# Public Housing Fire Safety Act

This bill creates a grant program to help public housing agencies install automatic sprinkler systems in older public housing buildings. The government would set aside $25 million per year for ten years (2022-2031) specifically for this purpose, giving housing agencies money to retrofit buildings that don't currently have sprinkler systems.

The bill focuses on a specific gap in fire safety rules. Newer public housing buildings are already required by federal law to have sprinkler systems, but older buildings that were built before these rules existed are exempt from that requirement. This bill aims to close that safety gap by offering grants to help agencies upgrade their older buildings. Housing agencies would apply for these grants competitively, meaning they'd need to make a case for why their buildings need the upgrades, and the government would award funding to the most compelling applications.

Before the grant program kicks in, the bill also requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to inspect public housing over the next three years and report back to Congress about which buildings have sprinkler systems and which don't. This gives lawmakers a clear picture of the fire safety situation in older public housing. The bill doesn't force any housing agency to install sprinklers—it simply provides funding for those that want to do so. This matters because residents of public housing, who are often lower-income families, deserve the same fire safety protections as people living in newer buildings, and sprinkler systems can significantly reduce deaths and injuries in fires.

Public Housing Fire Safety Act

Watson Coleman, Bonnie

Public Housing Fire Safety Act This bill creates a grant program, to be administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, for public housing agencies to install automatic sprinkler systems in certain public housing projects.