[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3949 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3949
To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make
grants to States for use to eliminate blight and assist in neighborhood
revitalization, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 16, 2021
Mr. Ryan (for himself and Mr. McKinley) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
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A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make
grants to States for use to eliminate blight and assist in neighborhood
revitalization, 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 ``Clean Up Our Neighborhoods Act of
2021''.
SEC. 2. BLIGHT ELIMINATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION GRANTS.
(a) Authority.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may
make grants under this section, on a competitive basis, to States for
use for eligible activities under subsection (c)(1) designed to
eliminate blight and promote neighborhood revitalization.
(b) Use in New Market Tax Credit Areas.--Amounts from a grant under
this section may be used only to carry out eligible activities under
subsection (c)(1) within low-income communities, as such term if
defined in subsection (g).
(c) Eligible Activities.--
(1) In general.--Amounts from a grant under this section
may be used only for the following activities:
(A) Demolition, clearance, and removal of blighted
structures.
(B) Boarding of vacant properties and blighted
structures.
(C) Deconstruction of structures.
(D) Removal of waste and site clearance and vacant
land management.
(E) Stabilization activities in connection with
providing vacant, open green space for the purpose of
public access and redevelopment, including greening
projects, and associated maintenance activities,
including mowing.
(F) Renovation of existing structures, except that
not more than 30 percent of any grant under this
section may be used for such activities.
(2) Use of amounts by local governments.--A grantee State
may use amounts from a grant under this Act to carry out
eligible activities under paragraph (1) or may provide such
amounts to land banks or units of general local government
within the State whose jurisdictions include low-income
communities for use to carry out such eligible activities
within such low-income communities.
(3) Priority for land banks.--In areas where land banks
exist, a grantee State shall give priority, in the use of
amounts from a grant under this Act, to eligible activities
that will be carried out by land banks, in accordance with such
requirements as the Secretary shall establish.
(4) Prohibition.--Amounts from a grant under this section
may not be used to acquire any occupied residential dwelling
unit.
(d) Matching Requirement.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall require each State
that receives a grant under this section to contribute, toward
carrying out the plan for the State under subsection (e)(2), an
amount of matching funds from non-Federal sources that is equal
to or greater than 15 percent of the amount of the grant.
(2) Use of sale proceeds.--Any proceeds from sales of
properties renovated pursuant to subsection (c)(1)(F) may be
counted toward compliance with the requirement under paragraph
(1).
(e) Application and Plan.--
(1) Application.--A grant under this section may only be
provided to a State that submits to the Secretary an
application for such a grant that contains a plan for use of
grant funds in accordance with paragraph (2) and such other
information, certifications, and assurances as the Secretary
considers necessary to provide for selection of States in
accordance with the process and criteria under subsection (f).
(2) Plan.--A plan under this paragraph shall be a detailed
5-year plan for the use of grant amounts under this section and
matching amounts contributed pursuant to subsection (d) that
includes--
(A) identification of the low-income communities in
which eligible activities under subsection (c)(1) will
be carried out using grant and matching amounts;
(B) a description of the eligible activities under
subsection (c)(1) to be carried out using grant and
matching amounts;
(C) a timetable for carrying out such eligible
activities, which shall provide for the expenditure of
grant and matching amounts within 5 years after
receipt; and
(D) identification of the sources of matching
amounts to be provided in accordance with subsection
(d) and assurances of the availability of such matching
amounts.
(f) Selection; Criteria.--The Secretary shall select applications
to receive grants under this section pursuant to a competition and
based on criteria as established by the Secretary for such selection.
(g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the following
definitions shall apply:
(1) Land bank.--The term ``land bank'' means--
(A) a land bank, as such term is defined under
State law; and
(B) with respect to any State for which the laws of
such State do not explicitly define such term, any
publicly or community-owned entity established for the
purpose of reducing or preventing blight by acquiring,
managing, maintaining, and re-purposing vacant,
abandoned, and foreclosed properties, including
abandoned houses and buildings and empty lots.
(2) Low-income community.--The term ``low-income
community'' has the meaning given such term in section 45D of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 45D) and includes
any census tract or other area that is treated as a low-income
community for purposes of such section.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development.
(4) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern
Mariana Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,
and any other territory or possession of the United States.
(5) Structure.--The term ``structure'' includes residential
structures and commercial structures.
(h) Regulations.--The Secretary shall issue any regulations
necessary to carry out this section.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for grants under this
section for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2027.
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