Study on Housing Loss Reporting

Summary#

This bill directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Director of the Bureau of the Census to work together on a study of how Federal agencies identify and record cases of housing loss. They must consult with the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Department of Commerce. The agencies must submit a report no later than 6 months after the bill becomes law to three congressional committees: House Oversight and Government Reform, House Financial Services, and Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

The report must:

  • identify and define all types of housing loss experienced by people living in the United States on or after January 1, 2022;
  • say which types are most common;
  • list federal data sets used to count and classify housing loss each year;
  • describe, for each data set, how often it is updated; what data-sharing policies apply; whether the data are about individuals or households; what U.S. regions are covered; and an assessment of accuracy and reliability;
  • recommend ways federal agencies can improve how they identify and record housing loss, including collecting new data, creating new data sets, or consolidating existing ones; and
  • identify any resources or laws that would be needed to carry out those recommendations.

The bill defines "housing loss" to include eviction after a court judgment, informal eviction (moving under landlord pressure without a judgment), foreclosure from missed mortgage payments, foreclosure from missed tax payments, and displacement from a natural disaster.

What it means for you#

  • The bill requires a government study and report about how housing loss is counted and recorded; it does not itself change benefits, programs, or regulations.
  • The study covers housing loss events on or after January 1, 2022.
  • The report must be delivered within 6 months of the bill becoming law. Any changes to data collection or programs would come later if Congress or agencies act on the report's recommendations.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on funding or cost estimates. The bill text does not specify appropriations or where funding would come from.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information in the bill text about proponents' stated reasons. Sponsors listed in the bill metadata include Representatives Johnny Olszewski, Angie Craig, Sarah McBride, Shri Thanedar, Eleanor Norton, and others.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information in the bill text about opponents' statements or objections.