S. 787: A bill to make housing more affordable, and for other purposes.

116th Congress · introduced 2019-03-13 · Housing and Community Development · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-03-13 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

A bill to make housing more affordable, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2019 This bill addresses housing affordability and availability, makes certain changes to the estate and gift taxes, and contains other related provisions. The Department of Housing and Urban Development shall provide grants to (1) state and local governments that remove unnecessary barriers to building affordable units, (2) states to assist borrowers who have negative equity in their homes, (3) state housing finance agencies to construct affordable rental housing and prevent tenant displacement and harassment, and (4) eligible individuals (generally, lower income individuals who resided in low-income or historically racially segregated areas) to help them purchase their first homes. The bill provides funding through FY2029 for the first-time homeowner grant program established by the bill, through FY2020 for the affordable rental housing construction program established by the bill, and through FY2020 for specified existing rural housing programs. The bill also expands fair housing protections to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, source of income, veteran status, or an individual's perceived membership in a protected class (e.g., an individual's perceived race or sex). Additionally, the bill modifies the estate tax in various ways, including by reducing the number of brackets to three, increasing the tax rates, and reducing the basic exemption amount. The bill also modifies provisions related to gift taxes and transfer taxes.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A bill to make housing more affordable, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] reported raising $5.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Estate tax: A tax on the property of a person who has died, paid from the estate before what is left passes to the heirs. Compare inheritance tax.
Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s787.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s787 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116