I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1614

To reauthorize the HOPE VI program for revitalization of severely distressed 

public housing and to provide financial assistance under such program 

for main street revitalization or redevelopment projects in smaller communities to support the development of affordable housing for low-income 

families in connection with such projects, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 3, 2003

Mr. LEACH (for himself, Mr. WATT, Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, and Ms. HARRIS) 

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

A BILL

To reauthorize the HOPE VI program for revitalization of 

severely distressed public housing and to provide financial assistance under such program for main street revitalization or redevelopment projects in smaller communities to support the development of affordable housing 

for low-income families in connection with such projects, 

and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
2

HR 1614 IH 

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘HOPE VI Program 

3 Reauthorization and Small Community Mainstreet Reju4 venation and Housing Act of 2003.’’

5 SEC. 2. HOPE VI PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION. 

6 (a) SELECTION CRITERIA.—Section 24(e)(2) of the 

7 United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 

8 1437v(e)(2)) is amended—

9 (1) by striking the matter preceding subpara10 graph (A) and inserting the following: 

11 ‘‘(2) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary 

12 shall establish criteria for the award of grants under 

13 this section and shall include among the factors—’’; 

14 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘large15 scale’’; 

16 (3) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ‘‘and on17 going implementation’’ after ‘‘development’’; 

18 (4) in subparagraph (H), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

19 the end; 

20 (5) by redesignating subparagraph (I) as sub21 paragraph (M); and 

22 (6) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the fol23 lowing new subparagraphs: 

24 ‘‘(I) the extent to which the applicant can 

25 commence and complete the revitalization plan 

26 expeditiously; 
3

HR 1614 IH 

1 ‘‘(J) the extent to which the plan mini2 mizes temporary or permanent displacement of 

3 current residents of the public housing site who 

4 wish to remain in or return to the revitalized 

5 community; 

6 ‘‘(K) the extent to which the plan sustains 

7 or creates more project-based housing units 

8 available to persons eligible for public housing 

9 in markets where there is demand for the main10 tenance or creation of such units; 

11 ‘‘(L) the extent to which the plan gives to 

12 existing residents priority for occupancy in 

13 dwelling units in the revitalized community; 

14 and.’’. 

15 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Para16 graph (1) of section 24(m) of the United States Housing 

17 Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(m)(1)) is amended by in18 serting before the period at the end the following: ‘‘and 

19 such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 

20 2004 and 2005’’. 

21 (c) EXTENSION OF PROGRAM.—Section 24(n) of the 

22 United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(n)) 

23 is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2004’’ and insert24 ing ‘‘September 30, 2005’’.
4

HR 1614 IH 

1 SEC. 3. HOPE VI GRANTS FOR ASSISTING AFFORDABLE 

2 HOUSING THROUGH MAIN STREET 

3 PROJECTS. 

4 (a) PURPOSES.—Section 24(a) of the United States 

5 Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(a)) is amended 

6 by adding after and below paragraph (4) the following: 

7 ‘‘It is also the purpose of this section to provide assistance 

8 to smaller communities for the purpose of facilitating the 

9 development of affordable housing for low-income families 

10 that is undertaken in connection with a main street revi11 talization or redevelopment project in such communities.’’. 

12 (b) GRANTS FOR ASSISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

13 DEVELOPED THROUGH MAIN STREET PROJECTS IN

14 SMALLER COMMUNITIES.—Section 24 of the United 

15 States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v) is amend16 ed—

17 (1) by redesignating subsection (n) as sub18 section (o); and 

19 (2) by inserting after subsection (m) the fol20 lowing new subsection: 

21 ‘‘(n) GRANTS FOR ASSISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

22 DEVELOPED THROUGH MAIN STREET PROJECTS IN

23 SMALLER COMMUNITIES.—

24 ‘‘(1) AUTHORITY AND USE OF GRANT

25 AMOUNTS.—The Secretary may make grants under 

26 this subsection to smaller communities. Such grant 
5

HR 1614 IH 

1 amounts shall be used by smaller communities only 

2 to provide assistance to carry out eligible affordable 

3 housing activities under paragraph (3) in connection 

4 with an eligible project under paragraph (2). 

5 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE PROJECT.—For purposes of this 

6 subsection, the term ‘eligible project’ means a 

7 project that—

8 ‘‘(A) the Secretary determines, under the 

9 criteria established pursuant to paragraph (3), 

10 is a main street project; 

11 ‘‘(B) is carried out within the jurisdiction 

12 of smaller community receiving the grant; and 

13 ‘‘(C) involves the development of affordable 

14 housing that is located in the commercial area 

15 that is the subject of the project. 

16 ‘‘(3) MAIN STREET PROJECTS.—The Secretary 

17 shall establish requirements for a project to be con18 sidered a main street project for purposes of this 

19 section, which shall require that the project—

20 ‘‘(A) has as its purpose the revitalization 

21 or redevelopment of a historic or traditional 

22 commercial area; 

23 ‘‘(B) involves investment, or other partici24 pation, by the government for, and private enti-
6

HR 1614 IH 

1 ties in, the community in which the project is 

2 carried out; and 

3 ‘‘(C) complies with such historic preserva4 tion guidelines or principles as the Secretary 

5 shall identify to preserve significant historic or 

6 traditional architectural and design features in 

7 the structures or area involved in the project. 

8 ‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACTIVI9 TIES.—For purposes of this subsection, the activities 

10 described in subsection (d)(1) shall be considered eli11 gible affordable housing activities, except that—

12 ‘‘(A) such activities shall be conducted 

13 with respect to affordable housing rather than 

14 with respect to severely distressed public hous15 ing projects; and 

16 ‘‘(B) eligible affordable housing activities 

17 under this subsection shall not include the ac18 tivities described in subparagraphs (B) through 

19 (F) or (J) through (L) of subsection (d)(1). 

20 ‘‘(5) MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.—A grant 

21 under this subsection for a fiscal year for a single 

22 smaller community may not exceed $1,000,000. 

23 ‘‘(6) CONTRIBUTION REQUIREMENT.—A smaller 

24 community applying for a grant under this sub25 section shall be considered an applicant for purposes
7

HR 1614 IH 

1 of subsection (c) (relating to contributions by appli2 cants), except that—

3 ‘‘(A) such supplemental amounts shall be 

4 used only for carrying out eligible affordable 

5 housing activities; and 

6 ‘‘(B) paragraphs (1)(B) and (3) shall not 

7 apply to grants under this subsection. 

8 ‘‘(7) APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION.—

9 ‘‘(A) APPLICATION.—Pursuant to sub10 section (e)(1), the Secretary shall provide for 

11 smaller communities to apply for grants under 

12 this subsection, except that the Secretary may 

13 establish such separate or additional criteria for 

14 applications for such grants as may be appro15 priate to carry out this subsection. 

16 ‘‘(B) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Sec17 retary shall establish selection criteria for the 

18 award of grants under this subsection, which 

19 shall be based on the selection criteria estab20 lished pursuant to subsection (e)(2), with such 

21 changes as may be appropriate to carry out the 

22 purposes of this subsection. 

23 ‘‘(8) COST LIMITS.—The cost limits established 

24 pursuant to subsection (f) shall apply to eligible af-
8

HR 1614 IH 

1 fordable housing activities assisted with grant 

2 amounts under this subsection. 

3 ‘‘(9) INAPPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVI4 SIONS.—The provisions of subsections (g) (relating 

5 to disposition and replacement of severely distressed 

6 public housing), (h) (relating to administration of 

7 grants by other entities), and (i) (relating to with8 drawal of funding) shall not apply to grants under 

9 this subsection. 

10 ‘‘(10) REPORTING.—The Secretary shall require 

11 each smaller community receiving a grant under this 

12 subsection to submit a report regarding the use of 

13 all amounts provided under the grant. 

14 ‘‘(11) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub15 section, the following definitions shall apply: 

16 ‘‘(A) AFFORDABLE HOUSING.—The term 

17 ‘affordable housing’ means rental or home18 ownership dwelling units that—

19 ‘‘(i) are made available for initial oc20 cupancy subject to the same rules regard21 ing level of income and income mix as 

22 dwelling units in public housing projects 

23 assisted with a grant under this section; 

24 and 
9

HR 1614 IH 

1 ‘‘(ii) are subject to the same rules re2 garding occupant contribution toward rent 

3 or purchase and terms of rental or pur4 chase as dwelling units in public housing 

5 projects assisted with a grant under this 

6 section. 

7 ‘‘(B) SMALLER COMMUNITY.—The term 

8 ‘smaller community’ means a unit of general 

9 local government (as such term is defined in 

10 section 102 of the Housing and Community De11 velopment Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302)) 

12 that—

13 ‘‘(i) has a population of 30,000 or 

14 fewer; and 

15 ‘‘(ii)(I) may not be not served by a 

16 public housing agency; or 

17 ‘‘(II) is served by a single public hous18 ing agency, which agency administers 100 

19 or fewer public housing dwelling units.’’. 

20 (c) ANNUAL REPORT.—Section 24(l) of the United 

21 States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(l)) is 

22 amended—

23 (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and 

24 inserting ‘‘, including a specification of the amount 
10

HR 1614 IH 

1 and type of assistance provided under subsection 

2 (n);’’; 

3 (2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para4 graph (5); and 

5 (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol6 lowing new paragraph: 

7 ‘‘(4) the types of projects funded, and number 

8 of affordable housing dwelling units developed with, 

9 grants under subsection (n); and’’. 

10 (d) FUNDING.—Section 24(m) of the United States 

11 Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(m)) is amended 

12 by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

13 ‘‘(3) SET-ASIDE FOR MAIN STREET HOUSING

14 GRANTS.—Of the amount appropriated pursuant to 

15 paragraph (1) for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall 

16 provide up to 5 percent for use only for grants 

17 under subsection (n).’’.

Æ