# Green New Deal for Public Housing Act Summary
This bill establishes comprehensive grant programs to modernize and decarbonize the nation's public housing stock while creating economic opportunities for residents. The legislation creates two main grant programs: one focused on workforce development and job training for public housing residents, and another for physical retrofits and upgrades to public housing units.
Under the bill's major provisions, public housing agencies can receive federal grants to conduct deep energy retrofits, including installing heat pumps, improving insulation, replacing water pipes to meet safety standards, and adding renewable energy systems like solar panels and battery storage. The legislation requires grantees to commit to converting all their public housing into zero-carbon homes within 10 years and to complete extensive community engagement before submitting applications, including 90-day public comment periods and public hearings with interpretation services available.
The bill prioritizes hiring and contracting opportunities for public housing residents and businesses, requiring contractors to fill gradually increasing percentages of jobs with low- and very low-income residents (40 percent in year one, rising to 90 percent after year three). It mandates prevailing wages under the Davis-Bacon Act, buy-American provisions for materials, apprenticeship requirements, and protections against worker displacement or union-busting. Residents must receive weekly stipends of at least $250 if participating in workforce training programs.
The legislation appropriates unspecified sums from the Treasury "as necessary" through fiscal year 2034 to address the public housing capital backlog and administrative costs, with $1 billion designated for technical assistance. It also strengthens resident councils, modifies family self-sufficiency programs to include digital literacy and elder services, and eliminates the Faircloth amendment cap that has restricted public housing construction.
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