I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1719 

To provide homelessness and supportive services assistance for Native 

Americans to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 9, 2021 

Mr. VARGAS (for himself and Ms. WATERS) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations 

A BILL 

To provide homelessness and supportive services assistance 

for Native Americans to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 ‘‘Emergency Tribal 

5 Housing Assistance Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. HOMELESSNESS ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORTIVE 

7 SERVICES PROGRAMS FOR NATIVE AMERI8 CANS. 

9 (a) APPROPRIATION.—In addition to amounts other10 wise made available, out of any money in the Treasury 


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1 not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated for fis2 cal year 2021, $750,000,000, to remain available until 

3 September 30, 2025, to prevent, prepare for, and respond 

4 to coronavirus, for activities and assistance authorized 

5 under title I of the Native American Housing Assistance 

6 and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA) (25 

7 U.S.C. 4111 et seq.), under title VIII of NAHASDA (25 

8 U.S.C. 4221 et seq.), and under title I of the Housing 

9 and Community Development Act of 1974 with respect to 

10 Indian tribes (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), which amounts 

11 shall be made available as follows: 

12 (1) HOUSING BLOCK GRANTS.—$455,000,000 

13 shall be available for the Native American Housing 

14 Block Grants and Native Hawaiian Housing Block 

15 Grant programs, as authorized under titles I and 

16 VIII of NAHASDA, subject to the following terms 

17 and conditions: 

18 (A) FORMULA.—Of the amounts made 

19 available under this paragraph, $450,000,000 

20 shall be for grants under title I of NAHASDA 

21 and shall be distributed according to the same 

22 funding formula used in fiscal year 2021. 

23 (B) NATIVE HAWAIIANS.—Of the amounts 

24 made available under this paragraph, 


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1 $5,000,000 shall be for grants under title VIII 

2 of NAHASDA. 

3 (C) USE.—Amounts made available under 

4 this paragraph shall be used by recipients to 

5 prevent, prepare for, and respond to 

6 coronavirus, including to maintain normal oper7 ations and fund eligible affordable housing ac8 tivities under NAHASDA during the period 

9 that the program is impacted by coronavirus. In 

10 addition, amounts made available under sub11 paragraph (B) shall be used to provide rental 

12 assistance to eligible Native Hawaiian families 

13 both on and off the Hawaiian Home Lands. 

14 (D) TIMING OF OBLIGATIONS.—Amounts 

15 made available under this paragraph shall be 

16 used, as necessary, to cover or reimburse allow17 able costs to prevent, prepare for, and respond 

18 to coronavirus that are incurred by a recipient, 

19 including for costs incurred as of January 21, 

20 2020. 

21 (E) WAIVERS.—Any provision of statute or 

22 regulation used to administer amounts made 

23 available under this paragraph (except for re24 quirements related to fair housing, non25 discrimination, labor standards, and the enviVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:27 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1719.IH H1719

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1 ronment), shall be waived upon a finding that 

2 any such waivers or alternative requirements 

3 are necessary to expedite or facilitate the use of 

4 amounts made available under this paragraph. 

5 (F) UNOBLIGATED AMOUNTS.—Amounts 

6 made available under this paragraph which are 

7 not accepted, are voluntarily returned, or other8 wise recaptured for any reason shall be used to 

9 fund grants under paragraph (2). 

10 (2) INDIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK

11 GRANTS.—$280,000,000 shall be available for grants 

12 under title I of the Housing and Community Devel13 opment Act of 1974, subject to the following terms 

14 and conditions: 

15 (A) USE.—Amounts made available under 

16 this paragraph shall be used, without competi17 tion, for emergencies that constitute imminent 

18 threats to health and safety and are designed to 

19 prevent, prepare for, and respond to 

20 coronavirus. 

21 (B) PLANNING.—Not to exceed 20 percent 

22 of any grant made with funds made available 

23 under this paragraph shall be expended for 

24 planning and management development and ad25 ministration. 


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1 (C) TIMING OF OBLIGATIONS.—Amounts 

2 made available under this paragraph shall be 

3 used, as necessary, to cover or reimburse allow4 able costs to prevent, prepare for, and respond 

5 to coronavirus incurred by a recipient, including 

6 for costs incurred as of January 21, 2020. 

7 (D) INAPPLICABILITY OF PUBLIC SERVICES

8 CAP.—Notwithstanding section 105(a)(8) of the 

9 Housing and Community Development Act of 

10 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5305(a)(8)), there shall be no 

11 per centum limitation for the use of funds made 

12 available under this paragraph for public serv13 ices activities to prevent, prepare for, and re14 spond to coronavirus. 

15 (E) WAIVERS.—Any provision of any stat16 ute or regulation used to administer amounts 

17 made available under this paragraph (except for 

18 requirements related to fair housing, non19 discrimination, labor standards, and the envi20 ronment), shall be waived upon a finding that 

21 any such waivers or alternative requirements 

22 are necessary to expedite or facilitate the use of 

23 amounts made available under this paragraph. 

24 (3) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—$10,000,000 

25 shall be used, without competition, to make new 


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1 awards or increase prior awards to existing technical 

2 assistance providers to provide an immediate in3 crease in training and technical assistance to Indian 

4 tribes, Indian housing authorities, and tribally des5 ignated housing entities for activities under this sec6 tion. 

7 (4) OTHER COSTS.—$5,000,000 shall be used 

8 for the administrative costs to oversee and admin9 ister the implementation of this section, and pay for 

10 associated information technology, financial report11 ing, and other costs. 

Æ 


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