Senators Dave McCormick and Ruben Gallego have introduced a new bipartisan bill aimed at enhancing inter-agency coordination to tackle housing challenges in the United States. The HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act seeks to improve collaboration among federal agencies to address the rising cost and limited availability of housing.
“Homeownership is out of reach for far too many families in Pennsylvania, including our nation’s veterans,” stated Senator McCormick. “We need federal agencies to work together more effectively to increase the limited supply of housing and reduce housing costs.”
Senator Gallego echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive governmental approach. “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,” he said. “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.”
The proposed legislation aligns with McCormick’s ongoing efforts on affordable housing issues within Pennsylvania, where he serves on relevant Senate committees. He previously collaborated with Gallego on the Housing Affordability Act, which aims to modernize FHA loan limits.
Pennsylvania faces significant challenges in housing affordability, with prices having surged by 77 percent since 2010. Major cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have seen rents increase by over 20 percent between 2019 and 2024.
The bill mandates that HUD, USDA, and VA establish a memorandum of understanding for sharing data related to housing research and market trends. This initiative aims at evidence-based policy-making and enhanced service delivery through shared insights. Additionally, these agencies must report to Congress on potential improvements in program efficiencies, inviting public comment from stakeholders.
