This legislation, known as the HAVEN Act, seeks to significantly improve housing affordability and accessibility across several federal programs. A core provision reduces the percentage of monthly adjusted income that tenants must contribute towards rent from 30% to 20% in programs such as those under the United States Housing Act of 1937, the Housing Act of 1949, and the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act. This change aims to ease the financial burden on low-income renters, with a directive for the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to ensure it does not decrease the number of assistance recipients, and authorizes necessary appropriations for these programs for fiscal year 2026 and beyond. Additionally, a crucial aspect of the bill is the amendment of the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination based on lawful source of income, adding it as a protected class alongside existing categories like race and national origin, which aims to prevent landlords from refusing to rent to individuals who use housing vouchers or other forms of assistance.

The bill also includes substantial reforms and expansions to the Housing Choice Voucher program. It mandates the use of small area fair market rents, established by zip code, starting in fiscal year 2026, to better reflect local housing costs and increase voucher utility. Furthermore, it establishes a new Housing Navigation Grant program, authorizing $20 million annually, to help public housing agencies assist families in finding suitable dwelling units and engage with landlords, and expands technical assistance to public housing applicants.

Perhaps the most significant expansion involves a substantial increase in the number of vouchers and an eventual entitlement. The bill appropriates funds for 500,000 incremental vouchers in fiscal year 2026, followed by an additional 1.5 million incremental vouchers distributed from 2027 through 2029, prioritizing households experiencing severe housing hardship such as homelessness or evictions. Crucially, five years after enactment, any eligible household with an income not exceeding 80% of the area median income will be entitled to tenant-based rental assistance, ensuring universal access to housing support for those who qualify.