HR6217-119

2. Blight elimination and neighborhood revitalization grants The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may make grants under this section, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for use for eligible activities designed to eliminate blight and promote neighborhood revitalization. Amounts from a grant awarded under this section may be used only to carry out eligible activities within low-income communities. To be eligible for a grant under this section, and entity shall be— a State; a unit of general local government, including a city, county, town, parish, village, or other general-purpose political subdivision of a State; or a multi-jurisdictional entity. Amounts from a grant awarded under this section may be used only for the following activities: Demolition, clearance, and removal of blighted structures. Boarding of vacant properties and blighted structures. Deconstruction of structures. Removal of waste and site clearance and vacant land management. Renovation of existing structures that are blighted or abandoned. Construction or preservation of affordable rental or owner-occupied housing as an outcome of blight elimination. Administrative costs, including for staffing and compliance with grant requirements, in an amount that is not more than 10 percent of the total grant for the recipient. A recipient of grant under this section that may provide such grant amounts to land banks or Community Housing Development Organizations (as such term is defined in section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12704(1))) to carry out eligible activities within low-income communities. A recipient of a grant under this section that is a State may provide such grant amounts to units of general local government whose jurisdictions include low-income communities to carry out eligible activities within such low-income communities. Amounts from a grant awarded under this section may not be used to acquire any occupied residential dwelling unit. The Secretary shall require each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section to contribute an amount of matching funds that is equal to or greater than 15 percent of the amount of the grant, to be used for eligible activities under this section. Amounts from the following sources may be counted towards compliance with the requirement under paragraph (1): Any amounts received pursuant to any Federal program. Any amounts provided by the applicants. Any proceeds from sales of properties renovated using grant amounts under this section. A grant awarded under this section may only be provided to an eligible entity that submits to the Secretary an application for such a grant that contains a plan for use of grant funds in accordance with paragraph (2) and such other information, certifications, and assurances as the Secretary considers necessary. A plan under this paragraph shall be a detailed 5-year plan for the use of grant amounts awarded under this section and matching amounts contributed that includes— identification of the low-income communities in which eligible activities under subsection (d)(1) will be carried out using grant and matching amounts; a description of the eligible activities under subsection (d)(1) to be carried out using grant and matching amounts; a timetable for carrying out such eligible activities, which shall provide for the expenditure of grant and matching amounts within 5 years after receipt; and identification of the sources of matching amounts to be provided and assurances of the availability of such matching amounts. The Secretary shall select applications to receive grants under this section pursuant to a competition and based on criteria as established by the Secretary for such selection. An eligible entity that receives grant amounts under this section may use such grant amounts in coordination with the eligible activities of other Federal programs, including with— the Community Development Block Grant program; the HOME Investment Partnership program; the Housing Trust Fund; the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program; the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program; and the New Market Tax Credit program. The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to eligible entities that receive a grant under this section for the life cycle of the grant. The Secretary may not use more than 5 percent of amounts appropriated under this section for technical assistance. Not later than 15 months after receiving an initial grant under this section, and annually thereafter, a recipient of such grant shall submit to the Secretary a report on the activities funded with amounts under this section, through a report template developed by the Secretary. The report required under subparagraph (A) shall include a description of— amounts used for the matching requirement; amounts used for eligible activities funded under this section, apart from the amounts provided under this section; resources made available by amounts provided under this section; how the recipient invested amounts under this section; the geographic distribution of such investments; the families and persons assisted under this section; and the progress meeting planned objectives using amounts provided under this section. The Secretary shall make the reports submitted under this paragraph publicly available on a website of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Not later than 3 years after initial grant awards are provided under this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Congress a report that describes, with respect to the grant program under this section— planned projects; populations impacted; challenges and recommendations; and expected outcomes. Not later than 6 years after initial grant awards are provided under this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Congress a report that describes, with respect to the grant program under this section— final outcomes; the implementation and projects completed; populations impacted; and challenges and recommendations for future recipients of grants under this section. For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply: The term abandoned means, with respect to an unoccupied structure— the mortgage, tribal leasehold, or tax payments are at least 90 days delinquent; a code enforcement inspection has determined that the property is not habitable and the owner has taken no corrective actions within 90 days of notification of the deficiencies; or the structure is subject to a court-ordered receivership or nuisance abatement related to abandonment pursuant to State or local law or otherwise meets a State definition of an abandoned structure. The term affordable rental or owner-occupied housing means housing that qualifies as affordable under section 215 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12745). The term blighted means a structure that exhibits determinable signs of deterioration sufficient to constitute a threat to human health, safety, and public welfare, as determined by the Secretary. The term land bank means a government entity, agency, or program, or a special purpose nonprofit entity formed by 1 or more units of government in accordance with a State or local law with respect to land banks, that has been designated by 1 or more State or local governments to acquire, steward, and dispose of vacant, abandoned, or other problem properties in accordance with locally determined priorities. The term low-income community has the meaning given such term in section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 45D) and includes any census tract or other area that is treated as a low-income community for purposes of such section. The term multi-jurisdictional entity means an association of local governments or public agencies which are bound by a collective agreement, as determined appropriate by the Secretary for the purpose of carrying out the eligible activities under this section. The term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The term State means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States. The term structure includes residential structures and commercial structures. The term unoccupied means a structure that— has no occupants; is not being maintained for seasonal use; is not actively marketed for sale or rent; or is not being held vacant pending re-occupancy by a buyer or tenant. The Secretary may issue any regulations necessary to carry out this section. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.