109 HR 6149 IH: Gulf Coast Housing Accessibility U.S. House of Representatives 2006-09-21 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 109th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6149 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 21, 2006 Mr. Al Green of Texas (for himself, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Carson, Mr. Honda, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Stark, and Mr. Grijalva) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To enhance housing and emergency assistance to victims of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma of 2005, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Gulf Coast Housing Accessibility Act of 2006.

2.

Project-based vouchers

(a)

In general

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (in this Act referred to as the Secretary) shall allocate additional assistance for project-based housing vouchers under section 8(o)(13) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(13)) for individuals and households located within the area in which assistance to individuals has been authorized by the President under a declaration of a major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as a consequence of Hurricane Katrina, Rita, or Wilma of 2005. (b)

Authorized uses

The Secretary shall make funds available under this section for project-based vouchers used to support— (1)affordable housing in repaired or rebuilt housing that has been damaged or destroyed as a consequence of Hurricane Katrina, Rita, or Wilma of 2005; or (2)to support affordable housing in new housing structures in the affected areas created under the low income housing tax credit under section 42 or section 1400N(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (c)

Funds

(1)

In general

Of amounts authorized under this section, funds shall be made available for 4,500 project-based vouchers for— (A)support of housing units for persons, including adults and children, with disabilities; (B)elderly families; and (C)individuals and families who were homeless prior to the occurrence of the disaster. (2)

Definitions

As used in this subsection: (A)

Disability

The term disability has the same meaning as in section 422(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11382(2)). (B)

Homeless

The term homeless has the same meaning as the term homeless children and youths as defined in section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), except that such term shall also include any adult individual who is homeless. (d)

Requests for assistance

The Secretary shall award the project-based vouchers authorized under this section to a State agency designated by the Governor of the State, upon submission of a request to the Secretary, in such form and containing such information as the Secretary may require. If a State agency is unable to provide such a request, a local housing agency may submit the request for funds to implement project-based vouchers under this section. If a State agency enters into an agreement with 1 or more local housing agencies to transfer the administration of vouchers after commitment to a particular development, the Secretary shall make the appropriate transfer. (e)

Exemption from certain limitations

The limitation provided for in section 8(o)(13)(B) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(13)(B)) shall not apply to the project-based vouchers allocated and administered under this section. (f)

Authorization of funds

(1)

In general

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $200,000,000 for purposes of allocating and administering project-based assistance under section 8(o)(13) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(13)), which shall remain available until expended. (2)

Purpose

Such funds are authorized for the purpose of ensuring that 25 percent of the units created, repaired, or refurbished under the low income housing tax credit under section 42 or section 1400N(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, are affordable to very low-income and extremely low-income individuals and households. (g)

Effective date

This section shall become effective upon appropriation of the necessary funds to carry out this section. (h)

Offset

Section 843(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by— (1)inserting (1) after (a); and (2)adding at the end the following: (2)The Attorney General shall collect a user fee from each licensee under this section of $0.02 per pound for any commercial, non-military explosive material manufactured in or imported into the United States by that licensee. .

3.

FEMA housing assistance

(a)

Amendments to Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

Section 408(c)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(1)) is amended— (1)in the paragraph heading, by inserting semipermanent, and permanent after temporary; and (2)in subparagraph (B) (A)in clause (i)— (i)by inserting semipermanent, and permanent after temporary; and (ii)by inserting subject to certain conditions outlined below after units; (B)by redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses (iii) and (iv), respectively; and (C)by inserting after clause (i) the following: (ii)

Conditions for providing temporary, semipermanent, and permanent housing units

(I)

In general

When determining whether to provide temporary, semipermanent, or permanent housing under clause (i), the President shall examine certain conditions, including— (aa)the relative cost efficiency of providing the housing units; (bb)the likelihood that individuals and families will be living in Federal Emergency Management Agency (in this subparagraph referred to as FEMA) assisted housing longer than 3 to 6 months, due to the scope of the disaster where individuals and households are located; (cc)the potential benefits of providing housing that will help to restore permanent housing stock lost as a result of the disaster; and (dd)any other conditions that the President deems necessary to examine, depending on the scope of the disaster and the subsequent rebuilding and recovery process. (II)

Meeting needs

When providing temporary, semipermanent, or permanent housing units under clause (i), the President shall ensure that— (aa)an adequate share of the housing units will be deployed to meet the needs of predisaster renters, especially low-income households; (bb)that the deployment of the housing units will minimize the concentration of poverty; (cc)that an adequate share of the housing units is accessible for persons with disabilities, as that term is defined in section 422(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11382(2)); and (dd)the housing units will be placed within a reasonable distance from needed services, such as access to transportation, employment opportunities, health care facilities, schools, day care services, and financial and employment counseling. . (b)

Effective date

This section and the amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to individuals and households affected— (1)by a disaster to which section 408(c)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(1)) would otherwise apply, occurring on or after the date of enactment of this Act; and (2)by the consequences of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma of 2005.

4.

Transfer of temporary rental assistance

(a)

In general

The Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (in this section referred to as the Director and FEMA, respectively) shall enter into a mission assignment with the Secretary to transfer adequate funds from FEMA Disaster Relief Funds into the Disaster Voucher Program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in order to fully implement subsection (b). (b)

Transfers

The Director shall ensure that the following individuals and households are transferred into the Disaster Voucher Program: (1)Individuals and households receiving assistance through FEMA's transitional housing program authorized under section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) . (2)Individuals and households receiving assistance through— (A)rental assistance programs administered through State and local voucher programs that receive reimbursement from FEMA; or (B)any other program authorized under section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b). (c)

State and local governments

FEMA shall work with State and local governments, as well as private entities providing services, to ensure that proper notice and assistance is provided to individuals and households, while the transfer under this section is completed. (d)

Opt-out provision

Individuals and families receiving FEMA housing assistance under subsection (b) may opt-out of the transfer to the Disaster Voucher Program authorized in subsection (a). (e)

Applicability

This section shall apply with respect to individuals and households affected— (1)by a disaster occurring on or after the date of enactment of this Act; and (2)by the consequences of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma of 2005.