The Build Housing with Care Act of 2023 creates a new federal grant program designed to tackle two major problems at once: the shortage of affordable housing and the lack of affordable child care. The program does this by funding projects that combine housing and child care in the same location or nearby, making it easier and more affordable for families to access both services.

Here's how it works: The Department of Housing and Urban Development will award grants of up to $10 million each to eligible organizations—including nonprofits, housing developers, public housing authorities, and community groups—to build, renovate, or convert buildings that house both residential units and child care facilities. The program prioritizes projects in areas that desperately need child care (called "child care deserts"), low-income neighborhoods, and rural areas. It also gives preference to projects that serve very low-income families or partner with organizations that specialize in community development.

The bill includes important protections: it requires that current residents cannot be evicted to make room for these projects, and it mandates that organizations keep residents informed about any changes. Organizations can use up to 10 percent of their grant money for planning and design work, and another 10 percent to get help from financial institutions. The program is funded with $100 million per year from 2024 through 2029. Additionally, the bill requires a study on how child care costs affect families living in public housing and what barriers exist to building child care facilities near public housing, with recommendations for improvement.

Build Housing with Care Act of 2023

Wyden, Ron

Build Housing with Care Act of 2023This bill establishes a competitive grant program to support co-located childcare and housing facilities. It also requires the Government Accountability Office to study the availability and affordability of childcare for residents of public housing.Specifically, the Department of Housing and Urban Development must award the grants to eligible entities, which include community development financial institutions, public housing authorities, licensed childcare providers, government entities, housing developers, and consortia of such entities. Entities must use the grants for designing, planning, constructing, acquiring, renovating, or otherwise supporting new or existing housing facilities with childcare providers on the same&nbsp;premises or nearby.&nbsp;