Today, the House Financial Services Committee, led by Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), passed bills to expedite emergency rental assistance and reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act with protections for descendants of Black Native American Freedmen.
The following bill passed the Committee by a vote of 35-15.
H.R. 5195, the “Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2021 (NAHASDA),” is a bill introduced by Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) that would provide a 5-year reauthorization of Native American and Native Hawaiian housing programs. The bill includes several reforms to the programs, as well as a provision that would withhold funding from any tribe that illegally discriminates against descendants of Black Native American Freedmen in violation of 1866 treaty obligations. Click here for bill text.
The following bill passed the Committee by a vote of 28-22.
H.R. 5196, the “Expediting Assistance to Renters and Landlords Act of 2021,” is a bill introduced by Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) that would expedite the delivery of emergency rental assistance provided by Congress through previous pandemic relief bills. The bill would remove barriers preventing tenants from receiving assistance and allow landlords to directly apply for rental arrears after meeting certain requirements. This bill also directs the Department of the Treasury and grantees to conduct additional outreach to prospective tenants and landlords, and to provide more guidance to grantees on how they can engage with community partners. It also requires poor performing grantees to develop a performance improvement plan that describes how they will adopt best practices to improve the distribution of relief, in addition to directing the Secretary of the Treasury to provide technical assistance and IT solutions to support grantees’ efforts to expedite the delivery of assistance. Click here for bill text.
