Rockford Sun

Congressman Darin LaHood and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene have reintroduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, which aims to improve the financing and development of affordable housing across the United States. The bill seeks to expand and strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, with over 100 bipartisan original cosponsors supporting it in the House.

In the announcement, Rep. LaHood stated, "As I travel throughout Illinois' 16th Congressional District, I frequently hear how the shortage of affordable housing impacts our communities throughout central and northwestern Illinois. To address this growing crisis across the country, Congress must strengthen tools to drive investment into affordable workforce housing and expand housing options for hardworking families nationwide.”

Rep. DelBene expressed her concerns, saying, "Too many families are struggling to find a safe, affordable place to call home. This is a pervasive problem across America and in Washington. When people have stable housing, it has a ripple effect throughout other aspects of life."

The reintroduced bill finds support among other representatives, including Claudia Tenney, Don Beyer, Randy Feenstra, and Jimmy Panetta. Rep. Tenney highlighted the importance of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, noting, "Since 1986, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit has supported the development of more than 8,300 units through $55M of allocations in NY-24 alone."

Rep. Beyer added, "My community, like many others around the country, is facing a crisis in affordable housing. This bill would expand and update the most effective tool for financing affordable housing." Similarly, Rep. Feenstra emphasized the need for affordable housing in rural areas, stating, "In rural Iowa, access to affordable housing is critical for young families looking to plant their roots, local businesses attracting employees, and the long-term growth of our economy."

Rep. Panetta addressed the broader impact of affordable housing, explaining, "Too many working families struggle to find affordable housing, be it in California's 19th Congressional District or across the country. The bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, helping finance nearly 2 million affordable homes over the next decade while creating jobs and generating economic growth."

The bill's reintroduction is also supported by Ayrianne Parks and Jennifer Schwartz, co-chairs of the ACTION Campaign, who noted, "Expanding the Housing Credit is the most effective way to increase the supply of affordable housing, leveraging public-private partnerships to build and preserve homes for working families, seniors, and vulnerable communities."

Emily Cadik, Chief Executive Officer of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, stated, "The overwhelming bipartisan support for the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 underscores the critical need to increase the supply of affordable rental homes."

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act outlines measures to increase the number of housing credits by 50% for the next two years, making a previous 12.5% increase permanent, and stabilizing financing for workforce housing projects. It also seeks to improve the Housing Credit program to cater to at-risk and underserved communities, including veterans and victims of domestic violence.

Since its inception, the Housing Credit has facilitated the creation of over 3.5 million affordable housing units and has helped roughly 8 million American households. The new legislation aims to build on this success by supporting the financing of nearly two million new affordable homes nationwide.