Vacant Property for the Unhoused Act

Bill: 118-s-5516
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2024-12-12
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5516 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 12, 2024 Mr. Booker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs A BILL To establish a new Housing and Urban Development grant program to provide community land trusts and other community-based housing organizations an incentive to convert vacant housing into readily available housing for unhoused individuals.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Vacant Property for the Unhoused Act . 2. Grant program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Community land trust The term community land trust means a nonprofit organization— (A) the primary purpose of which is the development and maintenance of housing that is permanently affordable to low- and moderate-income persons; (B) that is not sponsored or controlled by a for-profit organization; (C) that uses a lease, covenant, agreement, or other enforceable mechanisms to require housing and related improvements on land held by the nonprofit organization to be affordable to low- and moderate-income persons for not less than 30 years; and (D) that retains a right of first refusal or preemptive right to purchase the housing and related improvements on land held by the nonprofit organization to maintain long-term affordability. (2) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means a community land trust or other community-based housing organization, including a housing cooperative, mutual housing association, resident-owned community, or other model emphasizing community control, ownership, and representation. (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. (4) Supportive services The term supportive services has the meaning given the term in section 401 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 11360 ). (5) Unhoused individual The term unhoused individual has the meaning given the term homeless individual in section 103(a) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 11302 ). (6) Vacant housing The term vacant housing means a vacant residential property. (b) Finding; purpose (1) Finding Congress finds that the persistence of homelessness, despite the abundance of vacant houses in the United States, presents an opportunity for community land trusts and other community-based housing organizations to utilize their vacant housing resources to create long-term, stable housing for unhoused individuals. (2) Purpose The purpose of this Act is to reduce homelessness by providing grants to community land trusts and other community-based housing organizations to convert vacant housing into readily available housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. (c) Vacant Property For The Unhoused Grant Program (1) Grants for filling vacant housing During the 5-fiscal-year period beginning with the first full fiscal year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall carry out a program under which the Secretary awards grants to eligible entities to assist the eligible entities in creating pilot programs that use creative solutions to convert vacant housing, where safe and practicable, into long-term, stable housing for use by unhoused individuals who seek to utilize the existing housing stock. (2) Priority In awarding grants under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall prioritize— (A) applicants located in jurisdictions with a high rate of homelessness, as determined by the Secretary using data from the most recent Annual Homeless Assessment Report; (B) applicants that provide or connect residents with supportive services, including job training, health care, and education; (C) applicants that demonstrate meaningful community representation, including representation within the eligible entity, of— (i) unhoused individuals or formerly unhoused individuals; (ii) residents of the community in which the eligible entity operates; and (iii) people who work at or own businesses in the community in which the eligible entity operates; (D) applicants that operate programs with extended affordability covenants and mechanisms that support long-term affordability; and (E) applicants— (i) that implement equitable tenant screening practices that limit the use of eviction history and other exclusionary criteria in ways that prioritize housing access for unhoused individuals; and (ii) whose protocols remove barriers and emphasize an individual's ability to sustain housing rather than punitive criteria. (3) Application (A) In general An eligible entity desiring a grant under paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied by such information, as the Secretary may reasonably require. (B) Contents An application submitted under subparagraph (A) shall include an assurance that the eligible entity will use the grant to convert housing for the purpose of providing long-term, stable housing to unhoused individuals. (4) Eligible uses of funds An eligible entity that receives a grant under paragraph (1) may use the grant funds to establish long-term, stable housing for use by unhoused individuals by— (A) converting vacant residential property in the possession of the eligible entity; (B) covering costs associated with upgrades to increase the habitability of vacant housing; or (C) covering costs associated with long-term maintenance and upkeep of housing that has been converted under subparagraph (A). (5) Annual report The Secretary shall submit an annual report to Congress regarding the use of funds under this section and the success of the grant program carried out under this section. (6) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.