HR638-119

What This Bill Does

The Housing Temperature Safety Act creates a HUD temperature-sensor pilot for federally assisted housing. HUD must establish a three-year pilot program providing grants to public housing agencies and owners of covered federally assisted rental dwelling units to install and test temperature sensors so units remain in compliance with temperature requirements. Within 180 days, HUD must set eligibility criteria that ensure diverse participants by geography, climate, unit size, and housing type and assess tested sensors including internet connectivity requirements. PHAs and owners that receive sensors may install and monitor them only after written resident permission. They must collect and retain information about temperature-related complaints and violations, while HUD must define those terms within 180 days. Sensor data must be kept until HUD says the pilot and evaluation are complete. HUD must also set personally identifiable information protection standards within 180 days. Within 12 months after establishing the pilot and within 36 months after the pilot concludes, HUD must publish and submit reports to Congress on complaints, violations, barriers such as broadband access and tenant participation, and comparisons of sensor technologies by climate zone, cost, features, and other factors. The bill covers public housing, project-based Section 8, Section 202 elderly housing, Section 811 disability housing, and other federally assisted rental units listed in the definition, and authorizes such sums as necessary for grants, administration, and technical assistance.

Who Benefits and How

Public housing residents, elderly tenants, disabled tenants, and other federally assisted renters benefit because sensors can document unsafe heat or cold and support enforcement of temperature requirements. Public housing agencies and nonprofit housing owners benefit from grants and HUD technical assistance to test sensor technologies. Tenant advocates benefit from complaint and violation data disaggregated by climate region and technology.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Public housing agencies and assisted housing owners must obtain resident permission, install sensors, monitor data, retain records, collect complaints and violations, and protect personally identifiable information. HUD must design the pilot, define terms, set privacy standards, administer grants, provide technical assistance, and publish reports. Broadband gaps and tenant participation barriers may limit sensor utility.

Key Provisions

• Establishes a three-year HUD temperature sensor pilot program for public housing and covered federally assisted rental units.
• Requires HUD eligibility criteria within 180 days covering geography, climate, unit size, housing type, functionality, and internet connectivity.
• Requires written resident permission before sensor installation and monitoring.
• Requires PHAs and owners to collect and retain temperature-related complaints and violations.
• Requires HUD privacy standards for personally identifiable information within 180 days.
• Requires 12-month and post-pilot reports comparing complaints, violations, barriers, and sensor technologies.
• Authorizes necessary funding for owner grants, program administration, and technical assistance.