Sec. 203. Planning and implementation grants for affordable housing
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Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment if this section, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall, using selection criteria determined by the Secretary, award grants on a competitive basis to regional planning agencies or consortia to use to assist planning activities with respect to affordable housing, including— the development of housing plans; the substantial improvement of State or local housing strategies; the development of new regulatory requirements and processes; the reforming of zoning codes; increasing the capacity to conduct housing inspections; increasing the capacity to reduce barriers to housing supply elasticity and housing affordability; the development of local or regional plans for community development; and the substantial improvement of community development strategies, including strategies designed to— increase the availability of affordable housing and access to affordable housing; increase access to public transportation; and advance sustainable or location-efficient community development goals.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment if this section, the Secretary shall award implementation grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to use to— implement and administer housing strategies and housing plans; fund any community investments that support goals identified in a housing strategy or housing plan; implement and administer regulatory requirements and processes with respect to reformed zoning codes; increase the capacity to conduct housing inspections; increase the capacity to reduce barriers to housing supply elasticity and housing affordability; implement and administer local or regional plans for community development; and fund any planning to increase— the availability of affordable housing and access to affordable housing; access to public transportation; and any location-efficient community development goals.
In this subsection: The term eligible entity means a State, insular area, metropolitan city, or urban county, as such terms are defined in section 102 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. The term housing plan means a plan to, with respect to an area within the jurisdiction of an eligible entity— increase the amount of available housing to meet the demand for such housing and any projected increase in the demand for such housing; increase the affordability of housing; increase the accessibility of housing for people with disabilities, including location-efficient housing; preserve or improve the quality of housing; reduce barriers to housing development; and coordinate with transportation-related agencies.
The term housing strategy means a housing strategy required under section 105 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act. To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall coordinate with the Federal Transit Administrator in carrying out this section. Any entity that receives a grant under this section may not use more than 15 percent of such grant amounts for administrative costs. Except as otherwise provided by this section, amounts appropriated or otherwise made available under this section shall be subject to the community development block grant program requirements under subsection (a)(1).
Expenditures on new construction of housing shall be an eligible expense under this section. Expenditures on building for the general conduct of government, other than the Federal Government, shall be eligible under this section when necessary and appropriate as a part of a natural hazard mitigation project.