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United States · Bill · HR

H.R. 2 (105th)

Housing Opportunity and Responsibility Act of 1997

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

7 January 1997

Last action

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Status

Received in the Senate and read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking.

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Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

7 April 2025

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Summary

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: General Provisions Title II: Public Housing Subtitle A: Block Grants Subtitle B: Admissions and Occupancy Requirements Subtitle C: Management Subtitle D: Homeownership Subtitle E: Disposition, Demolition, and Revitalization of Developments Subtitle F: General Provisions Title III: Choice-Based Rental Housing and Homeownership Assistance for Low-Income Families Subtitle A: Allocation Subtitle B: Choice-Based Housing Assistance for Eligible Families Subtitle C: Payment of Housing Assistance on Behalf of Assisted Families Subtitle D: General and Miscellaneous Provisions Title IV: Home Rule Flexible Grant Option Title V: Accountability and Oversight of Public Housing Agencies Subtitle A: Study of Alternative Methods for Evaluating Public Housing Agencies Subtitle B: Housing Evaluation and Accreditation Board Subtitle C: Interim Applicability of Public Housing Management Assessment Program Subtitle D: Accountability and Oversight Standards and Procedures Title VI: Repeals and Related Amendments Subtitle A: Repeals, Effective Date, and Savings Provisions Subtitle B: Other Provisions Relating to Public Housing and Rental Assistance Programs Subtitle C: Limitations Relating to Occupancy in Federally Assisted Housing Title VII: Affordable Housing and Miscellaneous Provisions Housing Opportunity and Responsibility Act of 1997 - Title I: General Provisions - Declares the purpose of this Act to be to provide affordable low-income housing through such means as deregulation of public housing agencies (PHAs) and increased Federal housing assistance flexibility. Defines specified terms for purposes of this Act. (Sec. 105) Requires each PHA and assisted tenant family to enter into a community work and family self-sufficiency agreement. (Sec. 106) Requires PHAs to submit to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Secretary): (1) five-year and annual management plans; and (2) performance and evaluation reports. (Sec. 111) Authorizes the Secretary to retain specified appropriations as a special use or emergency housing reserve fund. (Sec. 115) Makes the provisions of this Act inapplicable to Indian housing unless specifically provided otherwise. Title II: Public Housing - Subtitle A: Block Grants - Directs the Secretary to enter into block grant contracts with PHAs to establish capital and operating funds. Requires: (1) public housing developments to be State and locally tax-exempt; and (2) PHAs to identify distressed nonviable housing and convert public housing assistance for such units to rental housing assistance. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) eligible activities; (2) permanent and interim grant allocations; and (3) improper grant use sanctions. Subtitle B: Admissions and Occupancy Requirements - Limits public housing occupancy to families who at the time of initial occupancy qualify as low-income. Authorizes: (1) mixed income developments; (2) waiver of eligibility requirements for police and security officers; and (3) occupancy preferences. (Sec. 225) Permits families to choose either a flat or an income-based rent. (Sec. 227) Authorizes housing designated only for elderly families, disabled families, or elderly and disabled families. Subtitle C: Management - Authorizes public housing residents to establish resident councils and resident management corporations. (Sec. 235) Authorizes PHA-resident management corporation housing management contracts. (Sec. 236) Authorizes the Secretary to transfer management from a troubled PHA to an independent manager upon resident request. (Sec. 237) Provides for a resident (management) opportunity program. Obligates program funding. Subtitle D: Homeownership - Authorizes PHA low-income resident homeownership programs. Subtitle E: Disposition, Demolition, and Revitalization of Developments - Authorizes, and sets forth requirements for, PHA demolition and disposition of nonviable or nonmarketable housing. Gives resident organizations and management corporations right of first refusal. (Sec. 262) Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to PHAs for: (1) site revitalization; (2) density reduction (demolition); (3) replacement housing; and (4) choice-based assistance for replacement housing and displaced tenant aid. Authorizes appropriations. Terminates such program after September 30, 2000. (Sec. 263) Authorizes PHAs to convert a public housing development to a choice-based rental housing assistance system. Subtitle F: General Provisions - Authorizes block grant (capital and operating funds) appropriations. (Sec. 273) Obligates specified funds for: (1) the Operation Safe Home program; and (2) relocation of domestic violence victims. Title III: Choice-Based Rental Housing and Homeownership Assistance for Low-Income Families - Subtitle A: Allocation - Authorizes the Secretary to enter into one-year contracts with PHAs to provide low-income housing assistance under this title. Sets forth allocation provisions. (Sec. 306) Authorizes appropriations for: (1) general assistance; and (2) assistance for disabled families. (Sec. 307) Provides for the conversion of unobligated section 8 assistance (United States Housing Act of 1937) for use under this title. Subtitle B: Choice-Based Housing Assistance for Eligible Families - Sets forth income eligibility (low-income) and income targeting provisions. Provides for: (1) assistance portability; (2) monthly family rent contributions (with hardship exceptions); (3) owner and dwelling eligibility; (4) homeownership option; and (5) manufactured home eligibility. Subtitle C: Payment of Housing Assistance on Behalf of Assisted Families - Authorizes participating PHAs to enter into payment contracts with owners of existing units as provided for by this subtitle. Subtitle D: General and Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes PHAs to retain specified amounts of rental fraud recoveries. (Sec. 373) Directs the Secretary to conduct a study of assisted-family geographic concentration in the areas served by the Cook County (Illinois) and Chicago Housing Authorities. Title IV: Home Rule Flexible Grant Option - Directs the Secretary to carry out a flexible one-to-five year grant program under which jurisdictions shall enter into contracts to: (1) provide low-income housing; (2) reduce homelessness; and (3) increase low-income homeownership. Title V: Accountability and Oversight of Public Housing Agencies - Subtitle A: Study of Alternative Methods for Evaluating Public Housing Agencies - Directs the Secretary to provide for a study of alternative PHA performance evaluations. Obligates specified funds for such study. Subtitle B: Housing Evaluation and Accreditation Board - Establishes the Housing Foundation and Accreditation Board which shall establish PHA performance benchmarks and an accreditation procedure. Subjects the Board to General Accounting Office audit authority. Subtitle C: Interim Applicability for Public Housing Management Assessment Program - Directs the Secretary to develop and publish interim management assessment indicators for PHAs and other public housing managing entities. (Sec. 533) Directs the Secretary to establish procedures for designation of troubled PHAs and related on-site inspections. Subtitle D: Accountability and Oversight Standards and Procedures - Sets forth: (1) audit provisions; (2) performance agreement requirements for at-risk and troubled PHAs; and (3) conditions for removal of ineffective PHAs and mandatory takeover of chronically troubled PHAs. Makes such provisions applicable to resident management corporations. Title VI: Repeals and Related Amendments - Subtitle A: Repeals, Effective Date, and Savings Provisions - Repeals the United States Housing Act of 1937, with exceptions, effective six months after enactment of this Act. (Sec. 602) Repeals specified provisions of the following Acts: (1) the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (assisted housing allocation special projects for elderly or handicapped families); (2) Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (public housing rent waivers for police, excessive rent data, Indian housing childhood development, one-stop perinatal services, energy efficiency demonstration, mixed-income new communities demonstration, youth sports programs); (3) Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 (certificate and voucher holders, comprehensive transition demonstration); (4) Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (opportunity for fair housing, Omaha homeownership demonstration); (5) Housing Act of 1954; (6) Housing and Community Development Amendments of 1981 (development managers' payment); (7) Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1991; (8) Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983 (childhood development); (9) Department of Housing and Urban Development-Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1988; and (10) Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996 (public housing conversion). Subtitle B: Other Provisions Relating to Public Housing and Rental Assistance Programs - Amends the Housing Act of 1959 to require elderly housing assistance allocations to provide for the supportive needs of frail elderly residents. (Sec. 622) Amends the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983 to extend pet ownership provisions to federally assisted rental housing (currently limited to elderly or handicapped housing). (Sec. 623) Directs the Secretary to: (1) review specified PHA drug elimination program contracts to determine contractor compliance with hiring antidiscrimination and related requirements; and (2) either terminate or bring into compliance violating contracts. (Sec. 624) Community Partnership Against Crime Act of 1997 - Amends the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to revise the public housing drug elimination pilot program. Authorizes appropriations and sets forth allocation requirements. Subtitle C: Limitations Relating to Occupancy in Federally Assisted Housing - Makes any household or member evicted from federally assisted housing ineligible for federally assisted housing for specified time periods depending upon the nature of the eviction. Prohibits public housing admission (and permits eviction) for illegal drug and alcohol users, with consideration given for successful rehabilitation. Authorizes housing admission denial for criminal offenders and access to criminal records for screening and eviction purposes. Title VII: Affordable Housing and Miscellaneous Provisions - Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to make the city of Altus, Oklahoma, eligible for rural housing assistance for a specified period of time. (Sec. 702) Prohibits the Secretary from establishing a national occupancy standards. (Sec. 703) Directs the Secretary to implement the Ida Barbour Revitalization Plan for Portsmouth, Virginia, within a specified period of time. (Sec. 705) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to prohibit the use of community development block grants for employment relocation activities. (Sec. 706) Expresses the sense of the Congress that funds under this Act should be used to purchase American-make products. (Sec. 709) Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to authorize the transfer of surplus Federal property to self-help housing programs.

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