[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3498 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3498

  To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make 
 grants to assist cities with a vacant housing problem, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 7, 2007

 Mr. Higgins introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make 
 grants to assist cities with a vacant housing problem, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Neighborhood Reclamation and 
Revitalization Program Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that vacant residential properties are a scourge on 
communities, leading to lower property tax revenues for municipalities, 
higher municipal maintenance costs, and severe public health and 
environmental problems.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO ASSIST MUNICIPALITIES WITH A VACANT HOUSING 
              PROBLEM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
(hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') may make 
grants to a local government to fund--
            (1) the demolition of vacant housing; or
            (2) the demolition of vacant housing in combination with a 
        study of neighborhood revitalization.
    (b) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for a grant under 
this Act, a local government shall submit to the Secretary, at such 
time and in such manner as the Secretary may require, an application 
that demonstrates that the local government has--
            (1) a history of continued population loss to be measured 
        beginning with the 1980 decennial census;
            (2) vacant housing within its borders;
            (3) substantial urban decay and neighborhood degradation 
        resulting from vacant housing; and
            (4) a comprehensive, coordinated plan for the demolition of 
        vacant housing.
    (c) Award.--
            (1) To the extent provided in advance in appropriation 
        Acts, the Secretary shall award grants under this Act to local 
        governments that have best demonstrated the requirements of 
        subsection (b) in such number and amounts that the Secretary 
        determines is warranted by the applications submitted.
            (2) The Secretary shall evaluate grant applications using 
        the following factors:
                    (A) The severity of the vacant housing problem in 
                the context of the applicant's overall housing stock.
                    (B) The level of positive impact the demolition of 
                vacant housing would provide in stabilizing the 
                neighborhoods facing vacant housing problems.
                    (C) Other relevant factors that the Secretary deems 
                pertinent and appropriate.
    (d) Reports.--
            (1) One year after the Secretary awards to a local 
        government a grant under this Act, that local government shall 
        submit to the Secretary a report on the progress made on the 
        plan for which the grant was awarded.
            (2) This report shall include--
                    (A) the number of housing units demolished and the 
                number remaining to be demolished pursuant to the local 
                governments comprehensive, coordinated plan;
                    (B) progress in completing the study or studies for 
                neighborhood revitalization; and
                    (C) the extent to which a demonstrated public 
                health or safety hazard exists in relation to the 
                applicant's vacant housing problem.
    (e) Relation to Other Programs of the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development.--It is the intent of Congress that the Secretary's 
award to a local government of a grant under this Act shall not affect 
a decision by the Secretary to award funding to that local government 
for demolition of vacant housing or a study of neighborhood 
revitalization under any other program of the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development.
    (f) Relation to Other Law.--Any demolition resulting from this Act 
must comply with appropriate local, State, and Federal law.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``vacant housing'' means a group of buildings 
        intended for use as residences that are vacant and are located 
        in a well-defined area;
            (2) the term ``local government'' means any county, city, 
        town, township, village, or other general purpose political 
        subdivision of a State; and
            (3) the term ``a study of neighborhood revitalization'' 
        means a study conducted by the local government, or by an 
        organization on behalf of the local government, of how best to 
        use the real property underlying vacant housing after that 
        vacant housing has been demolished.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act--
            (1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
            (2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; and
            (3) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2011.
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