Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, announced the following Democratic-led and bipartisan bills that passed during today’s full Committee markup.

• The “Wildfire Insurance Coverage Act” led by Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA). This bill would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study assessing the danger that wildfires increasingly pose to communities and how the market for homeowners insurance is responding to this growing threat.
  
  
• The “HUD Accountability Act” led by Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY). This bill would amend the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act to require the Secretary of HUD to testify before Congress on an annual basis.
  
  
• The “HUD Transparency Act” led by Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (R-TX). This bill would require the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to testify before Congress on an annual basis.
  

While Congresswoman Waters and Committee Democrats voted for the two Republican-led bills to require the HUD Secretary and the Inspector General to testify before the Committee every year, Committee Democrats urged Committee Republicans to finally move to support real solutions to combat our nation’s housing and homelessness crisis, including the three bills Ranking Member Waters introduced last year, the “Housing Crisis Response Act,” the “Ending Homelessness Act,” and the “Downpayment Toward Equity Act.”

Together, these bills represent the single largest and most comprehensive investment in fair and affordable housing in U.S. history and will finally make housing a reality for everyone. See more information here and below:

• The “Housing Crisis Response Act,” which represents the housing title of the House-passed Build Back Better Act, would invest more than $150 billion in fair and affordable housing investments to create nearly 1.4 million affordable and accessible homes, reduce housing costs for all, and help address stubborn core inflation;
  
  
• The “Ending Homelessness Act,” would end homelessness and significantly reduce poverty by transforming the Housing Choice Voucher program into a federal entitlement, so that every household who qualifies for assistance receives it. The bill also bans housing discrimination based on source of income and veteran status; and   
  
  
• The “Downpayment Toward Equity Act,” which would help revive the dream of homeownership for all and help address the racial wealth gap by providing $100 billion in direct assistance to help first-time, first-generation homebuyers cover downpayments, closing costs, and buydown mortgage interest rates.
  
  

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