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 com-
munities 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 Fi-
nancial 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. CAS-
TLE, 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-
cial assistance under such program for main street revi-
talization or redevelopment projects in smaller commu-
nities to support the development of affordable housing 
for low-income families in connection with such projects, 
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘HOPE VI Program Re-
authorization and Small Community Mainstreet Rejuvena-
tion and Housing Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. HOPE VI PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION. 
(a) SELECTION CRITERIA.—Section 24(e)(2) of the 
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(e)(2)) 
is amended—
(1) by striking the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall 
establish criteria for the award of grants under this 
section and shall include among the factors—’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘large-
scale’’; 
(3) in subparagraph (D)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘and ongoing implementa-
tion’’ after ‘‘development’’; and
(B) by inserting ‘‘, except that the Secretary 
may not award a grant under this section unless 
the applicant has involved affected public hous-
ing residents at the beginning and during the 
planning process for the revitalization program, 
prior to submission of an application’’ before the 
semicolon at the end; 
(4) in subparagraph (H), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(5) by redesignating subparagraph (I) as sub-
paragraph (M); and 
(6) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the fol-
lowing new subparagraphs: 
‘‘(I) the extent to which the applicant can 
commence and complete the revitalization plan 
expeditiously; 
‘‘(J) the extent to which the plan minimizes 
temporary or permanent displacement of current 
residents of the public housing site who wish to 
remain in or return to the revitalized commu-
nity and provides for community and supportive 
services to residents prior to any relocation; 
‘‘(K) the extent to which the plan sustains 
or creates more project-based housing units 
available to persons eligible for public housing in
markets where there is demand for the mainte-
nance or creation of such units; 
‘‘(L) the extent to which the plan gives to 
existing residents priority for occupancy in 
dwelling units in the revitalized community; 
and’’.
(b) DEFINITION OF SEVERELY DISTRESSED PUBLIC 
HOUSING.—Section 24(j)(2)(A)(iii) of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(j)(2)(A)(iii)) is 
amended—
(1) in subclause (I)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘or very low-income elderly 
or non-elderly disabled persons’’ before the first 
comma; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end; 
(2) in subclause (II), by inserting ‘‘or’’ after the 
semicolon at the end; and 
(3) by inserting at the end the following new 
subclause: 
‘‘(III) is lacking in sufficient appro-
priate transportation, supportive services, 
economic opportunity, schools, civic and re-
ligious institutions, and public services, re-
sulting in severe social distress in the 
project;’’.
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—Para-
graph (1) of section 24(m) of the United States Housing 
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(m)(1)) is amended by insert-
ing before the period at the end the following: ‘‘and such 
sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2004 and 
2005’’. 
(d) EXTENSION OF PROGRAM.—Section 24(n) of the 
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(n)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2004’’ and inserting 
‘‘September 30, 2005’’. 
SEC. 3. HOPE VI GRANTS FOR ASSISTING AFFORDABLE 
HOUSING 
THROUGH 
MAIN 
STREET 
PROJECTS. 
(a) PURPOSES.—Section 24(a) of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(a)) is amended by 
adding after and below paragraph (4) the following: 
‘‘It is also the purpose of this section to provide assistance 
to smaller communities for the purpose of facilitating the 
development of affordable housing for low-income families 
that is undertaken in connection with a main street revital-
ization or redevelopment project in such communities.’’. 
(b) GRANTS FOR ASSISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING 
DEVELOPED
THROUGH
MAIN
STREET
PROJECTS
IN 
SMALLER COMMUNITIES.—Section 24 of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (n) as subsection 
(o); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (m) the fol-
lowing new subsection:
‘‘(n) GRANTS FOR ASSISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING 
DEVELOPED
THROUGH
MAIN
STREET
PROJECTS
IN 
SMALLER COMMUNITIES.—
‘‘(1) 
AUTHORITY
AND
USE
OF
GRANT 
AMOUNTS.—The Secretary may make grants under 
this subsection to smaller communities. Such grant 
amounts shall be used by smaller communities only to 
provide assistance to carry out eligible affordable 
housing activities under paragraph (3) in connection 
with an eligible project under paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE PROJECT.—For purposes of this 
subsection, the term ‘eligible project’ means a project 
that—
‘‘(A) the Secretary determines, under the 
criteria established pursuant to paragraph (3), is 
a main street project; 
‘‘(B) is carried out within the jurisdiction 
of smaller community receiving the grant; and 
‘‘(C) involves the development of affordable 
housing that is located in the commercial area 
that is the subject of the project.
‘‘(3) MAIN
STREET
PROJECTS.—The Secretary 
shall establish requirements for a project to be con-
sider a main street project for purposes of this section, 
which shall require that the project—
‘‘(A) has as its purpose the revitalization or 
redevelopment of a historic or traditional com-
mercial area; 
‘‘(B) involves investment, or other partici-
pation, by the government for, and private enti-
ties in, the community in which the project is 
carried out; and 
‘‘(C) complies with such historic preserva-
tion guidelines or principles as the Secretary 
shall identify to preserve significant historic or 
traditional architectural and design features in 
the structures or area involved in the project. 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE
AFFORDABLE
HOUSING
ACTIVI-
TIES.—For purposes of this subsection, the activities 
described in subsection (d)(1) shall be considered eli-
gible affordable housing activities, except that—
‘‘(A) such activities shall be conducted with 
respect to affordable housing rather than with re-
spect to severely distressed public housing 
projects; and
‘‘(B) eligible affordable housing activities 
under this subsection shall not include the activi-
ties described in subparagraphs (B) through (F) 
or (J) through (L) of subsection (d)(1). 
‘‘(5) MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.—A grant under 
this subsection for a fiscal year for a single smaller 
community may not exceed $1,000,000. 
‘‘(6) CONTRIBUTION REQUIREMENT.—A smaller 
community applying for a grant under this sub-
section shall be considered an applicant for purposes 
of subsection (c) (relating to contributions by appli-
cants), except that—
‘‘(A) such supplemental amounts shall be 
used only for carrying out eligible affordable 
housing activities; and 
‘‘(B) paragraphs (1)(B) and (3) shall not 
apply to grants under this subsection. 
‘‘(7) APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION.—
‘‘(A) APPLICATION.—Pursuant to subsection 
(e)(1), the Secretary shall provide for smaller 
communities to apply for grants under this sub-
section, except that the Secretary may establish 
such separate or additional criteria for applica-
tions for such grants as may be appropriate to 
carry out this subsection.
‘‘(B) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary 
shall establish selection criteria for the award of 
grants under this subsection, which shall be 
based on the selection criteria established pursu-
ant to subsection (e)(2), with such changes as 
may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of 
this subsection. 
‘‘(8) COST LIMITS.—The cost limits established 
pursuant to subsection (f) shall apply to eligible af-
fordable housing activities assisted with grant 
amounts under this subsection. 
‘‘(9) INAPPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS.—
The provisions of subsections (g) (relating to disposi-
tion and replacement of severely distressed public 
housing), (h) (relating to administration of grants by 
other entities), and (i) (relating to withdrawal of 
funding) shall not apply to grants under this sub-
section. 
‘‘(10) REPORTING.—The Secretary shall require 
each smaller community receiving a grant under this 
subsection to submit a report regarding the use of all 
amounts provided under the grant. 
‘‘(11) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub-
section, the following definitions shall apply:
‘‘(A) AFFORDABLE HOUSING.—The term ‘af-
fordable housing’ means rental or homeownership 
dwelling units that—
‘‘(i) are made available for initial oc-
cupancy subject to the same rules regarding 
level of income and income mix as dwelling 
units in public housing projects assisted 
with a grant under this section; and 
‘‘(ii) are subject to the same rules re-
garding occupant contribution toward rent 
or purchase and terms of rental or purchase 
as dwelling units in public housing projects 
assisted with a grant under this section. 
‘‘(B) SMALLER
COMMUNITY.—The term 
‘smaller community’ means a unit of general 
local government (as such term is defined in sec-
tion 102 of the Housing and Community Devel-
opment Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302)) that—
‘‘(i) has a population of 30,000 or 
fewer; and 
‘‘(ii)(I) is not served by a public hous-
ing agency; or 
‘‘(II) is served by a single public hous-
ing agency, which agency administers 100 
or fewer public housing dwelling units.’’.