Torres Bill Would Fund State One-Stop Shops for Affordable Housing Financing
Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA) has introduced the Streamlining Affordable Housing Act. It would create a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) formula grant program that states and territories can opt into, to help them consolidate financing entities and set up a single, universal application for affordable housing funding.
The bill authorizes $90 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2029. Funding is subject to appropriations and would be allocated to participating states through a base grant of $500,000 plus an amount based on population. Torres’s office cites research from UC Berkeley’s Terner Center, which found that in California each additional public funding source was associated with about four more months of development time and roughly $20,460 more in cost per home. Torres said she has heard from developers who had to piece together nineteen sources of financing for one project.
- States that both consolidate and streamline applications would unlock added flexibility to use funds for improvements to permitting, zoning and regulatory processes, state capacity, and access to Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
- HUD would report to Congress on how states use the money, identify best practices and recommend further improvements.
The office noted that California recently took steps to create a consolidated housing agency and a one-stop application process. National CORE President Michael Ruane and Maria Razo, executive director of the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino, voiced support.
Why it matters
The bill is a proposal and has not become law. It targets the delays and added costs that affordable housing developers face when assembling multiple funding sources.
Source: Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA), October 22, 2026. Read the original release
