SPUR Housing Act
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Cleaver introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The SPUR Housing Act (Sparking Production of Urban and Rural Housing Act) creates a new federal grant program to help inexperienced real estate developers build affordable housing. It directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to award competitive grants to nonprofit housing organizations and Community Development Financial Institutions, which will then provide financing, training, and mentoring to emerging developers.
Who Benefits and How
Emerging real estate developers - those with limited experience and capital - benefit the most by gaining access to predevelopment loans, training on construction budgets and financing, and mentoring opportunities they otherwise would not receive. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and nonprofit housing organizations receive federal grant funding to expand their lending and technical assistance programs. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and community colleges may benefit from partnerships to provide real estate development coursework. Residents of low-income "distressed communities" and "high opportunity areas" may eventually benefit from increased affordable housing development.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers bear the cost of this program, which authorizes 50 million dollars per year from 2026 through 2030 (250 million dollars total over five years). HUD faces increased administrative burden to establish, oversee, and coordinate the program with the Treasury Department. Established real estate developers may face slightly increased competition from new market entrants who receive government-backed support.
Key Provisions
- Creates the Emerging Developer Fund Program within HUD, with grants capped at 15% of annual funding per recipient
- Authorizes 50 million dollars annually for fiscal years 2026-2030
- Funds may be used for predevelopment loans, loan loss reserves, grants, credit enhancements, and interest rate buy-downs
- Prioritizes organizations serving undercapitalized developers in distressed communities and high opportunity areas
- Requires grantees to provide comprehensive training on construction budgets, financing, capital stacks, business planning, and bonding strategies
- Mandates partnerships with higher education institutions, including HBCUs, to provide real estate development coursework
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Establishes the Emerging Developer Fund Program to provide competitive grants to nonprofit housing organizations and community development financial institutions, supporting emerging real estate developers undertaking affordable housing and community development projects.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Address affordable housing shortage by building capacity of emerging developers through grants, training, and technical assistance to nonprofit intermediaries and CDFIs."
Likely Beneficiaries
- Emerging real estate developers with limited experience and capital
- Nonprofit housing organizations
- Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)
- Residents of distressed communities and high opportunity areas seeking affordable housing
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and community colleges offering real estate programs
Likely Burden Bearers
- Federal taxpayers (authorizing $250 million over 5 years)
- HUD (administrative burden of program oversight)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- "secretary_of_the_treasury"
- → Secretary of the Treasury (coordination role)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
An institution certified as a community development financial institution as defined in section 103 of the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 (12 U.S.C. 4702) by the Secretary of the Treasury.
Has the meaning given the term qualified census tract in section 42(d)(5)(B)(ii) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Has the meaning given in section 1282.1 of title 12, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
A developer that has limited real estate development experience and limited liquidity or net worth, plus any other qualifications determined appropriate by the Secretary.
Has the meaning given in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
Has the meaning given in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061) - refers to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology