(A) 30 percent of the median income in 
the area where the family lives, as determined 
by the Secretary, with appropriate adjustments 
for the size of the family; or 
(B) a percentage of the median income in 
the area where the family lives, as determined 
by the Secretary upon a finding by the Sec-
retary that such percentage is necessary due to 
unusually high or low family incomes in the 
area where the family lives. 
(6) HEALTHY
HOUSING.—The term ‘‘healthy 
housing’’ means housing that is designed, con-
structed, rehabilitated, and maintained in a manner 
that supports the health of the occupants of the 
housing. 
(7) HOUSING-RELATED HEALTH HAZARD.—The 
term ‘‘housing-related health hazard’’ means any bi-
ological, physical, or chemical source of exposure or 
condition in, or immediately adjacent to, housing 
that could adversely affect human health. 
(8) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 
has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Native 
American Housing Assistance and Self-Determina-
tion Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103). 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(9) LIVABLE COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘livable 
community’’ means a metropolitan, urban, suburban, 
or rural community that— 
(A) provides safe, reliable, and accessible 
transportation choices; 
(B) provides long-term affordable, acces-
sible, energy-efficient, and location-efficient 
housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, 
races, and ethnicities; 
(C) supports, revitalizes, and encourages 
the growth of existing communities and maxi-
mizes the cost-effectiveness of existing infra-
structure; 
(D) promotes economic development and 
economic competitiveness; 
(E) preserves the environment and natural 
resources; 
(F) protects agricultural land, rural land, 
and green spaces; and 
(G) supports public health and improves 
the quality of life for residents of, and workers 
in, the community. 
(10) LOCATION-EFFICIENT.—The term ‘‘loca-
tion-efficient’’ characterizes mixed-use development 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
or neighborhoods that integrate housing, commercial 
development, and facilities and amenities— 
(A) to lower living expenses for working 
families; 
(B) to enhance mobility; 
(C) to encourage private investment in 
transit-oriented development; and 
(D) to encourage private sector infill devel-
opment and maximize the use of existing infra-
structure. 
(11) LOW-INCOME FAMILY.—The term ‘‘low-in-
come family’’ has the meaning given that term in 
section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)). 
(12) METROPOLITAN
PLANNING
ORGANIZA-
TION.—The term ‘‘metropolitan planning organiza-
tion’’ means a metropolitan planning organization 
described in section 134(b) of title 23, United States 
Code or section 5303(b) of title 49, United States 
Code. 
(13) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the 
Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities es-
tablished under section 5. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(14) REGIONAL COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘regional 
council’’ means a multiservice regional organization 
with State and locally defined boundaries that is— 
(A) accountable to units of general local 
government; 
(B) delivers a variety of Federal, State, 
and local programs; and 
(C) performs planning functions and pro-
vides professional and technical assistance. 
(15) RURAL
PLANNING
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘‘rural planning organization’’ means a vol-
untary regional organization of local elected officials 
and representatives of local transportation systems 
that— 
(A) works in cooperation with the depart-
ment of transportation (or equivalent entity) of 
a State to plan transportation networks and ad-
vise officials of the State on transportation 
planning; and 
(B) is located in a rural area— 
(i) with a population of not less than 
5,000; and 
(ii) that is not located in an area rep-
resented by a metropolitan planning orga-
nization. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(16) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment. 
(17) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean-
ing given that term by the Secretary, by rule. 
(18) TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.—The 
term ‘‘transit-oriented development’’ means high- 
density, walkable, location-efficient, mixed-use devel-
opment, including commercial development, afford-
able housing, and market-rate housing, that is with-
in walking distance of and accessible to 1 or more 
public transportation facilities. 
(19) UNIT
OF
GENERAL
LOCAL
GOVERN-
MENT.—The term ‘‘unit of general local govern-
ment’’ means— 
(A) a city, county, town, township, parish, 
village, or other general purpose political sub-
division of a State; or 
(B) a combination of general purpose polit-
ical subdivisions, as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
(20) UNIT OF SPECIAL PURPOSE LOCAL GOV-
ERNMENT.—The term ‘‘unit of special purpose local 
government’’— 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(A) means a division of a unit of general 
purpose government that serves a special pur-
pose and does not provide a broad array of 
services; and 
(B) includes an entity such as a school dis-
trict, a housing agency, a transit agency, and a 
parks and recreation district. 
(21) VERY
LOW-INCOME
FAMILY.—The term 
‘‘very low-income family’’ has the same meaning as 
in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)). 
SEC. 5. OFFICE OF SUSTAINABLE HOUSING AND COMMU-
NITIES. 
(a) OFFICE ESTABLISHED.—There is established in 
the Department an Office of Sustainable Housing and 
Communities, which shall— 
(1) coordinate Federal policies that— 
(A) encourage locally directed comprehen-
sive and integrated planning and development 
at the State, regional, and local levels; 
(B) encourage coordinated public invest-
ments through the development of comprehen-
sive regional plans; 
(C) provide long-term affordable, acces-
sible, energy-efficient, healthy, location-efficient 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, 
races, and ethnicities, particularly for low-, very 
low-, and extremely low-income families; and 
(D) achieve other goals consistent with the 
purposes of this Act; 
(2) review Federal programs and policies to de-
termine barriers to interagency collaboration and 
make recommendations to promote the ability of 
local communities to access resources in the Depart-
ment and throughout the Federal Government and 
coordinate with and conduct outreach to Federal 
agencies, including the Department of Transpor-
tation and the Environmental Protection Agency, on 
methods to reduce duplicative programs and improve 
the efficiency and effectiveness of programs within 
the Department of Transportation, the Environ-
mental Protection Agency, and the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development; 
(3) conduct research and advise the Secretary 
on the research agenda of the Department relating 
to coordinated development, in collaboration with the 
Office of Policy Development and Research of the 
Department; 
(4) implement and oversee the grant programs 
established under this Act by— 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(A) developing the process and format for 
grant applications for each grant program; 
(B) promulgating regulations or guidance 
relating to each grant program; 
(C) selecting recipients of grants under 
each grant program; 
(D) creating performance measures for re-
cipients of grants under each grant program; 
(E) developing technical assistance and 
other guidance to assist recipients of grants and 
potential applicants for grants under each grant 
program; 
(F) monitoring and evaluating the per-
formance of recipients of grants under each 
grant program; and 
(G) carrying out such other activities relat-
ing to the administration of the grant programs 
under this Act as the Secretary determines are 
necessary; 
(5) provide guidance, information on best prac-
tices, and technical assistance to communities seek-
ing to adopt sustainable development policies and 
practices; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(6) administer initiatives of the Department re-
lating to the policies described in paragraph (1), as 
determined by the Secretary; and 
(7) work with the Federal Transit Administra-
tion of the Department of Transportation and other 
offices and administrations of the Department of 
Transportation, as appropriate— 
(A) to encourage transit-oriented develop-
ment; and 
(B) to coordinate Federal housing, commu-
nity development, and transportation policies, 
including the policies described in paragraph 
(1). 
(b) DIRECTOR.—The head of the Office shall be the 
Director of the Office of Sustainable Housing and Com-
munities. 
(c) DUTIES RELATING TO GRANT PROGRAMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall carry out 
the grant programs established under this Act. 
(2) SMALL AND RURAL COMMUNITIES GRANTS 
PROGRAM.—The Director shall coordinate with the 
Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to small 
and rural communities under sections 7 and 8. 
(3) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
FOR
GRANT
RE-
CIPIENTS AND APPLICANTS.—The Director may— 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(A) coordinate with other Federal agencies 
to establish interagency and multidisciplinary 
teams to provide technical assistance to recipi-
ents of, and prospective applicants for, grants 
under this Act; 
(B) by Federal interagency agreement, 
transfer funds to another Federal agency to fa-
cilitate and support technical assistance; and 
(C) make contracts with third parties to 
provide technical assistance to grant recipients 
and prospective applicants for grants. 
SEC. 6. COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘consortium of units of general 
local governments’’ means a consortium of geo-
graphically contiguous units of general local govern-
ment that the Secretary determines— 
(A) represents all or part of a metropolitan 
statistical area, a micropolitan statistical area, 
or a noncore area; 
(B) has the authority under State, tribal, 
or local law to carry out planning activities, in-
cluding surveys, land use studies, environmental 
or public health analyses, and development of 
urban revitalization plans; and 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(C) has provided documentation to the 
Secretary sufficient to demonstrate that the 
purpose of the consortium is to carry out a 
project using a grant awarded under this Act; 
(2) the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 
(A) a partnership between a consortium of 
units of general local government and an eligi-
ble partner; or 
(B) an Indian tribe, if— 
(i) the Indian tribe has— 
(I) a tribal entity that performs 
housing and land use planning func-
tions; and 
(II) a tribal entity that performs 
transportation 
and 
transportation 
planning functions; and 
(ii) the Secretary determines that the 
isolated location and land expanse of the 
Indian tribe require the Secretary to treat 
the tribe as an eligible entity for purposes 
of carrying out activities using a grant 
under this section; 
(3) the term ‘‘eligible partner’’ means— 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(A) a metropolitan planning organization, 
a rural planning organization, or a regional 
council; or 
(B) a metropolitan planning organization, 
a rural planning organization, or a regional 
council, and— 
(i) a State; 
(ii) an Indian tribe; 
(iii) a State and an Indian tribe; or 
(iv) an institution of higher education; 
(4) the term ‘‘grant program’’ means the com-
prehensive planning grant program established 
under subsection (b); and 
(5) the term ‘‘noncore area’’ means a county or 
group of counties that are not designated by the Of-
fice of Management and Budget as a micropolitan 
statistical area or metropolitan statistical area. 
(b) COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM 
ESTABLISHED.—The Director shall establish a com-
prehensive planning grant program to make grants to eli-
gible entities to carry out a project— 
(1) to coordinate locally defined planning proc-
esses, across jurisdictions and agencies; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:04 Nov 05, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3325.IH
H3325
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS