I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2231 
To transform neighborhoods of extreme poverty by reforming the public 
housing demolition and disposition rules to require one-for-one replace-
ment and tenant protections, and to provide public housing agencies 
with additional resources and flexibility to preserve public housing units, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 1, 2015 
Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To transform neighborhoods of extreme poverty by reforming 
the public housing demolition and disposition rules to 
require one-for-one replacement and tenant protections, 
and to provide public housing agencies with additional 
resources and flexibility to preserve public housing units, 
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 AND TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Public Housing Tenant Protection and Reinvestment Act 
of 2015’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes. 
TITLE I—PUBLIC HOUSING ONE-FOR-ONE REPLACEMENT AND 
TENANT PROTECTION 
Sec. 101. Short title. 
Sec. 102. Demolition and disposition of public housing. 
Sec. 103. Authority to convert public housing to vouchers. 
Sec. 104. Required conversion of distressed public housing to tenant-based as-
sistance. 
Sec. 105. Limitation of public housing dwelling units. 
Sec. 106. Regulations. 
TITLE II—PUBLIC HOUSING PRESERVATION AND 
REHABILITATION 
Sec. 201. Short title. 
Sec. 202. Authorizations of appropriations for Capital and Operating Funds. 
Sec. 203. Leveraging of other assistance. 
Sec. 204. Capital Fund flexibility. 
TITLE III—CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE 
Sec. 301. Short title. 
Sec. 302. Grant authority. 
Sec. 303. Eligible entities. 
Sec. 304. Eligible neighborhoods. 
Sec. 305. Authorized activities. 
Sec. 306. Submission and selection of transformation plans. 
Sec. 307. Right of residents to return; relocation. 
Sec. 308. One-for-one replacement of public and assisted housing dwelling 
units. 
Sec. 309. Other program requirements. 
Sec. 310. Demolition and disposition. 
Sec. 311. Phase-specific underwriting. 
Sec. 312. Administration by other entities. 
Sec. 313. Withdrawal of funding. 
Sec. 314. Annual report; public availability of grant information. 
Sec. 315. Definitions. 
Sec. 316. Funding. 
Sec. 317. Regulations. 
TITLE IV—PILOT PROGRAM TO TRAIN PUBLIC HOUSING 
RESIDENTS TO PROVIDE HOME-BASED HEALTH SERVICES 
Sec. 401. Short title. 
Sec. 402. Pilot grant program to train public housing residents to provide cov-
ered home-based health services. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that— 
(1) public housing is a critical public asset that 
has served an important role on the continuum of 
affordable housing since the 1930s, and is integral 
to our Nation’s social safety net, providing housing 
for 1.2 million families; 
(2) the public housing program serves a popu-
lation of ‘‘hard-to-house’’ people who face challenges 
that often make it impossible for them to obtain 
adequate and affordable housing in the private mar-
ket; 
(3) public housing has been plagued by chronic 
underfunding, resulting in a backlog of capital needs 
of over $26 billion, a large amount of severely dis-
tressed public housing concentrated in neighbor-
hoods of extreme poverty, and resident families fac-
ing deteriorating living conditions; 
(4) as a result of this disinvestment, the pro-
gram has lost thousands of units due to demolition 
and disposition as well as due to previous revitaliza-
tion programs’ failure to require one-for-one replace-
ment, and many more units are at risk of being lost; 
and 
(5) a holistic approach is now needed to fully 
support the revitalization of public housing, includ-
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ing efforts to stop the loss of public housing units 
through full-funding, one-for-one replacement of 
units and robust tenant protections during the revi-
talization process, and the creation of the financial 
tools necessary to transform neighborhoods of ex-
treme poverty into communities that will improve 
the quality of life of current and future residents. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to transform neighborhoods of extreme pov-
erty by revitalizing severely distressed public housing 
while improving access to economic opportunities 
and investing and leveraging investments in sup-
portive services, education programs, public assets, 
public transportation, and improved access to jobs; 
(2) to require the one-for-one replacement of 
public and assisted housing dwelling units that are 
demolished or disposed of; 
(3) to provide for increased tenant protections 
through the revitalization process; 
(4) to ensure that current residents benefit 
from transformation by preserving affordable hous-
ing in the neighborhood and, to the maximum extent 
possible, providing residents the choice to stay in 
their communities or move to affordable housing in 
another neighborhood of opportunity; 
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(5) to protect public housing as a critical public 
asset; 
(6) to restore robust funding for the public 
housing program; and 
(7) to support public housing residents through 
job training to provide for increased earnings and 
positive life outcomes. 
TITLE I—PUBLIC HOUSING ONE- 
FOR-ONE REPLACEMENT AND 
TENANT PROTECTION 
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Public Housing One- 
for-One Replacement and Tenant Protection Act of 
2015’’. 
SEC. 102. DEMOLITION AND DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC HOUS-
ING. 
(a) AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 18.—Section 18 of 
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437p) 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (a) through (h) 
as subsections (b) through (i), respectively; 
(2) by inserting before subsection (b) (as so re-
designated by paragraph (1) of this subsection) the 
following new subsection: 
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‘‘(a) APPLICABILITY.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, this section shall apply to— 
‘‘(1) demolition, disposition, or demolition or 
disposition or both pursuant to conversion under 
section 22 or 33 of any public housing unit; and 
‘‘(2) the taking of public housing units, directly 
or indirectly, through the use of eminent domain.’’; 
(3) in subsection (b) (as so redesignated by 
paragraph (1) of this subsection)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph 
(1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘subsection (b)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subsection (c)’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘if the public housing 
agency certifies’’ and inserting ‘‘only if the 
Secretary determines that’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)(A)(ii), by striking 
‘‘low-income housing’’ and inserting ‘‘housing 
for low-income, very-low income, and extremely 
low-income families consistent with the needs 
identified pursuant to section 5A(d)(1) in the 
public housing agency plan for the agency and 
with targeting requirements under section 16(a) 
for public housing’’; 
(C) by striking paragraph (4); 
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(D) in paragraph (5)(B)(ii), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(E) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘sub-
section (c)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (d)’’; 
(F) by redesignating paragraphs (5) and 
(6) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and 
(G) by inserting after paragraph (5) (as so 
redesignated) the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) that the public housing agency has ob-
tained from each resident information pursuant to 
subsection (f)(3)(B) and has established a replace-
ment housing preference for each such resident.’’; 
(4) in subsection (c) (as so redesignated by 
paragraph (1) of this subsection)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
section (b)’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 
the end; 
(C) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting a semicolon; 
and 
(D) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
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33, or the provision of replacement housing does 
not— 
‘‘(A) comply with the requirements of sub-
section (e) of this section; 
‘‘(B) include such certifications as the Sec-
retary shall require of compliance with the re-
quirements of subsection (f)(3); or 
‘‘(C) include a relocation plan that meets 
the requirements of subsection (h)(2).’’; 
(5) by striking subsection (e) (as so redesig-
nated by paragraph (1) of this subsection) and in-
serting the following new subsection: 
‘‘(e) REPLACEMENT UNITS.— 
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT TO REPLACE OR MAINTAIN 
EACH UNIT.— 
‘‘(A) REPLACEMENT.—Except for demoli-
tion pursuant to subsection (g) or as provided 
in paragraph (2) of this subsection, each public 
housing dwelling unit that undergoes demoli-
tion, disposition, or demolition or disposition or 
both pursuant to conversion under section 22 or 
33, or that is the subject of a taking, directly 
or indirectly, through the use of eminent do-
main, after the date of the enactment of the 
Public Housing Tenant Protection and Rein-
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vestment Act of 2015, shall be replaced with a 
newly constructed, rehabilitated, acquired, or 
converted rental unit that complies with all of 
the requirements of this subsection. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO RE-
PLACEMENT UNITS.—Such replacement or con-
verted units shall be subject to the same re-
quirements regarding eligibility for occupancy 
(including income eligibility), tenant contribu-
tion toward rent (including tenant authority to 
select rental payment determination method), 
eviction protections and procedures, and afford-
ability restrictions that are applicable to public 
housing dwelling units. Such requirements shall 
not terminate unless units are replaced with a 
comparable number of units that are subject to 
the same requirements. 
‘‘(C) TENANT PROTECTION VOUCHERS TO 
REPLACE DEMOLISHED, DISPOSED OF, OR CON-
VERTED UNITS ON ONE-FOR-ONE BASIS.—Sub-
ject only to the availability of amounts provided 
in appropriation Acts, the Secretary shall pro-
vide replacement vouchers for rental assistance 
under section 8 for all dwelling units in projects 
that are demolished or disposed of pursuant to 
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this section or converted pursuant to section 22 
or 33. 
‘‘(D) 
INAPPLICABILITY
OF
CERTAIN 
PROJECT-BASED
VOUCHER
REQUIREMENTS.— 
Subparagraphs (B) and (D) of section 8(o)(13) 
of the United States Housing Act of 1936 (re-
lating to percentage limitation and income mix-
ing requirement of project-based assistance) 
shall not apply with respect to vouchers used to 
comply with the requirements of this para-
graph. 
‘‘(2) WAIVER.—The requirement under para-
graph (1) may be waived by the Secretary with re-
spect to up to 10 percent of the total number of 
public housing units owned by a public housing 
agency in any 10-year period, if— 
‘‘(A) a judgment, consent decree, or other 
order of a court limits the ability of the appli-
cant to comply with such requirements; or 
‘‘(B) the public housing agency dem-
onstrates that there is an excess supply of af-
fordable rental housing in areas of low poverty 
and provides data showing that, in the area 
surrounding the project or projects in which 
such units are located— 
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‘‘(i) at least 90 percent of vouchers 
issued under section 8(o) of the United 
States Housing Act of 1937 over the last 
24 months to comparable families were 
successfully used to lease a dwelling unit 
within 120 days of issuance or, if a suffi-
cient number of comparable families have 
not received vouchers, an alternative meas-
ure, as the Secretary shall design, is met; 
‘‘(ii) existing voucher holders are 
widely dispersed geographically in areas of 
low poverty with access to public transpor-
tation, education, and other amenities, as 
determined by the Secretary, among the 
available private rental housing stock; and 
‘‘(iii) the applicant provides a market 
analysis demonstrating that— 
‘‘(I) there is a relatively high va-
cancy rate among units that would 
meet or exceed housing quality stand-
ards, as determined by the Secretary, 
within the market area with rent and 
utility costs not exceeding the applica-
ble payment standard under section 
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8(o) of the United States Housing Act 
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)); and 
‘‘(II) such high vacancy rate 
within the market area is expected to 
continue for the next 5 years or 
longer. 
‘‘(3) CONTINUATION OF USE RESTRICTIONS.— 
In the event of a foreclosure or bankruptcy of an 
owner of such a property, notwithstanding any other 
provision of State or Federal law, such property 
shall remain subject to the requirements of any 
project-based rental assistance contract in existence 
at the time of the foreclosure or bankruptcy, the 
lease between the prior owner and tenants assisted 
under such contract, and any use agreement in ef-
fect immediately before the foreclosure or bank-
ruptcy filing, and a successor in interest in such 
property shall assume such contract, extensions, 
leases, and use agreement obligations, provided that 
the Secretary may modify this requirement if the 
Secretary determines that the converted units are 
not physically viable. 
‘‘(4) OTHER
REQUIREMENTS.—Admission to, 
administration of, and eviction from replacement 
housing units that are not public housing dwelling 
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units shall be subject to the following provisions to 
the same extent as public housing dwelling units: 
‘‘(A) Section 578 of the Quality Housing 
and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (42 
U.S.C. 13663; relating to ineligibility of dan-
gerous sex offenders). 
‘‘(B) Section 16(f) of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437n(f); re-
lating to ineligibility of certain drug offenders). 
‘‘(C) Sections 20 and 21 of the United 
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437r, 
1437s; relating to resident management). 
‘‘(D) Section 25 of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437w; relat-
ing to transfer of management at request of 
residents). 
‘‘(E) Section 6(k) of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437d(k); re-
lating to administrative grievance procedure). 
‘‘(F) Section 6(f) of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437d(f); re-
lating to housing quality requirements). 
‘‘(G) Part 964 of title 24, Code of Federal 
regulations (relating to tenant participation and 
opportunities). 
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‘‘(5) RETENTION OF RIGHTS.—Tenants occu-
pying a replacement housing unit shall have all 
rights provided to tenants of public housing under 
this Act. 
‘‘(6) SIZE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Replacement units 
shall be of comparable size, unless a market 
analysis shows a need for other sized units, in 
which case such need shall be addressed. 
‘‘(B) BEDROOMS.—The number of bed-
rooms within each replacement unit shall be 
sufficient to serve families displaced as a result 
of the demolition or disposition. 
‘‘(7) LOCATION ON SITE AND IN NEIGHBOR-
HOOD.— 
‘‘(A) ON-SITE REQUIREMENT RELATING TO 
DEMOLITION.—Subject to subparagraph (B), at 
least one-third of all replacement units for pub-
lic housing units demolished shall be public 
housing units constructed on the original public 
housing location, unless the Secretary deter-
mines that— 
‘‘(i) construction on such location 
would result in the violation of a consent 
decree; or 
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‘‘(ii) the land on which the public 
housing is located is environmentally un-
safe or geologically unstable. 
‘‘(B) TENANT CHOICE.—A public housing 
agency shall ensure that, in providing replace-
ment units pursuant to paragraph (1), suffi-
cient units are provided on the original location 
of any public housing demolished or in the same 
neighborhood of the public housing dwelling 
units being replaced to accommodate all tenants 
residing in the units demolished or disposed of 
at the time of such demolition or disposition 
who elect to remain in such location or neigh-
borhood.’’; 
(6) in subsection (f) (as so redesignated by 
paragraph (1) of this subsection)— 
(A) by striking the subsection designation 
and all that follow through ‘‘Nothing’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(f) TREATMENT OF OCCUPANCY.— 
‘‘(1) CONSOLIDATION OF OCCUPANCY WITHIN 
OR AMONG BUILDINGS.—Nothing’’; 
(B) by inserting before the period at the 
end the following: ‘‘, except that, a public hous-
ing agency submitting an application for demo-
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lition or disposition pursuant to this section 
may not consolidate any units during the period 
that begins upon submission of such application 
and ends upon approval of the application by 
the Secretary, except in cases of an imminent 
and substantial threat to health or safety’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(2) DETERMINATION
OF
OCCUPANCY.—For 
purposes of this subsection, the number of public 
housing residents residing in a development shall be 
determined as of the date the initial public housing 
agency plan or a proposed amendment thereto indi-
cating an intent to apply for a demolition application 
pursuant to subsection (b) of this section is or 
should have been presented to the resident advisory 
board for consideration, or in the case of a demoli-
tion application due to a natural disaster, on the 
date of the natural disaster. 
‘‘(3) RESIDENT PREFERENCES.—A public hous-
ing agency shall, not later than 90 days before sub-
mitting an application to the Secretary for demoli-
tion, disposition, or demolition or disposition or both 
pursuant to conversion under section 22 or 33— 
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‘‘(A) meet with and inform in writing all 
residents who occupied a public housing unit on 
the date determined in accordance with para-
graph (2) of this subsection of— 
‘‘(i) the public housing agency’s intent 
to submit an application for demolition, 
disposition, or both; 
‘‘(ii) their right to return and reloca-
tion housing options; and 
‘‘(iii) all planned replacement housing 
units; and 
‘‘(B) solicit from each resident information 
regarding the resident’s desire to return to the 
replacement housing units constructed upon the 
original public housing location or in the same 
neighborhood, interest in moving to other neigh-
borhoods or communities, or interest in retain-
ing a voucher for rental assistance.’’; and 
(7) by striking subsection (h) (as so redesig-
nated by paragraph (1) of this subsection) and in-
serting the following new subsection: 
‘‘(h) RELOCATION, NOTICE, APPLICATION
FOR 
VOUCHERS, AND DATA.—In the case of all relocation ac-
tivities resulting from, or that will result from, demolition, 
disposition, or demolition or disposition or both pursuant 
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to conversion under section 22 or 33 of this Act, of public 
housing dwelling units: 
‘‘(1) UNIFORM RELOCATION AND REAL PROP-
ERTY ACQUISITION ACT.—The Uniform Relocation 
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 
(42 U.S.C. 4601 et seq.) shall apply. To the extent 
the provisions of this subsection and such Act con-
flict, the provisions that provide greater protection 
to residents displaced by the demolition, disposition, 
or demolition and disposition, shall apply. 
‘‘(2) RELOCATION PLAN.—The public housing 
agency shall submit to the Secretary, together with 
the application for demolition or disposition, a relo-
cation plan providing for the relocation of residents 
occupying the public housing for which the demoli-
tion or disposition application is proposed, which 
shall include— 
‘‘(A) a statement of the estimated number 
of vouchers for rental assistance under section 
8 that will be needed for such relocation; 
‘‘(B) identification of the location of the 
replacement dwelling units that will be made 
available for permanent occupancy; and 
‘‘(C) a statement of whether any tem-
porary, off-site relocation of any residents is 
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necessary and a description of the plans for 
such relocation. 
‘‘(3) NOTICE
UPON
APPROVAL
OF
APPLICA-
TION.—Within a reasonable time after notice to the 
public housing agency of the approval of an applica-
tion for demolition or disposition, the public housing 
agency shall provide notice in writing, in plain and 
non-technical language, to the residents of the public 
housing subject to the approved application that— 
‘‘(A) states that the application has been 
approved; 
‘‘(B) describes the process involved to relo-
cate the residents, including a statement that 
the residents may not be relocated until the 
conditions set forth in paragraph (10) have 
been met; 
‘‘(C) provides information regarding relo-
cation options; 
‘‘(D) advises residents of the availability of 
relocation counseling as required in paragraph 
(8); and 
‘‘(E) provides information on the location 
of tenant-based vouchers issued by the agency. 
‘‘(4) NOTICE BEFORE RELOCATION.—Except in 
cases of a substantial and imminent threat to health 
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or safety, not later than 90 days before the date on 
which residents will be relocated, the public housing 
agency shall provide notice in writing, in plain and 
non-technical language, to each family residing in a 
public housing project that is subject to an approved 
demolition or disposition application, and in accord-
ance with such guidelines as the Secretary may issue 
governing such notifications, that— 
‘‘(A) the public housing project will be de-
molished or disposed of; 
‘‘(B) the demolition of the building in 
which the family resides will not commence 
until each resident of the building is relocated; 
and 
‘‘(C) if temporary, off-site relocation is 
necessary, each family displaced by such action 
shall be offered comparable housing— 
‘‘(i) that meets housing quality stand-
ards; 
‘‘(ii) that is located in an area that is 
generally not less desirable than the loca-
tion of the displaced family’s housing, 
which shall include at least one unit lo-
cated in an area of low poverty and one 
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unit located within the neighborhood of the 
original public housing site; 
‘‘(iii) that is identified and available 
to the family; and 
‘‘(iv) which shall include— 
‘‘(I) tenant-based assistance, ex-
cept that the requirement under this 
subparagraph regarding offering of 
comparable housing shall be fulfilled 
by use of tenant-based assistance only 
upon the relocation of the family into 
such housing; 
‘‘(II) project-based assistance; 
‘‘(III) occupancy in a unit oper-
ated or assisted by the public housing 
agency at a rental rate paid by the 
family that is comparable to the rent-
al rate applicable to the unit from 
which the family is relocated; and 
‘‘(IV) other comparable housing. 
‘‘(5) SEARCH
PERIOD.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, in the case of a household 
that is provided tenant-based assistance for reloca-
tion of the household under this section, the period 
during which the household may lease a dwelling 
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unit using such assistance shall not be shorter in du-
ration than the 150-day period that begins at the 
time a comparable replacement unit is made avail-
able to the family. If the household is unable to lease 
a dwelling unit using such assistance during such 
period, the public housing agency shall extend the 
period during which the household may lease a 
dwelling unit using such assistance, or at the ten-
ant’s request, shall provide the tenant with the next 
available comparable public housing unit or com-
parable housing unit for which project-based assist-
ance is provided. 
‘‘(6) PAYMENT OF RELOCATION EXPENSES.— 
The public housing agency shall provide for the pay-
ment of the actual and reasonable relocation ex-
penses, including security deposits, of each resident 
to be displaced and any other relocation expenses as 
are required by the Uniform Relocation Assistance 
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970. 
‘‘(7) COMPARABLE HOUSING.—The public hous-
ing agency shall ensure that each displaced resident 
is offered comparable housing in accordance with the 
notice under paragraph (4). 
‘‘(8) 
COMPREHENSIVE
RELOCATION
COUN-
SELING.—The public housing agency shall provide 
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all advisory programs and services as required by 
the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Prop-
erty Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 and counseling 
for residents who are displaced that shall fully in-
form residents to be displaced of all relocation op-
tions, which may include relocating to housing in a 
neighborhood with a lower concentration of poverty 
than their current residence, a neighborhood where 
relocation will not increase racial segregation, or re-
maining in the current neighborhood. Such coun-
seling shall also include providing school options for 
children and comprehensive housing search assist-
ance for household that receive a voucher for tenant- 
based assistance. 
‘‘(9) TIMING
OF
DEMOLITION
OR
DISPOSI-
TION.—The public housing agency shall not com-
mence demolition or complete disposition of a build-
ing subject to the approved application until all resi-
dents residing in the building are relocated. 
‘‘(10) AFFIRMATIVE
FURTHERANCE
OF
FAIR 
HOUSING.—The public housing agency shall have ob-
tained data regarding, and analyzed the potential 
impact of, the proposed demolition or disposition 
and relocation on persons protected by section 804 
of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3604), 
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including the tenants residing in the public housing 
project, occupants of the surrounding neighborhood, 
and neighborhoods into which project tenants are 
likely to be relocated, and persons on the agency’s 
waiting list, has described in the application for 
demolition or disposition actions that the public 
housing agency has taken or will take to mitigate 
those adverse impacts, and has certified in the pub-
lic housing agency plan for the agency, with sup-
porting information, that the proposed demolition or 
disposition, relocation, or replacement housing will 
be carried out in a manner that affirmatively fur-
thers fair housing, as described in section 808(e) of 
the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3608(e)). 
‘‘(11) TIMING
OF
RELOCATION.—The public 
housing agency shall not commence relocation prior 
to approval by the Secretary of the application for 
demolition or disposition, except in the case of a 
substantial and imminent threat to health or safety. 
‘‘(12) APPLICATION FOR VOUCHERS.—The pub-
lic housing agency shall submit to the Secretary an 
application for vouchers consistent with the obliga-
tions in subsection (e) (relating to replacement 
units) and the relocation obligations of this sub-
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section at the same time that the agency submits the 
application for demolition or disposition.’’; 
(8) in subsection (i) (as so redesignated by 
paragraph (1) of this subsection), by striking ‘‘may’’ 
and inserting ‘‘shall’’; and 
(9) by adding at the end the following new sub-
sections: 
‘‘(j) RIGHT OF RETURN.— 
‘‘(1) RIGHT.—Any person who, on the date de-
termined in accordance with subsection (f)(2), occu-
pies a public housing unit that is the subject of an 
application for demolition, disposition, or demolition 
or disposition or both subsequent to conversion pur-
suant to section 22 or 33, and whose tenancy or 
right of occupancy has not been validly terminated 
pursuant to section 6 or 8(o), shall be eligible to oc-
cupy a replacement federally assisted housing unit 
or voucher. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENT
TO
ALLOW
RETURN.—A 
public housing agency or any other manager of re-
placement housing units shall not, through the appli-
cation of any additional eligibility, screening, occu-
pancy, or other policy or practice, prevent any per-
son otherwise eligible under paragraph (1) from oc-
cupying a replacement housing unit. Such replace-
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ment dwelling unit shall be made available to each 
household displaced as a result of a demolition, dis-
position, or demolition or disposition or both pursu-
ant to conversion under section 22 or 33 before any 
replacement dwelling unit is made available to any 
other eligible household. 
‘‘(k) ENFORCEMENT.—Any affected person shall 
have the right to enforce this section pursuant to section 
1979 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (42 
U.S.C. 1983). Nothing in this section may be construed 
to limit the rights and remedies available under State or 
local law to any affected person.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect upon the date of the enact-
ment of this Act and shall apply to any demolition, disposi-
tion, or demolition and disposition, or both pursuant to 
conversion under section 22 or 33 of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437t, 1437z–5) that 
is approved by the Secretary after such date of the enact-
ment. 
SEC. 103. AUTHORITY TO CONVERT PUBLIC HOUSING TO 
VOUCHERS. 
Section 22 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
(42 U.S.C. 1437t) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b), by striking paragraph (3); 
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(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(g) ADMINISTRATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may require 
a public housing agency to provide to the Secretary 
or to public housing residents such information as 
the Secretary considers to be necessary for the ad-
ministration of this section. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY OF SECTION 18.—Section 
18 shall apply to the subsequent demolition or dis-
position of public housing dwelling units removed 
from the inventory of the public housing agency pur-
suant to this section.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (d)(5), by striking ‘‘section 
18(a)(5)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 18(b)(5)’’. 
SEC. 104. REQUIRED CONVERSION OF DISTRESSED PUBLIC 
HOUSING TO TENANT-BASED ASSISTANCE. 
Section 33(h)(2) of the United States Housing Act 
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437z–5(h)(2)) is amended by striking 
‘‘shall not apply to the demolition of public housing 
projects’’ and inserting ‘‘shall apply to the subsequent 
demolition or disposition of public housing dwelling units’’. 
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SEC. 105. LIMITATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING DWELLING 
UNITS. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, section 
85.31 of the regulations of the Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development (24 C.F.R. 85.31) and any regula-
tions implementing subpart B of part 970 of the Sec-
retary’s proposed regulations published in the Federal 
Register on October 16, 2014 (79 Fed. Reg. 62250; Dock-
et No. FR–5399–P–01) or any substantially similar regu-
lations shall not apply to real property that includes any 
dwelling units in public housing. 
SEC. 106. REGULATIONS. 
Not later than the expiration of the 120-day period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall issue 
regulations to carry out this title and the amendments 
made by this title. 
TITLE 
II—PUBLIC 
HOUSING 
PRESERVATION 
AND 
REHA-
BILITATION 
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Public Housing Pres-
ervation and Rehabilitation Act of 2015’’. 
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SEC. 202. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR CAP-
ITAL AND OPERATING FUNDS. 
Paragraph (2) of section 9(c) of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(c)(2)) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated for assistance under this section for pub-
lic housing agencies the following amounts: 
‘‘(A) CAPITAL FUND.—For each of fiscal 
years 2016 through 2025, for allocations of as-
sistance from the Capital Fund— 
‘‘(i) such sums as may be necessary to 
fully fund for each such year the estimated 
need of public housing agencies for assist-
ance from such Fund; and 
‘‘(ii) $5,000,000,000 for each such 
year for addressing backlogged need for as-
sistance from such Fund. 
‘‘(B) OPERATING FUND.—For each of fis-
cal years 2016 through 2025, for allocations of 
assistance from the Operating Fund, such sums 
as may be necessary to fully fund for each such 
year the estimated need of public housing agen-
cies for assistance from such Fund.’’. 
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SEC. 203. LEVERAGING OF OTHER ASSISTANCE. 
(a) CAPITAL FUND LOAN GUARANTEES.—Subsection 
(d) of section 9 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
(42 U.S.C. 1437g(d)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) LOAN GUARANTEES.— 
‘‘(A) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary may, 
upon such terms and conditions as the Sec-
retary may prescribe, guarantee and make com-
mitments to guarantee notes or other obliga-
tions issued by public housing agencies for the 
purposes of financing— 
‘‘(i) the rehabilitation of public hous-
ing owned by the agency; 
‘‘(ii) the modernization, through en-
ergy efficiency improvements, of public 
housing units owned by the agency; or 
‘‘(iii) the construction, rehabilitation, 
purchase, or conversion of units to replace 
public housing units that are demolished or 
disposed of pursuant to section 18 or con-
verted pursuant to section 22 or 33. 
‘‘(B) TERMS.—Notes or other obligations 
guaranteed pursuant to this paragraph shall be 
in such form and denominations, have such ma-
turities, and be subject to such conditions as 
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may be prescribed by regulations issued by the 
Secretary. The term of such loan guarantee 
shall not exceed 20 years. 
‘‘(C) LIMITATION
ON
PERCENTAGE.—A 
guarantee made pursuant to this paragraph 
shall guarantee repayment of 95 percent of the 
unpaid principal and interest due on the notes 
or other obligations guaranteed. 
‘‘(D) USE
OF
CAPITAL
AND
OPERATING 
FUNDS.—Funds allocated to an issuer pursuant 
to this subsection or subsection (e) may be used 
for payment of principal and interest due (in-
cluding such servicing, underwriting, or other 
costs as may be specified in regulations of the 
Secretary) on notes or other obligations guaran-
teed pursuant to this paragraph. 
‘‘(E) REPAYMENT.— 
‘‘(i) CONTRACT; PLEDGE.—To ensure 
the repayment of notes or other obligations 
guaranteed under this paragraph and 
charges incurred under this paragraph and 
as a condition for receiving such guaran-
tees, the Secretary shall require the issuer 
of any such note or obligation to— 
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incontestable in the hands of a holder of the 
guaranteed obligations. 
‘‘(G) AMOUNT.—Subject only to the ab-
sence of qualified requests for guarantees and 
to the availability of amounts to cover the costs 
(as such term is defined in section 502 of the 
Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 
661a)), as are provided in advance in appro-
priation Acts, the Secretary shall enter into 
commitments to guarantee notes and obliga-
tions under this paragraph having an aggregate 
principal amount of $500,000,000 each for fis-
cal years 2016, 2017, and 2018.’’. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR PROPERTIES WITH HOUS-
ING TAX CREDITS.—Section 9 of the United States Hous-
ing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(n) REQUIREMENTS FOR PROPERTIES WITH HOUS-
ING TAX CREDITS.—A public housing agency that utilizes 
tax credits under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 for rental housing units that are currently or for-
merly assisted under subsection (d) or (e) shall ensure, 
with respect to such units, that— 
‘‘(1) all significant tenant and applicants rights 
are continued and enforceable ; 
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‘‘(2) the agency retains its interest in the prop-
erty to the maximum extent possible, including 
through the use of a ground lease when feasible; 
‘‘(3) the agency maintains an active role in 
property management decisions and operations of 
such housing sufficient to guarantee access to rel-
evant information and public accountability; 
‘‘(4) long-term affordability protections are en-
forced, including such protections applicable in the 
event of default or foreclosure; and 
‘‘(5) affected tenants are provided information 
about the proposal for use of the property, before 
submission of the proposal to the Secretary, and an 
opportunity to comment on such proposal, pursuant 
to processes and requirements that are substantially 
similar to the requirements for tenant notice and 
comment under section 18.’’. 
SEC. 204. CAPITAL FUND FLEXIBILITY. 
Subsection (g) of section 9 of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(g)) is amended 
by striking paragraph (3). 
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TITLE III—CHOICE 
NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE 
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Choice Neighborhoods 
Initiative Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 302. GRANT AUTHORITY. 
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
may make competitive grants to eligible entities that sub-
mit transformation plans for eligible neighborhoods that 
will further the purposes of this title in such neighbor-
hoods. 
SEC. 303. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES. 
(a) PRIMARY APPLICANTS.—A grant under this title 
may be made only to a unit of local government, a public 
housing agency, or a nonprofit entity that owns a major 
housing project that is proposed to be assisted under a 
grant under this title, either as a sole applicant or as a 
co-applicant with another unit of local government or pub-
lic housing agency or with an entity specified in subsection 
(b). A nonprofit entity may be a sole applicant only if the 
application has the support of a local government. 
(b) CO-APPLICANTS.— 
(1) 
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
CORPORA-
TIONS.—A community development corporation (as 
such term is defined in section 204(b) of the Depart-
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ments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban 
Development, and Independent Agencies Appropria-
tions Act, 1997 (12 U.S.C. 1715z–11a(b))) may, at 
the request of an entity specified in subsection (a), 
be a co-applicant for a grant under this title. 
(2) FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES.—A for-profit entity 
that owns a major housing project that is proposed 
to be assisted under a grant under this title made 
in fiscal year 2016 or thereafter and that has an es-
tablished presence in the community may be a co-ap-
plicant for a grant under this title. 
(3) REQUIRED CO-APPLICANTS.—A grant under 
this title may not be made for an application that 
will involve transformation of a major public housing 
project unless the public housing agency having ju-
risdiction with respect to such project is the sole ap-
plicant or a co-applicant for such application. 
(c) PARTNERS.—Nothing in this section may be con-
strued to limit the ability of an applicant to partner with 
any entity in carrying out activities with a grant under 
this title. 
SEC. 304. ELIGIBLE NEIGHBORHOODS. 
A grant under this title may be made only for activi-
ties to be conducted in neighborhoods that have— 
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(1) a concentration of extreme poverty (as such 
term is defined in section 315); and 
(2) housing that is severely distressed housing 
(as such term is defined in section 315). 
SEC. 305. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Amounts from a grant under this 
title may be used only for transformational programs and 
activities in accordance with a transformation plan ap-
proved under section 306 that will further the purposes 
of this title. 
(b) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—Each transformation 
plan submitted pursuant to section 306 and implemented 
by a grantee under this title shall include the following 
activities: 
(1) The transformation of housing through re-
habilitation, preservation, or demolition and replace-
ment of severely distressed housing projects, expan-
sion of affordable housing opportunities, or any com-
bination thereof, which may incorporate energy-effi-
cient design principles. 
(2) The one-for-one replacement of any public 
and assisted housing units demolished or disposed of 
in accordance with the requirements under section 
308. 
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