Gulf Coast Housing Accessibility Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to allocate additional assistance for project-based housing vouchers for individuals and households located within the disaster areas of Hurricane Katrina, Rita, or Wilma of 2005.
Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to set forth conditions for providing permanent and semipermanent housing units.
Instructs the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) enter into a mission assignment with the Secretary for a transfer of FEMA Disaster Relief Funds into the Disaster Voucher Program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and (2) transfer into the Disaster Voucher Program individuals and households receiving transitional housing, rental, or other related assistance.
Permits such individuals and families to opt-out of such a transfer.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6149 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6149
To enhance housing and emergency assistance to victims of Hurricanes
Katrina, Rita, and Wilma of 2005, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 21, 2006
Mr. Al Green of Texas (for himself, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Ms.
Corrine Brown of Florida, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Conyers, Ms.
Carson, Mr. Honda, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Stark, and Mr. Grijalva) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on
Financial Services and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance housing and emergency assistance to victims of Hurricanes
Katrina, Rita, and Wilma of 2005, 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 ``Gulf Coast Housing Accessibility Act
of 2006''.
SEC. 2. PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (in
this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall allocate additional
assistance for project-based housing vouchers under section 8(o)(13) of
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(13)) for
individuals and households located within the area in which assistance
to individuals has been authorized by the President under a declaration
of a major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act, as a consequence of Hurricane Katrina, Rita,
or Wilma of 2005.
(b) Authorized Uses.--The Secretary shall make funds available
under this section for project-based vouchers used to support--
(1) affordable housing in repaired or rebuilt housing that
has been damaged or destroyed as a consequence of Hurricane
Katrina, Rita, or Wilma of 2005; or
(2) to support affordable housing in new housing structures
in the affected areas created under the low income housing tax
credit under section 42 or section 1400N(c) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986.
(c) Funds.--
(1) In general.--Of amounts authorized under this section,
funds shall be made available for 4,500 project-based vouchers
for--
(A) support of housing units for persons, including
adults and children, with disabilities;
(B) elderly families; and
(C) individuals and families who were homeless
prior to the occurrence of the disaster.
(2) Definitions.--As used in this subsection:
(A) Disability.--The term ``disability'' has the
same meaning as in section 422(2) of the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11382(2)).
(B) Homeless.--The term ``homeless'' has the same
meaning as the term ``homeless children and youths'' as
defined in section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), except
that such term shall also include any adult individual
who is homeless.
(d) Requests for Assistance.--The Secretary shall award the
project-based vouchers authorized under this section to a State agency
designated by the Governor of the State, upon submission of a request
to the Secretary, in such form and containing such information as the
Secretary may require. If a State agency is unable to provide such a
request, a local housing agency may submit the request for funds to
implement project-based vouchers under this section. If a State agency
enters into an agreement with 1 or more local housing agencies to
transfer the administration of vouchers after commitment to a
particular development, the Secretary shall make the appropriate
transfer.
(e) Exemption From Certain Limitations.--The limitation provided
for in section 8(o)(13)(B) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f(o)(13)(B)) shall not apply to the project-based vouchers
allocated and administered under this section.
(f) Authorization of Funds.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary $200,000,000 for purposes of allocating and
administering project-based assistance under section 8(o)(13)
of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437f(o)(13)), which shall remain available until expended.
(2) Purpose.--Such funds are authorized for the purpose of
ensuring that 25 percent of the units created, repaired, or
refurbished under the low income housing tax credit under
section 42 or section 1400N(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, are affordable to very low-income and extremely low-
income individuals and households.
(g) Effective Date.--This section shall become effective upon
appropriation of the necessary funds to carry out this section.
(h) Offset.--Section 843(a) of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by--
(1) inserting ``(1)'' after ``(a)''; and
(2) adding at the end the following:
``(2) The Attorney General shall collect a user fee from each
licensee under this section of $0.02 per pound for any commercial, non-
military explosive material manufactured in or imported into the United
States by that licensee.''.
SEC. 3. FEMA HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
(a) Amendments to Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act.--Section 408(c)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(1)) is amended--
(1) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``semipermanent,
and permanent'' after ``temporary''; and
(2) in subparagraph (B)
(A) in clause (i)--
(i) by inserting ``semipermanent, and
permanent'' after ``temporary''; and
(ii) by inserting ``subject to certain
conditions outlined below'' after ``units'';
(B) by redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as
clauses (iii) and (iv), respectively; and
(C) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
``(ii) Conditions for providing temporary,
semipermanent, and permanent housing units.--
``(I) In general.--When determining
whether to provide temporary,
semipermanent, or permanent housing
under clause (i), the President shall
examine certain conditions, including--
``(aa) the relative cost
efficiency of providing the
housing units;
``(bb) the likelihood that
individuals and families will
be living in Federal Emergency
Management Agency (in this
subparagraph referred to as
`FEMA') assisted housing longer
than 3 to 6 months, due to the
scope of the disaster where
individuals and households are
located;
``(cc) the potential
benefits of providing housing
that will help to restore
permanent housing stock lost as
a result of the disaster; and
``(dd) any other conditions
that the President deems
necessary to examine, depending
on the scope of the disaster
and the subsequent rebuilding
and recovery process.
``(II) Meeting needs.--When
providing temporary, semipermanent, or
permanent housing units under clause
(i), the President shall ensure that--
``(aa) an adequate share of
the housing units will be
deployed to meet the needs of
predisaster renters, especially
low-income households;
``(bb) that the deployment
of the housing units will
minimize the concentration of
poverty;
``(cc) that an adequate
share of the housing units is
accessible for persons with
disabilities, as that term is
defined in section 422(2) of
the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
11382(2)); and
``(dd) the housing units
will be placed within a
reasonable distance from needed
services, such as access to
transportation, employment
opportunities, health care
facilities, schools, day care
services, and financial and
employment counseling.''.
(b) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made by this
section shall apply with respect to individuals and households
affected--
(1) by a disaster to which section 408(c)(1) of the Robert
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. 5174(c)(1)) would otherwise apply, occurring on or after
the date of enactment of this Act; and
(2) by the consequences of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and
Wilma of 2005.
SEC. 4. TRANSFER OF TEMPORARY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--The Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (in this section referred to as the ``Director'' and ``FEMA'',
respectively) shall enter into a mission assignment with the Secretary
to transfer adequate funds from FEMA Disaster Relief Funds into the
Disaster Voucher Program at the Department of Housing and Urban
Development in order to fully implement subsection (b).
(b) Transfers.--The Director shall ensure that the following
individuals and households are transferred into the Disaster Voucher
Program:
(1) Individuals and households receiving assistance through
FEMA's transitional housing program authorized under section
408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) .
(2) Individuals and households receiving assistance
through--
(A) rental assistance programs administered through
State and local voucher programs that receive
reimbursement from FEMA; or
(B) any other program authorized under section 403
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b).
(c) State and Local Governments.--FEMA shall work with State and
local governments, as well as private entities providing services, to
ensure that proper notice and assistance is provided to individuals and
households, while the transfer under this section is completed.
(d) Opt-Out Provision.--Individuals and families receiving FEMA
housing assistance under subsection (b) may opt-out of the transfer to
the Disaster Voucher Program authorized in subsection (a).
(e) Applicability.--This section shall apply with respect to
individuals and households affected--
(1) by a disaster occurring on or after the date of
enactment of this Act; and
(2) by the consequences of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and
Wilma of 2005.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.
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