Earning and Living Opportunities Act

The Earning and Living Opportunities Act (H.R. 5164) proposes to expand employment opportunities for low-income residents by setting specific hiring requirements for federally funded housing and community development projects. Under this bill, public housing agencies and contractors would be required to ensure that at least 20% of total work hours are performed by low- or very low-income individuals.

For citizens, this legislation aims to ensure that government spending on local construction and rehabilitation projects directly benefits the community’s workforce through job creation and training. To support this, the bill mandates the creation of local oversight committees, the public advertising of available positions, and the maintenance of a registry to connect eligible workers with contractors. Agencies or contractors that fail to meet these hiring and reporting standards would be subject to financial penalties.