Bill > S3968

This bill, titled the "Housing for America's Middle Class Act of 2026," mandates that the Government Accountability Office (GAO), led by the Comptroller General of the United States, conduct a comprehensive study within one year of the bill's enactment. The GAO's report, to be submitted to Congress, will identify challenges middle-income households face in finding affordable housing, pinpoint areas with the most severe housing affordability and availability issues for this demographic, and list federal housing programs, including tax credits, grants, and loans, that are currently inaccessible to middle-income households due to their income levels. Crucially, the study will recommend specific income and other criteria to establish a clear and consistent federal definition for "workforce housing," which refers to housing that could be made available to middle-income households if federal programs were expanded to include them. The bill also defines a "middle-income household" as one earning above 80% but not exceeding 120% of the area's median family income, with adjustments for family size, and the GAO will analyze how federal housing programs and incentives could be modified or created to incorporate this "workforce housing" category.