Housing for Afghan Allies Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.5072 | Sponsor: Rep. Bera, Ami (D-CA)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Housing for Afghan Allies Act of 2021
This bill allows state and local governments receiving emergency rental assistance funds for unemployed persons, persons with hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and persons at risk of homelessness to use some of those funds to provide rent and utility assistance to certain individuals and families from Afghanistan.
The funds may be used to provide such assistance to individuals and families who are citizens or nationals of Afghanistan, who are present within the United States, and who have been granted special immigrant status or have received priority 2 refugee designation.
A special immigrant is an immigrant who qualifies for a permanent residence after meeting certain criteria. A priority 2 refugee designation grants U.S. Refugee Admissions Program access to certain immigrants, including Afghan immigrants who do not qualify as special immigrants but who may be at risk because of their U.S. affiliation.

To authorize use of rental assistance amounts for individuals and 
           families from Afghanistan, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Housing for Afghan Allies Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. USE OF EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Fiscal Year 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act Funds.--
Subsection (c) of section 501 of subtitle A of title V of division N of 
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9058a(c)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(5) Use for individuals and families from afghanistan.--
        Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an 
        eligible grantee may use not more than 25 percent of funds 
        provided from a payment made under this section to provide 
        financial assistance to pay rent, utilities, and home energy 
        costs for any individual who is, or any household comprised of 
        members who--
                    ``(A) are citizens or nationals of Afghanistan;
                    ``(B) are present within the United States; and
                    ``(C) have--
                            ``(i) been granted special immigrant status 
                        as described in section 602(b) of the Afghan 
                        Allies Protection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 
                        note); or
                            ``(ii) received Priority 2 (P-2) refugee 
                        designation.''.
    (b) ARPA Funds.--Subsection (d) of section 3201 of the American 
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9058c(d)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Use for individuals and families from afghanistan.--
        Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an 
        eligible grantee may use not more than 25 percent of funds 
        provided from a payment made under this section to provide 
        financial assistance to pay rent, utilities, and home energy 
        costs for any individual who is, or any household comprised of 
        members who--
                    ``(A) are citizens or nationals of Afghanistan;
                    ``(B) are present within the United States; and
                    ``(C) have--
                            ``(i) been granted special immigrant status 
                        as described in section 602(b) of the Afghan 
                        Allies Protection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 
                        note); or
                            ``(ii) received Priority 2 (P-2) refugee 
                        designation.''.
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