Sens. Dave McCormick and Ruben Gallego have introduced the HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act, which would encourage greater inter-governmental coordination to address the rising cost and limited supply of housing nationwide.
The Act directs the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) to establish a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to share relevant housing-related research and market data that facilitates evidence-based policy-making around housing. According to the legislation, HUD, USDA and the VA will also be required to submit a report to Congress on opportunities for increased collaboration to improve efficiencies in housing programs—a report that will be made open for public comment from stakeholders.
“Addressing the housing affordability crisis in this country requires a whole-of-government response. But right now, the federal agencies that deal with housing aren’t working together as efficiently as they should,” said Sen. Gallego. “I’m glad to work across the aisle to introduce this commonsense legislation to ensure veterans and rural communities get the housing support they deserve.”
Sen. McCormick recently co-led Sen. Gallego’s Housing Affordability Act, which would increase the supply of affordable housing by increasing the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) outdated multifamily loan limits.
“Homeownership is out of reach for far too many families in Pennsylvania, including our nation’s veterans,” said Sen. McCormick of his home state. “We need federal agencies to work together more effectively to increase the limited supply of housing and reduce housing costs.”
Sen. McCormick reports that Pennsylvania has a significant housing affordability problem. Since 2010, housing prices in Pennsylvania have increased by 77%, and between 2019-2024, rent in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh was up more than 20%. Meanwhile, in Sen. Gallego’s home state of Arizona, the average home costs 55.2% more today than it did at the end of 2019, and from 2017-2023, rental prices across Arizona grew by 53%.
Click here to view the full text of the HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act.
