IB 

Union Calendar No. 82

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1614

[Report No. 108–165] 

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 

JUNE 19, 2003

Additional sponsors: Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. 

GREEN of Texas, Mr. FROST, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. ENGEL, and Mrs. JONES

of Ohio 

JUNE 19, 2003

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 3, 2003] 

A BILL

To reauthorize the HOPE VI program for revitalization of 

severely distressed public housing and to provide finan-
2

•HR 1614 RH 

cial 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,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘HOPE VI Program Re5 authorization and Small Community Mainstreet Rejuvena6 tion and Housing Act of 2003’’. 

7 SEC. 2. HOPE VI PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION. 

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

9 United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(e)(2)) 

10 is amended—

11 (1) by striking the matter preceding subpara12 graph (A) and inserting the following: 

13 ‘‘(2) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall 

14 establish criteria for the award of grants under this 

15 section and shall include among the factors—’’; 

16 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘large17 scale’’; 

18 (3) in subparagraph (D)—

19 (A) by inserting ‘‘and ongoing implementa20 tion’’ after ‘‘development’’; and 
3

•HR 1614 RH 

1 (B) by inserting ‘‘, except that the Secretary 

2 may not award a grant under this section unless 

3 the applicant has involved affected public hous4 ing residents at the beginning and during the 

5 planning process for the revitalization program, 

6 prior to submission of an application’’ before the 

7 semicolon at the end; 

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

9 the end; 

10 (5) by redesignating subparagraph (I) as sub11 paragraph (M); and 

12 (6) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the fol13 lowing new subparagraphs: 

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

15 commence and complete the revitalization plan 

16 expeditiously; 

17 ‘‘(J) the extent to which the plan minimizes 

18 temporary or permanent displacement of current 

19 residents of the public housing site who wish to 

20 remain in or return to the revitalized commu21 nity and provides for community and supportive 

22 services to residents prior to any relocation; 

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

24 or creates more project-based housing units 

25 available to persons eligible for public housing in 
4

•HR 1614 RH 

1 markets where there is demand for the mainte2 nance or creation of such units; 

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

4 existing residents priority for occupancy in 

5 dwelling units in the revitalized community; 

6 and’’.

7 (b) DEFINITION OF SEVERELY DISTRESSED PUBLIC

8 HOUSING.—Section 24(j)(2)(A)(iii) of the United States 

9 Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(j)(2)(A)(iii)) is 

10 amended—

11 (1) in subclause (I)—

12 (A) by inserting ‘‘or very low-income elderly 

13 or non-elderly disabled persons’’ before the first 

14 comma; and 

15 (B) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end; 

16 (2) in subclause (II), by inserting ‘‘or’’ after the 

17 semicolon at the end; and 

18 (3) by inserting at the end the following new 

19 subclause: 

20 ‘‘(III) is lacking in sufficient appro21 priate transportation, supportive services, 

22 economic opportunity, schools, civic and re23 ligious institutions, and public services, re24 sulting in severe social distress in the 

25 project;’’. 
5

•HR 1614 RH 

1 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Para2 graph (1) of section 24(m) of the United States Housing 

3 Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(m)(1)) is amended by insert4 ing before the period at the end the following: ‘‘and such 

5 sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2004 and 

6 2005’’. 

7 (d) EXTENSION OF PROGRAM.—Section 24(n) of the 

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

9 is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2004’’ and inserting 

10 ‘‘September 30, 2005’’. 

11 SEC. 3. HOPE VI GRANTS FOR ASSISTING AFFORDABLE 

12 HOUSING THROUGH MAIN STREET 

13 PROJECTS. 

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

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

16 adding after and below paragraph (4) the following: 

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

18 to smaller communities for the purpose of facilitating the 

19 development of affordable housing for low-income families 

20 that is undertaken in connection with a main street revital21 ization or redevelopment project in such communities.’’. 

22 (b) GRANTS FOR ASSISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

23 DEVELOPED THROUGH MAIN STREET PROJECTS IN

24 SMALLER COMMUNITIES.—Section 24 of the United States 

25 Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v) is amended—
6

•HR 1614 RH 

1 (1) by redesignating subsection (n) as subsection 

2 (o); and 

3 (2) by inserting after subsection (m) the fol4 lowing new subsection:

5 ‘‘(n) GRANTS FOR ASSISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

6 DEVELOPED THROUGH MAIN STREET PROJECTS IN

7 SMALLER COMMUNITIES.—

8 ‘‘(1) AUTHORITY AND USE OF GRANT

9 AMOUNTS.—The Secretary may make grants under 

10 this subsection to smaller communities. Such grant 

11 amounts shall be used by smaller communities only to 

12 provide assistance to carry out eligible affordable 

13 housing activities under paragraph (3) in connection 

14 with an eligible project under paragraph (2). 

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

16 subsection, the term ‘eligible project’ means a project 

17 that—

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

19 criteria established pursuant to paragraph (3), is 

20 a main street project; 

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

22 of smaller community receiving the grant; and 

23 ‘‘(C) involves the development of affordable 

24 housing that is located in the commercial area 

25 that is the subject of the project. 
7

•HR 1614 RH 

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

2 shall establish requirements for a project to be con3 sider a main street project for purposes of this section, 

4 which shall require that the project—

5 ‘‘(A) has as its purpose the revitalization or 

6 redevelopment of a historic or traditional com7 mercial area; 

8 ‘‘(B) involves investment, or other partici9 pation, by the government for, and private enti10 ties in, the community in which the project is 

11 carried out; and 

12 ‘‘(C) complies with such historic preserva13 tion guidelines or principles as the Secretary 

14 shall identify to preserve significant historic or 

15 traditional architectural and design features in 

16 the structures or area involved in the project. 

17 ‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACTIVI18 TIES.—For purposes of this subsection, the activities 

19 described in subsection (d)(1) shall be considered eli20 gible affordable housing activities, except that—

21 ‘‘(A) such activities shall be conducted with 

22 respect to affordable housing rather than with re23 spect to severely distressed public housing 

24 projects; and 
8

•HR 1614 RH 

1 ‘‘(B) eligible affordable housing activities 

2 under this subsection shall not include the activi3 ties described in subparagraphs (B) through (F) 

4 or (J) through (L) of subsection (d)(1). 

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

6 this subsection for a fiscal year for a single smaller 

7 community may not exceed $1,000,000. 

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

9 community applying for a grant under this sub10 section shall be considered an applicant for purposes 

11 of subsection (c) (relating to contributions by appli12 cants), except that—

13 ‘‘(A) such supplemental amounts shall be 

14 used only for carrying out eligible affordable 

15 housing activities; and 

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

17 apply to grants under this subsection. 

18 ‘‘(7) APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION.—

19 ‘‘(A) APPLICATION.—Pursuant to subsection 

20 (e)(1), the Secretary shall provide for smaller 

21 communities to apply for grants under this sub22 section, except that the Secretary may establish 

23 such separate or additional criteria for applica24 tions for such grants as may be appropriate to 

25 carry out this subsection. 
9

•HR 1614 RH 

1 ‘‘(B) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary 

2 shall establish selection criteria for the award of 

3 grants under this subsection, which shall be 

4 based on the selection criteria established pursu5 ant to subsection (e)(2), with such changes as 

6 may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of 

7 this subsection. 

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

9 pursuant to subsection (f) shall apply to eligible af10 fordable housing activities assisted with grant 

11 amounts under this subsection. 

12 ‘‘(9) INAPPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS.—

13 The provisions of subsections (g) (relating to disposi14 tion and replacement of severely distressed public 

15 housing), (h) (relating to administration of grants by 

16 other entities), and (i) (relating to withdrawal of 

17 funding) shall not apply to grants under this sub18 section. 

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

20 each smaller community receiving a grant under this 

21 subsection to submit a report regarding the use of all 

22 amounts provided under the grant. 

23 ‘‘(11) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub24 section, the following definitions shall apply: 
10

•HR 1614 RH 

1 ‘‘(A) AFFORDABLE HOUSING.—The term ‘af2 fordable housing’ means rental or homeownership 

3 dwelling units that—

4 ‘‘(i) are made available for initial oc5 cupancy subject to the same rules regarding 

6 level of income and income mix as dwelling 

7 units in public housing projects assisted 

8 with a grant under this section; and 

9 ‘‘(ii) are subject to the same rules re10 garding occupant contribution toward rent 

11 or purchase and terms of rental or purchase 

12 as dwelling units in public housing projects 

13 assisted with a grant under this section. 

14 ‘‘(B) SMALLER COMMUNITY.—The term 

15 ‘smaller community’ means a unit of general 

16 local government (as such term is defined in sec17 tion 102 of the Housing and Community Devel18 opment Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302)) that—

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

20 fewer; and 

21 ‘‘(ii)(I) is not served by a public hous22 ing agency; or 

23 ‘‘(II) is served by a single public hous24 ing agency, which agency administers 100 

25 or fewer public housing dwelling units.’’. 
11

•HR 1614 RH 

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

2 States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(l)) is amend3 ed—

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

5 inserting ‘‘, including a specification of the amount 

6 and type of assistance provided under subsection 

7 (n);’’; 

8 (2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para9 graph (5); and 

10 (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol11 lowing new paragraph: 

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

13 affordable housing dwelling units developed with, 

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

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

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

17 adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

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

19 GRANTS.—Of the amount appropriated pursuant to 

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

21 provide up to 5 percent for use only for grants under 

22 subsection (n).’’.
Union Calendar No. 82

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1614

[Report No. 108–165] 

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. 

JUNE 19, 2003

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 

and ordered to be printed