[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3910 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3910

      To provide technical assistance and grants for faith-based 
organizations, institutions of higher education, and local governments 
  to increase the supply of affordable rental housing, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 12, 2024

   Mr. Brown introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
    referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To provide technical assistance and grants for faith-based 
organizations, institutions of higher education, and local governments 
  to increase the supply of affordable rental housing, 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 ``Yes in God's Backyard Act''.

SEC. 2. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS FOR FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, 
              INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS 
              TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO AND INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF 
              AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING.

    Title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act 
(42 U.S.C. 12721 et seq.), is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

     ``Subtitle G--Technical Assistance and Grants for Faith-based 
Organizations, Institutions of Higher Education, and Local Governments 
  to Remove Barriers and to Increase the Supply of Affordable Rental 
                                Housing

``SEC. 290. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subtitle:
            ``(1) Affordable rental housing.--The term `affordable 
        rental housing' means housing available to the public charging 
        a monthly rent that is not more than 30 percent of household 
        income of a covered household.
            ``(2) At risk of homelessness.--The term `at risk of 
        homelessness' has the meaning given the term in section 401 of 
        the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360).
            ``(3) Covered household.--The term `covered household' 
        means a household with income that is at or below 100 percent 
        of area median income as defined by the Secretary.
            ``(4) Extremely low-income families.--The term `extremely 
        low-income families' has the meaning given the term in section 
        3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
        1437a).
            ``(5) Faith-based organization.--The term `faith-based 
        organization'--
                    ``(A) has the meaning given the term by the 
                Secretary; and
                    ``(B) includes any organization assisted by the 
                Partnership Center.
            ``(6) Homeless.--The term `homeless' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302).
            ``(7) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            ``(8) Partnership center.--The term `Partnership Center' 
        means the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships 
        in the Office of the Secretary or any successor office.

``SEC. 291. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Program.--The Secretary shall establish a program to provide 
technical assistance to assist faith-based organizations, institutions 
of higher education, and local governments in order to remove barriers 
to the production and preservation of affordable rental housing on 
property owned by faith-based organizations and institutions of higher 
education.
    ``(b) Contents.--The program established under subsection (a) shall 
consist of resources related to--
            ``(1) understanding how excess property owned by faith-
        based organizations and institutions of higher education can be 
        developed into affordable rental housing and how existing 
        affordable rental housing can be preserved;
            ``(2) the development and preservation of affordable rental 
        housing on property owned by faith-based organizations and 
        institutions of higher education, including--
                    ``(A) housing for households at or below 60 percent 
                of area median income;
                    ``(B) housing for individuals and families who are 
                homeless or at risk of homelessness, including 
                veterans;
                    ``(C) accessible rental housing for individuals 
                with disabilities;
                    ``(D) housing for intergenerational families under 
                section 203 of the LEGACY Act of 2003 (12 U.S.C. 1701q 
                note);
                    ``(E) housing for other special needs populations 
                as determined by the Secretary; and
                    ``(F) housing that would increase equitable access 
                to well-resourced areas of opportunity;
            ``(3) Federal assistance for affordable rental housing 
        production and preservation, including information on federally 
        assisted rental housing programs, and services for residents;
            ``(4) best practices in the housing development and 
        preservation processes, including selection of development, 
        preservation, and management partners, considerations regarding 
        land lease, ownership, or sale ensuring equitable access to 
        housing, and other considerations;
            ``(5) best practices for State and local governments to 
        remove barriers to and encourage the production of affordable 
        rental housing, especially in well-resourced areas of 
        opportunity, on property owned by faith-based organizations and 
        institutions of higher education; and
            ``(6) any other areas as determined by the Secretary.
    ``(c) Consultation.--In developing technical assistance and other 
resources under this section, the Secretary shall consult with the 
Partnership Center and other Federal agencies administering affordable 
housing and related programs, including the Departments of Agriculture, 
the Treasury, and Health and Human Services.
    ``(d) Dissemination.--The resources described in subsection (b) 
shall be made publicly available.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section--
            ``(1) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; and
            ``(2) $10,000,000 each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.

``SEC. 292. CHALLENGE GRANTS TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO AND INCREASE 
              AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING SUPPLY ON PROPERTY OWNED BY 
              FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 
              EDUCATION.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible grantee.--The term `eligible grantee' 
        means--
                    ``(A) a unit of general local government;
                    ``(B) a State;
                    ``(C) a metropolitan planning organization; and
                    ``(D) a multi-jurisdiction entity, as defined by 
                the Secretary.
            ``(2) State; unit of general local government.--The terms 
        `State' and `unit of general local government' have the 
        meanings given those terms in section 102 of the Housing and 
        Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302).
    ``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a Challenge 
Grant program to make grants on a competitive basis to eligible 
grantees that have policies in effect that are designed to remove 
barriers to the production and preservation of affordable rental 
housing on property owned by faith-based organizations and institutions 
of higher education.
    ``(c) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible entity desiring a grant 
        under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application 
        at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
        as the Secretary may require.
            ``(2) Other requirements.--In order to receive a grant 
        under this section, an applicant shall--
                    ``(A) demonstrate that the applicant has policies 
                in effect designed to remove barriers to the production 
                or preservation of affordable housing on property owned 
                by faith-based organizations and institutions of higher 
                education, as determined by the Secretary;
                    ``(B) make publicly available a proposed plan for 
                use of a grant under this section and solicit comments 
                on the plan; and
                    ``(C) address the disposition of public comments 
                described in paragraph (2) in a final plan submitted to 
                the Secretary as part of the grant application.
    ``(d) Preference.--In making awards under this section, the 
Secretary shall give preference to applicants that propose to use the 
grant to produce or preserve--
            ``(1) affordable rental housing for families with incomes 
        below 60 percent of area median income, as determined by the 
        Secretary in well-resourced areas of opportunity;
            ``(2) affordable rental housing for extremely low-income 
        families;
            ``(3) affordable rental housing or non-congregate emergency 
        housing for individuals and families who are homeless or at 
        risk of homelessness, including veterans;
            ``(4) affordable and accessible rental housing for 
        individuals with disabilities;
            ``(5) affordable rental housing for intergenerational 
        families under section 203 of the LEGACY Act of 2003 (12 U.S.C. 
        1701q note); or
            ``(6) affordable rental housing for other special needs 
        populations as designated by the Secretary.
    ``(e) Allowable Uses.--An eligible entity that receives a grant 
under this section shall use grant funds to carry out 1 or more of the 
following activities pertaining to the removal of barriers to and 
encouraging the production and preservation of affordable rental 
housing on property owned by faith-based organizations and institutions 
of higher education:
            ``(1) Assessing and removing local policy and procedural 
        barriers to and adopting best practices to encourage the 
        development of affordable rental housing under this section.
            ``(2) Outreach to and technical assistance for faith-based 
        organizations, institutions of higher education, and other 
        community partners to facilitate production and preservation of 
        affordable rental housing.
            ``(3) Making grants and loans to projects that produce or 
        preserve affordable rental housing under this section.
            ``(4) Such other activities that will further the purposes 
        of this subtitle, as determined by the Secretary.
    ``(f) Reporting and Data Collection.--A grantee under this section 
shall submit such information as the Secretary may require in order to 
monitor, assist, and evaluate the performance of the grantee and 
program under this section.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
        2024 through 2029.
            ``(2) Administrative costs.--Of the funds authorized to be 
        appropriated under paragraph (1), not more than 10 percent may 
        be used by the Secretary for administering the grant program 
        established under this section.''.
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