construction, surveillance for immigration enforcement purposes, or reimbursement of costs related to immigration enforcement.
(h) Eligible entity defined
In this section, the term eligible entity
means a State, a unit of local government, a territory, a Tribal government, a public housing agency, a nonprofit organization, or a consortium of such entities.
(i) Appropriation
There is appropriated to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for fiscal year 2027 $70,000,000,000 to remain available until September 30, 2032, to carry out this section.
(j) Rescission
Of the unobligated balances of amounts made available to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by sections 90003 and 100052 of Public Law 119–21, $70,000,000,000 are hereby permanently rescinded.