H.R. 1708 118th Congress House

Housing Is a Human Right Act of 2023

Official title: To address root causes of homelessness, meet the needs of community members experiencing harms from homelessness, transition communities towards providing housing for all, end penalization of homelessness, and ensure full democratic participation and inclusion of persons experiencing homelessness, and for other purposes.

Introduced: March 22, 2023 Introduced by: Pramila Jayapal Democratic · Washington See on congress.gov

Housing and Community Development Advisory bodiesAir qualityAlternative and renewable resourcesBuilding construction

More subjectsShow fewer subjects

Climate change and greenhouse gasesCrime preventionCriminal procedure and sentencingElections, voting, political campaign regulationEnergy efficiency and conservationFood assistance and reliefGovernment information and archivesGovernment studies and investigationsHealth care coverage and accessHome and outpatient careHomelessness and emergency shelterHousing and community development fundingHousing discriminationHousing finance and home ownershipHousing for the elderly and disabledHousing supply and affordabilityLandlord and tenantLaw enforcement administration and fundingLibraries and archivesLicensing and registrationsLow- and moderate-income housingProperty taxPublic housingResidential rehabilitation and home repairSales and excise taxesState and local government operationsVoting rightsWater use and supply

Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Dec 17, 2024

Referred to the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare.

Mar 22, 2023

Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, 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.

Mar 22, 2023

Introduced in House

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Latest action December 17, 2024

Referred to the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Housing is a Human Right Act of 2023

This bill establishes and expands programs to assist homeless and housing-unstable individuals and establishes new real property-related taxes to fund specified Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs.

HUD must establish the Community Development Block Grant Plus Program for state and local governments to assist homeless and housing-unstable individuals as well as cost-burdened households. These funds may be used only for certain activities that assist these populations, including the construction of new affordable housing.

The bill also establishes other grant programs to assist these individuals, such as by facilitating access to voting and libraries.

Governmental entities may not receive assistance under the bill unless they have, or are working to implement, policies that (1) do not criminally punish homeless individuals for sleeping outside or on public property, and (2) comply with constitutional protections for these individuals' property.

In addition, the bill establishes additional taxes on (1) the sale or exchange of real property if the amount realized from the transaction is at least $10 million, (2) the sale or exchange of real property involving an anonymous entity, and (3) rent received by landlords that own large amounts of dwelling units. The revenue from these taxes must be credited to various HUD programs in specified percentages.

The Government Accountability Office must study (1) the allocation formula for Emergency Food and Shelter Program grants, and (2) recipient compliance with various grant program guidelines.

Related & companion bills 1

Bill text 1 version

Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 6

Committee on House Administration
House of Representatives
Education and Workforce Committee
House of Representatives
Financial Services Committee
House of Representatives
Judiciary Committee
House of Representatives
Ways and Means Committee
House of Representatives
Work and Welfare Subcommittee
House of Representatives · subcommittee of Ways and Means Committee

Cosponsors 29

Johnson, Henry C. "Hank"

Georgia · Jul 15, 2024

Stansbury, Melanie A.

New Mexico · Jul 15, 2024

DeSaulnier, Mark

California · Jul 9, 2024

Thanedar, Shri

Michigan · Jul 2, 2024

Green, Al

Texas · Nov 7, 2023

Ramirez, Delia C.

Illinois · Nov 1, 2023

Gomez, Jimmy

California · Jul 27, 2023

Lieu, Ted

California · May 10, 2023

Casar, Greg

Texas · Apr 6, 2023

Hayes, Jahana

Connecticut · Mar 27, 2023

Omar, Ilhan

Minnesota · Mar 23, 2023

Blumenauer, Earl

· Mar 22, 2023

Bonamici, Suzanne

Oregon · Mar 22, 2023

California · Mar 22, 2023

Clarke, Yvette D.

New York · Mar 22, 2023

García, Jesús G. "Chuy"

Illinois · Mar 22, 2023

Grijalva, Raúl M.

Arizona · Mar 22, 2023

Lee, Barbara

· Mar 22, 2023

McGovern, James P.

Massachusetts · Mar 22, 2023

Meng, Grace

New York · Mar 22, 2023

Norton, Eleanor Holmes

District of Columbia · Mar 22, 2023

Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria

New York · Mar 22, 2023

Pressley, Ayanna

Massachusetts · Mar 22, 2023

Schakowsky, Janice D.

Illinois · Mar 22, 2023

Tlaib, Rashida

Michigan · Mar 22, 2023

Torres, Ritchie

New York · Mar 22, 2023

Watson Coleman, Bonnie

New Jersey · Mar 22, 2023

Cite this page click to expand

APA

U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1708: Housing Is a Human Right Act of 2023. 118th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-1708/

MLA

"H.R. 1708: Housing Is a Human Right Act of 2023." 118th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-1708/.

Bluebook (legal)

H.R. 1708, 118th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-1708/.

Markdown link

[H.R. 1708: Housing Is a Human Right Act of 2023](https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-1708/)