I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 234 
To reform the requirements regarding the safety and security of families 
living in public and federally assisted housing in high-crime areas. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2019 
Ms. WILSON of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To reform the requirements regarding the safety and security 
of families living in public and federally assisted housing 
in high-crime areas. 
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 ‘‘Liberty City Rising 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SAFETY STANDARDS FOR FEDERALLY ASSISTED 
HOUSING IN HIGH-CRIME AREAS. 
(a) PUBLIC HOUSING.—Section 6(f)(2) of the United 
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437d(f)(2)) is 
amended— 
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(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary shall’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(A) SAFE
AND
HABITABLE.—The Sec-
retary shall’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) HIGH-CRIME AREAS.— 
‘‘(i) DEFINITION.—In this subpara-
graph, the term ‘high-crime area’ means a 
neighborhood or other small geographic 
area that the Secretary determines has a 
high incidence of violent crime, based on 
the most recent violent crime data avail-
able from a State, unit of local govern-
ment, or other source determined appro-
priate by the Secretary, that lists the types 
of crimes and number of offenses com-
mitted in the area. 
‘‘(ii) ADDITIONAL SAFETY AND SECU-
RITY
STANDARDS.—In addition to the 
standards under subparagraph (A), the 
Secretary shall establish standards to en-
sure the safety and security of dwellings 
located in a high-crime area. 
‘‘(iii) CONTENTS.—The standards es-
tablished under clause (ii)— 
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‘‘(I) shall require a public hous-
ing agency to consider security meas-
ures that meet the specific needs of a 
property or building; and 
‘‘(II) may include requirements 
related to security cameras, locks, 
lighting, or other security measures. 
‘‘(iv) ANONYMOUS HOTLINE.—A pub-
lic housing agency that operates a public 
housing project in a high-crime area shall 
establish an anonymous hotline for tenants 
to report suspicious activity and crimes 
that occur in the community in which the 
public housing project is located.’’. 
(b) PROJECT-BASED ASSISTED HOUSING.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 8(o)(13) of the 
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(o)(13)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(P) SAFETY AND SECURITY STANDARDS 
FOR HIGH-CRIME AREAS.— 
‘‘(i) DEFINITION.—In this subpara-
graph, the term ‘high-crime area’ means a 
neighborhood or other small geographic 
area that the Secretary determines has a 
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high incidence of violent crime, based on 
the most recent violent crime data avail-
able from a State, unit of local govern-
ment, or other source determined appro-
priate by the Secretary, that lists the types 
of crimes and number of offenses com-
mitted in the area. 
‘‘(ii) CONTRACT
REQUIREMENT.—An 
assistance contract for project-based assist-
ance entered into under this paragraph 
with respect to a structure shall require 
that the owner maintain the structure, if 
determined to be in a high-crime area, in 
a condition that complies with standards 
that meet or exceed the safety and security 
standards established under clause (iii). 
‘‘(iii) SAFETY AND SECURITY STAND-
ARDS.—The 
Secretary 
shall 
establish 
standards to ensure the safety and security 
of structures located in a high-crime area. 
‘‘(iv) CONTENTS.—The standards es-
tablished under clause (iii)— 
‘‘(I) shall require the owner of a 
structure that receives project-based 
assistance under this paragraph to 
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consider security measures that meet 
the specific needs of the structure; 
and 
‘‘(II) may include requirements 
related to security cameras, locks, 
lighting, or other security measures. 
‘‘(v) 
INSPECTIONS.—When 
deter-
mining whether a dwelling unit that is in 
a high-crime area meets the housing qual-
ity standards under paragraph (8)(A), a 
public housing agency shall also determine 
whether the dwelling unit meets the stand-
ards established under this subparagraph. 
‘‘(vi) ANONYMOUS HOTLINE.—A pub-
lic housing agency that provides project- 
based assistance under this paragraph with 
respect to a structure in a high-crime area 
shall establish an anonymous hotline for 
tenants to report suspicious activity and 
crimes that occur in the community in 
which the structure is located.’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
8(d)(2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
(42 U.S.C. 1437f(d)(2)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
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‘‘(E)(i) Subsection (o)(13)(P) (relating to safety and 
security standards for high-crime areas) shall apply to a 
contract for project-based assistance under this paragraph 
and to a public housing agency that enters into such a 
contract. 
‘‘(ii) When determining whether a structure assisted 
under this paragraph that is in a high-crime area, as de-
fined in subsection (o)(13)(P), meets any applicable hous-
ing quality standards, a public housing agency shall also 
determine whether the structure meets the safety and se-
curity standards established under that subsection.’’. 
(c) DEADLINES.— 
(1) DETERMINATION OF HIGH-CRIME AREAS.— 
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban De-
velopment shall make an initial determination as to 
which areas of the United States are high-crime 
areas 
for 
purposes 
of 
sections 
6(f)(2)(B), 
8(d)(2)(E), and 8(o)(13)(P) of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937, as added by this section. 
(2) SAFETY AND SECURITY STANDARDS.—Not 
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment shall establish the safety and security stand-
ards for public housing projects and other assisted 
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structures located in high-crime areas required 
under 
sections 
6(f)(2)(B), 
8(d)(2)(E), 
and 
8(o)(13)(P) of the United States Housing Act of 
1937, as added by this section. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PRIORITY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS 
IN HIGH-CRIME AREAS. 
Section 9(d) of the United States Housing Act of 
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(d)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(4) EMERGENCY
SAFETY
AND
SECURITY 
FUNDING
PRIORITY
FOR
HIGH-CRIME
AREAS.—In 
awarding grants for safety and security measures 
using amounts from the Capital Fund, the Secretary 
shall give priority to an application from a public 
housing agency that proposes to use the grant for a 
public housing project located in a high-crime area 
(as defined in section 6(f)(2)(B)).’’. 
Æ 
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