Federal buildings become community assets—not developer windfalls
H.R. 9011 — Vacancy to Value Act of 2026 · Filed by Wesley Bell (D-MO) · Introduced May 22, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill lets the General Services Administration sell or transfer unused federal buildings to nonprofits, local governments, and community groups—sometimes below market value—to redevelop them into affordable housing, job centers, clinics, and schools. The Department of Housing and Urban Development runs a companion grant program to help these entities pay for planning, cleanup, construction, and infrastructure. The pilot runs 5 years; Congress gets a report on outcomes.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a federal property transfer and grant program designed to convert vacant government real estate into community assets—affordable housing, job centers, and public facilities—with explicit priority for nonprofits and low-income communities.
What the text implies
- The 'less than fair market value' sale mechanism may reduce federal revenue in the short term, though the bill frames this as a trade-off for community benefit and reduced maintenance costs on vacant properties.
- Priority to nonprofits and public entities may limit opportunities for private developers, potentially reducing private-sector participation in urban redevelopment—a deliberate policy choice favoring public/nonprofit control.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
nonprofit organizations; community development corporations; community land trusts