I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 839
To amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development to administer a program of construc-
tion and revitalization of public housing, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 26, 1997
Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. EVANS, Mrs. MEEK of Florida,
and Ms. WATERS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Banking and Financial Services
A BILL
To amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to
administer a program of construction and revitalization
of public housing, 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 ‘‘Jesse Gray Housing
Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) the number of rental dwelling units avail-
able for lower income families is insufficient, and the
physical condition of a substantial portion of such
dwelling units is inadequate;
(2) new construction of rental dwelling units is
occurring primarily in higher income areas;
(3) Federal housing assistance programs, such
as rent subsidies, vouchers, and other rental and
mortgage assistance, too frequently assist middle
and higher income families and do not meet the de-
mand for housing by lower income families;
(4) such Federal housing assistance programs
are not cost-effective, due to a lack of suitable rental
dwelling units available for lower income families;
and
(5) a significant number of families are paying
more than 25 percent of their monthly income for
rent.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to ensure that all families in the United
States have access to rental dwelling units at rents
that are not more than 25 percent of their monthly
income, and that such rental dwelling units are de-
cent, safe, and sanitary;
(2) to ensure that all funds for housing assist-
ance by the Federal Government benefit lower in-
come families by requiring the Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development to propose that Federal
housing assistance be limited to lower income fami-
lies;
(3) to encourage the establishment of a public
housing system that consists of—
(A) projects located throughout metropoli-
tan and rural areas;
(B) low-density projects, to the extent
practicable; and
(C) dwelling units that are visually indis-
tinguishable from comparable privately owned
dwelling units;
(4) to provide for the revitalization of the hous-
ing construction industry and related industries; and
(5) to remedy the discriminatory practices of
construction unions by providing for the establish-
ment of special procedures for employing individuals
to construct and revitalize public housing.
SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC HOUSING.
Section 5 of the United States Housing Act of 1937
(42 U.S.C. 1437c) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
‘‘(m)(1) The Secretary shall carry out a program for
the construction of 500,000 new dwelling units in public
housing during each of the fiscal years 1998 through
2007.
‘‘(2) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this subsection such sums as may be necessary for
each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2007. Any amount
appropriated under this paragraph shall remain available
until expended.’’.
SEC. 4. REVITALIZATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING.
Section 14(b) of the United States Housing Act of
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437l(b)) is amended by adding at the
end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(3)(A) To the extent approved in appropriation Acts
and subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall make
available and contract to make available financial assist-
ance under this subsection, in addition to financial assist-
ance made available under paragraphs (1) and (2). In
making assistance available under this paragraph, the Sec-
retary shall give particular preference to public housing
agencies requesting such assistance for public housing
projects that the Secretary determines would likely have
been subject to demolition or disposition under section 18,
as such section was in effect before the date of the enact-
ment of the Jesse Gray Housing Act.
‘‘(B) For purposes of this paragraph, the aggregate
amount of budget authority that may be obligated for con-
tracts for annual contributions is increased on October 1
of each of the years 1997 through 2006 by the amount
necessary to provide for the revitalization of 100,000
dwelling units in public housing during each of the fiscal
years 1998 through 2007, respectively.’’.
SEC. 5. PROHIBITION OF DEMOLITION AND DISPOSITION
OF PUBLIC HOUSING.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 18(a) of the United
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437p(a)) is
amended by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and all that follows
and inserting the following: ‘‘The Secretary may not au-
thorize any public housing agency to demolish or dispose
of any public housing project or any portion of a public
housing project.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 18 of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 is amended—
(1) by striking subsections (b), (c), (e), and (f);
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘without ob-
taining the approval of the Secretary and satisfying
the conditions specified in subsections (a) and (b)’’;
and
(3) by redesignating subsections (d) and (g) as
subsections (b) and (c), respectively.
SEC. 6. EMPLOYMENT IN PUBLIC HOUSING CONSTRUCTION
AND REVITALIZATION.
Title I of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following new section:
‘‘EMPLOYMENT IN PUBLIC HOUSING CONSTRUCTION AND
REVITALIZATION
‘‘SEC. 29. (a) IN GENERAL.—In connection with any
construction and revitalization of public housing under
sections 5 and 14, each public housing agency shall carry
out a program of job training and employment of individ-
uals residing in the area with respect to which such public
housing agency has authority. Each such program shall
give preference to such individuals who reside in public
housing.
‘‘(b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—
‘‘(1) Each training and employment program
required in subsection (a) shall provide that 50 per-
cent of the individuals employed in connection with
the construction of any public housing project shall
be individuals described in such subsection. Of the
individuals employed under this paragraph, 60 per-
cent shall be trained and employed in skilled and
semiskilled positions.
‘‘(2) Each training and employment program
required in subsection (a) shall provide that 35 per-
cent of the individuals employed in connection with
the revitalization of any public housing project shall
be individuals described in such subsection. Of the
individuals employed under this paragraph, 70 per-
cent shall be trained and employed in skilled and
semiskilled positions.
‘‘(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall issue such
regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provi-
sions of this section.’’.
SEC. 7. TENANT RENT CONTRIBUTIONS.
(a) LOWER INCOME HOUSING UNDER THE UNITED
STATES HOUSING ACT
OF 1937.—The United States
Housing Act of 1937 is amended—
(1) 
in 
section 
3(a)(1)(A) 
(42 
U.S.C.
1437a(a)(1)(A)), by striking ‘‘30’’ and inserting
‘‘25’’;
(2) in section 8(o) (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)), by
striking ‘‘30’’ each place it appears and inserting
‘‘25’’;
(3) in section 8(u)(2) (42 U.S.C. 1437f(u)(2)),
by striking ‘‘30’’ and inserting ‘‘25’’;
prepare and submit to the Congress a comprehensive re-
port setting forth a proposal to limit Federal housing as-
sistance to assistance for public housing in order to ensure
that all funds for housing assistance provided by the Fed-
eral Government benefit lower income families.
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