To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to assist local governments with vacant housing problems, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Neighborhood Reclamation 
Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The subprime mortgage foreclosure crisis has led to the 
        widespread and unprecedented abandonment of housing in many 
        urban neighborhoods.
            (2) Communities that have experienced a significant 
        decrease in population since 1980 due to the loss of well-
        paying manufacturing jobs and subsequent economic decline were 
        already subject to a severe problem of vacant and abandoned 
        housing when the subprime mortgage foreclosure crisis struck, 
        further exacerbating the problem.
            (3) Although the prompt demolition and removal of vacant 
        and abandoned housing is necessary in order to protect public 
        health and safety, communities experiencing both economic 
        decline and large numbers of subprime mortgage foreclosures 
        have insufficient resources to demolish and remove such housing 
        in a timely manner.
            (4) Emergency grant assistance to such communities would 
        enable them to quickly demolish and remove vacant and abandoned 
        housing in order to promote public health and safety, and to 
        create open space that could be used for park land, recreation, 
        future economic and residential development, or other purposes 
        that would benefit such communities.

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

    (a) Authority To Make Grants.--From the amounts appropriated under 
section 4, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall make 
grants to eligible units of general local government for the purpose of 
neighborhood reclamation in accordance with subsection (c).
    (b) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
under subsection (a), a unit of general local government shall submit 
to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may 
require pursuant to regulations, an application that demonstrates that 
such local government has--
            (1) experienced significant population loss within its 
        jurisdiction since 1980, as measured by decennial census data;
            (2) neighborhoods or other areas within its jurisdiction 
        with--
                    (A) a high incidence of vacant and abandoned 
                housing, or other vacant and abandoned structures, 
                located in areas that are primarily residential in 
                character; and
                    (B) substantial urban decay and neighborhood 
                degradation resulting from such housing or such other 
                structures; and
            (3) a comprehensive plan for the demolition of all such 
        housing, and such other structures, within the jurisdiction of 
        such local government, that will increase the stability of 
        neighborhoods, or promote the rational utilization of land, 
        within the jurisdiction of such local government.
    (c) Purposes.--A unit of local government awarded a grant under 
subsection (a), shall use such grant to fund--
            (1) the demolition of vacant and abandoned housing, and 
        other vacant and abandoned structures, located in areas that 
        are primarily residential in character, and which are within 
        the jurisdiction of such local government, pursuant to such 
        local government's comprehensive plan for demolition under 
        subsection (b)(3);
            (2) prior to demolition, the abatement of any health and 
        safety hazards in accordance with applicable State and Federal 
        laws, within such housing or such other structures, or on the 
        site upon which such housing or other structures are located; 
        and
            (3) after demolition--
                    (A) the capping or removal of utility connections 
                and public infrastructure, including street pavements 
                and sewer lines; and
                    (B) the rehabilitation of a site for use as public 
                open space, inclusion in a land bank, or for sale.
    (d) Reports.--One year after the Secretary awards a grant under 
this Act to a unit of general local government, such local government 
shall submit to the Secretary a report on--
            (1) the number of houses and other structures demolished, 
        and the number of houses and other structures remaining to be 
        demolished, pursuant to such local government's comprehensive 
        plan under subsection (b)(3); and
            (2) the amount of site rehabilitation completed pursuant to 
        subsection (c)(3)(B).
    (e) Relation to Other Programs of the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development.--The Secretary's award of a grant under this Act to 
a unit of general local government shall not affect a decision by the 
Secretary to award funding to such local government for the demolition 
of vacant and abandoned housing under any other program of the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
    (f) Relation to Other Law.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
to waive any obligations under local, State, and Federal law.
    (g) Public Housing.--Funds made available under this Act shall not 
be used to demolish public housing, as such term is defined in section 
3 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a).

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act, 
$1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, and such sums as are necessary for 
each fiscal year thereafter.

SEC. 5. IMPLEMENTATION.

    (a) Effective Date.--This Act shall take effect not later than 60 
days after the date that funds are appropriated or otherwise made 
available to carry out this Act.
    (b) Interim Regulations.--The Secretary shall issue such interim 
regulations as may be necessary to implement this Act not later than 60 
days after the effective date in subsection (a).
    (c) Final Regulations.--The Secretary shall issue final regulations 
necessary to implement this Act not later than 180 days after such 
effective date.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Housing 
        and Urban Development;
            (2) the term ``unit of general local government'' means a 
        unit of general local government as defined in section 102 of 
        the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 
        5302); and
            (3) the term ``other vacant and abandoned structures'' 
        means vacant and abandoned structures not used for residential 
        purposes, or used for a combination of residential and other 
        purposes.

Summary: Emergency Neighborhood Reclamation Act of 2008 - Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to eligible units of general local government for neighborhood reclamation. Specifies grant applicant eligibility requirements, including a comprehensive plan for the demolition of all vacant and abandoned housing and other structures within the local government's jurisdiction that will increase the stability of neighborhoods, or promote the rational utilization of land within that jurisdiction. Requires the use of such grant to fund: (1) the demolition of vacant and abandoned housing, and other vacant and abandoned structures, located in areas that are primarily residential in character. (2) the abatement, before demolition, of any health and safety hazards within such housing or structures, or on the site upon which such housing or other structures are located. And (3) the capping or removal, after demolition, of utility connections and public infrastructure, including street pavements and sewer lines, and the rehabilitation of a site for use as public open space, inclusion in a land bank, or for sale. Prohibits the use of funds made available under this Act to demolish public housing.