[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 234 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 234

    To reform the requirements regarding the safety and security of 
families living in public and federally assisted housing in high-crime 
                                 areas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2019

Ms. Wilson of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To reform the requirements regarding the safety and security of 
families living in public and federally assisted housing in high-crime 
                                 areas.

    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 ``Liberty City Rising Act''.

SEC. 2. SAFETY STANDARDS FOR FEDERALLY ASSISTED HOUSING IN HIGH-CRIME 
              AREAS.

    (a) Public Housing.--Section 6(f)(2) of the United States Housing 
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437d(f)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The Secretary shall'' and inserting the 
        following:
                    ``(A) Safe and habitable.--The Secretary shall''; 
                and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) High-crime areas.--
                            ``(i) Definition.--In this subparagraph, 
                        the term `high-crime area' means a neighborhood 
                        or other small geographic area that the 
                        Secretary determines has a high incidence of 
                        violent crime, based on the most recent violent 
                        crime data available from a State, unit of 
                        local government, or other source determined 
                        appropriate by the Secretary, that lists the 
                        types of crimes and number of offenses 
                        committed in the area.
                            ``(ii) Additional safety and security 
                        standards.--In addition to the standards under 
                        subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall establish 
                        standards to ensure the safety and security of 
                        dwellings located in a high-crime area.
                            ``(iii) Contents.--The standards 
                        established under clause (ii)--
                                    ``(I) shall require a public 
                                housing agency to consider security 
                                measures that meet the specific needs 
                                of a property or building; and
                                    ``(II) may include requirements 
                                related to security cameras, locks, 
                                lighting, or other security measures.
                            ``(iv) Anonymous hotline.--A public housing 
                        agency that operates a public housing project 
                        in a high-crime area shall establish an 
                        anonymous hotline for tenants to report 
                        suspicious activity and crimes that occur in 
                        the community in which the public housing 
                        project is located.''.
    (b) Project-Based Assisted Housing.--
            (1) In general.--Section 8(o)(13) of the United States 
        Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(13)) is amended by 
        adding at the end the following:
                    ``(P) Safety and security standards for high-crime 
                areas.--
                            ``(i) Definition.--In this subparagraph, 
                        the term `high-crime area' means a neighborhood 
                        or other small geographic area that the 
                        Secretary determines has a high incidence of 
                        violent crime, based on the most recent violent 
                        crime data available from a State, unit of 
                        local government, or other source determined 
                        appropriate by the Secretary, that lists the 
                        types of crimes and number of offenses 
                        committed in the area.
                            ``(ii) Contract requirement.--An assistance 
                        contract for project-based assistance entered 
                        into under this paragraph with respect to a 
                        structure shall require that the owner maintain 
                        the structure, if determined to be in a high-
                        crime area, in a condition that complies with 
                        standards that meet or exceed the safety and 
                        security standards established under clause 
                        (iii).
                            ``(iii) Safety and security standards.--The 
                        Secretary shall establish standards to ensure 
                        the safety and security of structures located 
                        in a high-crime area.
                            ``(iv) Contents.--The standards established 
                        under clause (iii)--
                                    ``(I) shall require the owner of a 
                                structure that receives project-based 
                                assistance under this paragraph to 
                                consider security measures that meet 
                                the specific needs of the structure; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) may include requirements 
                                related to security cameras, locks, 
                                lighting, or other security measures.
                            ``(v) Inspections.--When determining 
                        whether a dwelling unit that is in a high-crime 
                        area meets the housing quality standards under 
                        paragraph (8)(A), a public housing agency shall 
                        also determine whether the dwelling unit meets 
                        the standards established under this 
                        subparagraph.
                            ``(vi) Anonymous hotline.--A public housing 
                        agency that provides project-based assistance 
                        under this paragraph with respect to a 
                        structure in a high-crime area shall establish 
                        an anonymous hotline for tenants to report 
                        suspicious activity and crimes that occur in 
                        the community in which the structure is 
                        located.''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 8(d)(2) of the United 
        States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(d)(2)) is amended 
        by adding at the end the following:
    ``(E)(i) Subsection (o)(13)(P) (relating to safety and security 
standards for high-crime areas) shall apply to a contract for project-
based assistance under this paragraph and to a public housing agency 
that enters into such a contract.
    ``(ii) When determining whether a structure assisted under this 
paragraph that is in a high-crime area, as defined in subsection 
(o)(13)(P), meets any applicable housing quality standards, a public 
housing agency shall also determine whether the structure meets the 
safety and security standards established under that subsection.''.
    (c) Deadlines.--
            (1) Determination of high-crime areas.--Not later than 90 
        days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Housing and Urban Development shall make an initial 
        determination as to which areas of the United States are high-
        crime areas for purposes of sections 6(f)(2)(B), 8(d)(2)(E), 
        and 8(o)(13)(P) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as 
        added by this section.
            (2) Safety and security standards.--Not later than 1 year 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Housing and Urban Development shall establish the safety and 
        security standards for public housing projects and other 
        assisted structures located in high-crime areas required under 
        sections 6(f)(2)(B), 8(d)(2)(E), and 8(o)(13)(P) of the United 
        States Housing Act of 1937, as added by this section.

SEC. 3. GRANT PRIORITY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS IN HIGH-CRIME AREAS.

    Section 9(d) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437g(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Emergency safety and security funding priority for 
        high-crime areas.--In awarding grants for safety and security 
        measures using amounts from the Capital Fund, the Secretary 
        shall give priority to an application from a public housing 
        agency that proposes to use the grant for a public housing 
        project located in a high-crime area (as defined in section 
        6(f)(2)(B)).''.
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