Public housing agencies could seek grants to install fire sprinklers

The housing department would run a competitive grant program for public housing agencies to install automatic sprinklers. Eligible public housing projects must fall outside the cited federal sprinkler requirements and must not be newly constructed multifamily properties. Agencies would compete for grants, and funding would depend on Congress providing money. Grant money could not pay for sprinklers in rebuilt multifamily properties. The proposal would authorize $25 million each fiscal year from 2025 through 2034, but would not itself provide that money.

The housing department would report whether public housing has automatic sprinklers during its inspections. The report to Congress would focus especially on projects outside the cited federal sprinkler requirements and include recommendations to improve their fire safety. The inspection and reporting duties would not require housing agencies to install sprinklers in exempt projects. The report to Congress would use inspections conducted during the first three years after enactment.