# Housing to Homes Act of 2024

This bill makes a straightforward change to federal homeless assistance programs: it allows government funding to pay furniture banks for providing household furnishings to people experiencing homelessness. Furniture banks are nonprofits or charities that collect and distribute used or donated furniture and household items to people in need at little or no cost.

Right now, federal homeless assistance money can pay for things like emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportive services, but it doesn't explicitly cover furniture. This bill adds furniture delivery, installation, and assembly to the list of approved uses for these federal funds. The bill covers three groups: people who are currently homeless, people who were homeless within the last six months and now have permanent housing, and people living in permanent supportive housing programs. Once someone receives furniture through this program, they own it outright—it's theirs to keep.

The practical impact is that homeless individuals and families moving into housing won't have to sleep on floors or sit on the ground while they get back on their feet. For someone transitioning from a shelter to an apartment, having basic furniture can make the difference between a place that feels like home and an empty space that's hard to adjust to. It also removes a barrier that sometimes prevents people from accepting permanent housing offers if they can't afford to furnish it.

The bill includes a sunset provision, meaning it will automatically expire five years after it becomes law unless Congress votes to keep it. Within three years, the Department of Housing and Urban Development must report to Congress on how well the program works and what impact it has on helping homeless people stay housed.