Empty Lots to Housing Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3459 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3459

   To amend title 23, United States Code, to authorize real property 
     acquired with assistance under chapter 1 of such title to be 
transferred to certain entities for the development of transit-oriented 
                dwelling units, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 2025

Mr. Mullin (for himself and Mr. Edwards) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

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                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 23, United States Code, to authorize real property 
     acquired with assistance under chapter 1 of such title to be 
transferred to certain entities for the development of transit-oriented 
                dwelling units, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Empty Lots to Housing Act''.

SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF REAL PROPERTY NO LONGER NEEDED.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 180. Transfer of real property no longer needed
    ``(a) In General.--If a recipient of assistance under this chapter 
decides real property acquired at least in part with such assistance is 
no longer needed for the purpose for which such real property was 
acquired, the Secretary may authorize the recipient to transfer such 
real property, with no further obligation to the Government, to--
            ``(1) a local governmental authority or nonprofit 
        organization for the development of transit-oriented dwelling 
        unit; or
            ``(2) to a third-party entity for the development of 
        transit-oriented dwelling units, if the Secretary determines 
        that--
                    ``(A) a local government authority or nonprofit 
                organization is unable to receive the real property;
                    ``(B) the overall benefit of allowing the transfer 
                of the real property is greater than the interest of 
                the Government in selling the property, after 
                considering fair market value and other factors; and
                    ``(C) the third-party entity has demonstrated a 
                satisfactory history of construction or operating an 
                affordable housing development.
    ``(b) Authorization by the Secretary.--The Secretary may only 
authorize a transfer under this section if the Secretary has determined 
that the recipient has contractually required the entity to which the 
recipient proposes to transfer the real property to, for the duration 
of the 30-year period beginning on the date such real property is 
transferred to such entity--
            ``(1) reserve not less than 40 percent of any housing units 
        developed on such real property for families whose adjusted 
        income, as such term is defined by the Secretary, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
        Development by rule, is less than or equal to 60 percent of the 
        area median income and offer such units to such families with a 
        rent that does not exceed 30 percent of the adjusted income of 
        such family; and
            ``(2) of the 40 percent of unit reserved under paragraph 
        (1), reserve not less than 20 percent of such units for 
        families whose income is less than or equal to 30 percent of 
        the area median income.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``180. Transfer of real property no longer needed.''.
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