Green New Deal for Public Housing Act

What it does

• •Establishes grant programs for public housing agencies and tribal housing entities to modernize public housing stock with energy-efficient upgrades, all-electric appliances, and renewable energy systems to achieve zero-carbon homes.
• •Creates workforce development grants requiring partnerships with apprenticeship programs, labor organizations, and community groups to train public housing residents for jobs in construction, maintenance, and building trades related to housing modernization.
• •Amends federal housing policy to declare the right to housing and establish federal responsibility to create and maintain public housing as a safety net, with emphasis on resident participation in planning and management.
• •Requires use of U.S.-made materials and equipment, sets wage standards for workers on modernization projects, and prioritizes hiring of local low-income individuals and formerly incarcerated persons.

Why it matters

• •Addresses distressed public housing conditions exposing residents to unsafe environments while creating employment pathways for low-income individuals through large-scale infrastructure modernization.
• •Combines housing rehabilitation with renewable energy transition and workforce development, aiming to reduce energy costs for residents and support domestic manufacturing in clean energy sectors.
• •Redefines federal housing policy to frame adequate housing as a right and establish ongoing government responsibility for public housing maintenance and expansion.

Who is affected

• •Public housing residents and low-income households living in public housing agencies' properties, including tribal nations and Hawaiian Home Lands residents.
• •Public housing agencies, Indian tribes, tribally designated housing entities, and community-based organizations receiving and administering grant funds.
• •Workforce participants, including those transitioning from incarceration, and workers in construction, apprenticeship, and building trades.

What happens next

The bill was introduced in the Senate on August 6, 2026, read twice, and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for consideration.