Congressman Nunn joined with Democrat Missouri Congressman to reintroduce rural affordable housing bill

Date:2025-08-15 10:22:19 Category:US Views:2 Comment:0

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s Third Congressional District Congressman Zach Nunn (R) was joined with Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D) to introduce a bill to revamp rural affordable housing in the country.

The pair met at a Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity construction site to announce the Rural Housing Service Reform Act.

“It’s going to improve supply, it’s going to preserve the supply and improve access to affordable housing with low-income families in Iowa,” said Lance Henning, Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity CEO.

One aspect of the bill looks to expand the dollars that the United States Department of Agriculture transfers to nonprofits, like Habitat for Humanity, in the their efforts to build housing for those who can’t afford it.

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Another portion of the bill looks to tie Section 521 Rental Assistance to Section 515 low-interest loans. Current law eliminates rental assistance for low-income families. These services are tied to the USDA’s current Rural Housing Service programs. In the bill, there is a modernization of applications for these programs and more.

“In a rural community, it is hard enough to get a builder to show up, let alone get someone to navigate a very complex federal program,” said Congressman Nunn.

The bill has a companion in the U.S. Senate that was introduced in early April. It has been brought up several times in the past but was never able to reach the finish line.

But now, at least in the U.S. House, there is optimism that this year could be the year.

“We’ve not been successful getting the Senate side actively successful, until now. And I think it is in no small part to the collaborative work that we are doing,” said Congressman Cleaver.

The bill is sitting at the committee level in both chambers. Rep. Cleaver said that the fight is in the $400 million appropriation the bill has to expand these services. Some have saw that hefty price tag in the past, which Cleaver alluded to as the reason it has not been able to gain traction.

The bill has a lot more to it, including expanding other programs and creating more incentives for builders to develop rural communities. Along with making it easier for rural officials to apply to these programs.