Public Service Homeownership Assistance Act

Public Service Homeownership Assistance Act (H.R. 10053) would let the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, starting January 1, 2027 and subject to available appropriations, issue downpayment-assistance loans of between $10,000 and $20,000 to eligible public employees buying a home. The loan would be secured by a subordinate lien on the property (behind the primary mortgage) and could only be used toward a downpayment or closing costs, not the purchase price itself.

The program would apply to "covered public employees" — anyone employed by a federal, state, tribal, or local government agency — purchasing a residential property of one to four units in the U.S. or its territories. Recipients would have to move into the home within 60 days of receiving the loan and continue occupying it at least 182 days per year. Repayment, amortized over 10 years, would begin once the employee sells or transfers the property, fails to meet the occupancy requirement in a given year, or completes a cash-out refinance. The loan could be combined with other federal or state homebuyer assistance.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY) on August 6, 2026, and referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. It has not yet been voted on by the committee or the full House, and would need to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed by the President before taking effect.

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