[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4817 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4817

 To improve the quality of, and provide, housing for elderly families.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 2002

Mr. LaFalce (for himself and Mr. Frank) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To improve the quality of, and provide, housing for elderly families.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Elderly Housing Quality Improvement 
Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR REPAIRS OF ELDERLY HOUSING.

    Section 202b of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q-2) is 
amended by striking subsection (h) and inserting the following new 
subsection:
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations for Capital Repair Grants.--
For grants for activities under subsection (a)(1) there is authorized 
to be appropriated $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003, 2004, 
2005, 2006, and 2007.''.

SEC. 3. AFFORDABLE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES.

    Title I of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 36. GRANTS FOR CONVERSION OF PUBLIC HOUSING TO ASSISTED LIVING 
              FACILITIES.

    ``(a) Grant Authority.--The Secretary may make grants in accordance 
with this section to public housing agencies for use for activities 
designed to convert dwelling units in eligible projects described in 
subsection (b) to assisted living facilities or other facilities that 
expand the availability of supportive services, to enhance the ability 
of elderly persons to maintain independent living.
    ``(b) Eligible Projects.--An eligible project described in this 
subsection is a public housing project (or a portion thereof) that is 
primarily occupied by elderly persons.
    ``(c) Applications.--Applications for grants under this section 
shall be submitted to the Secretary in accordance with such procedures 
as the Secretary shall establish. Such applications shall contain--
            ``(1) a description of the proposed conversion activities 
        for which a grant under this section is requested;
            ``(2) the amount of the grant requested;
            ``(3) a description of the resources that are expected to 
        be made available, if any, in conjunction with the grant under 
        this section; and
            ``(4) such other information or certifications that the 
        Secretary determines to be necessary or appropriate.
    ``(d) Funding for Services.--The Secretary may not make a grant 
under this section unless the application contains sufficient evidence, 
in the determination of the Secretary, that there will be adequate 
funding for supportive services for residents of the facility converted 
with grant amounts.
    ``(e) Service Coordinators.--An application for a grant under this 
section may include a request for, and the Secretary may provide funds 
under a grant under this section for, amounts to provide service 
coordinators to assist in the provision of supportive services for 
residents of the facilities converted with grant amounts.
    ``(f) Selection Criteria.--The Secretary shall select applications 
for grants under this section based upon selection criteria, which 
shall be established by the Secretary and shall include--
            ``(1) the extent to which the conversion is likely to 
        provide assisted living facilities or supportive services that 
        are needed or are expected to be needed by the categories of 
        elderly persons that the assisted living facility is intended 
        to serve;
            ``(2) the extent of financial need on the part of the 
        applicant for funding to carry out the conversion activities 
        proposed;
            ``(3) the extent to which the agency has evidenced 
        community support for the conversion, by such indicators as 
        letters of support from the local community for the conversion 
        and financial contributions from public and private sources;
            ``(4) the extent to which the applicant demonstrates a 
        strong commitment to promoting the autonomy and independence of 
        the elderly persons that the assisted living facility or other 
        supportive services facility is intended to serve;
            ``(5) the quality, completeness, and managerial capability 
        of providing services to elderly residents, especially in such 
        areas as meals, 24-hour staffing, and on-site health care; and
            ``(6) such other criteria as the Secretary determines to be 
        appropriate to ensure that funds made available under this 
        section are used effectively.
    ``(g) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the term 
`assisted living facility' has the meaning given such term in section 
232(b) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715w(b)).
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for providing grants under this section such sums as may 
be necessary for each of fiscal years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 
2007.''.

SEC. 4. ELDERLY HOUSING SERVICE COORDINATORS.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations for Federally Assisted 
Housing.--For grants under section 676 of the Housing and Community 
Development Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 13632) for providing service 
coordinators and for contracts under section 802 of the Cranston-
Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8011) to provide 
congregate services programs for eligible residents of eligible housing 
projects under subparagraphs (B) through (D) of subsection (k)(6) of 
such section, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development, for each of fiscal years 2003, 2004, 
2005, 2006, and 2007--
            (1) such sums as may be necessary to renew all grants under 
        such sections that were made for prior fiscal years; and
            (2) $30,000,000 for grants in addition to such renewal 
        grants.
    (b) Public Housing.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, for each of fiscal years 
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, for grants for use only for 
activities described in paragraph (2) of section 34(b) of the United 
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437z-6(b)(2))--
            (1) such sums as may be necessary to renew all grants for 
        providing service coordinators and congregate services for the 
        elderly and disabled in public housing that were made in prior 
        fiscal years; and
            (2) $20,000,000 for grants in addition to such renewal 
        grants.

SEC. 5. MIXED FINANCE PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
shall carry out a pilot program under this section to determine the 
effectiveness and feasibility of providing assistance under section 202 
of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q) for housing projects that 
are used both for supportive housing for the elderly and for other 
types of housing, which may include market rate housing.
    (b) Scope.--Under the pilot program the Secretary shall provide, to 
the extent that sufficient approvable applications for such assistance 
are received, assistance in the manner provided under subsection (d) 
for not more than five housing projects.
    (c) Mixed Use.--The Secretary shall require, for a project to be 
assisted under the pilot program--
            (1) that a portion of the dwelling units in the project be 
        reserved for use in accordance with, and subject to, the 
        requirements applicable to units assisted under section 202 of 
        the Housing Act of 1959; and
            (2) that the remainder of the dwelling units be used for 
        other purposes.
    (d) Financing.--The Secretary may use amounts provided for 
assistance under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 for assistance 
under the pilot program for capital advances in accordance with 
subsection (d)(1) of such section and project rental assistance in 
accordance with subsection (d)(2) of such section, only for dwelling 
units described in subsection (c)(1) of this section. Any assistance 
provided pursuant to subsection (d)(1) of such section 202 shall be 
provided in the form of a capital advance, subject to repayment as 
provided in such subsection, and shall not be structured as a loan. The 
Secretary shall take such action as may be necessary to ensure that the 
repayment contingency under such subsection is enforceable for projects 
assisted under the pilot program and to provide for appropriate 
protections of the interests of the Secretary in relation to other 
interests in the projects so assisted.
    (e) Waiver Authority.--Notwithstanding subsection (c)(1) of this 
section, the Secretary may waive the applicability of any provision of 
section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 for any project assisted under 
the pilot program under this section as may be appropriate to carry out 
the program, except to the extent inconsistent with this section.
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