§ 12747 — Allocation Of Resources

(1) After reserving amounts under paragraph (3) for the insular areas, the Secretary shall allocate funds approved in an appropriation Act to carry out this subchapter by formula as provided in subsection (b). Of the funds made available under the preceding sentence, the Secretary shall initially allocate 60 percent among units of general local government and 40 percent among States. (2) (3) For each fiscal year, of any amounts approved in appropriation Acts to carry out this subchapter, the Secretary shall reserve for grants to the insular areas the greater of (A) $750,000, or (B) 0.2 percent of the amounts appropriated under such Acts. The Secretary shall provide for the distribution of amounts reserved under this paragraph among the insular areas pursuant to specific criteria for such distribution, which shall be contained in a regulation issued by the Secretary. (A) for an increased supply of affordable housing for very low-income and low-income families of different size, as identified by objective measures of inadequate housing supply, substandard housing, the number of low-income families in housing likely to be in need of rehabilitation, the costs of producing housing, poverty, and the relative fiscal incapacity of the jurisdiction to carry out housing activities eligible under section 12742 of this title without Federal assistance. Allocation among units of general local government shall take into account the housing needs of metropolitan cities, urban counties, and approved consortia of units of general local government. (B) The data to be used for formula allocation of funds within a fiscal year shall be data obtained from a standard source that are available to the Secretary 90 days prior to the beginning of that fiscal year. (C) The basic formula established under subparagraph (A) shall be used for all formula allocations and reallocations provided for in this part. (D) When allocation is made among States, the Secretary shall apply the formula in subparagraph (A) giving 20 percent weight to measures of need for the whole State and 80 percent weight to measures of need among units of general local government that are not receiving an allocation under section 12746(1) of this title. (E) In developing the basic formula in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall (i) avoid the allocation of an excessively large share of amounts made available under this part to any one State or unit of general local government, and (ii) take into account the need for a geographic distribution of amounts made available under this part that appropriately reflects the housing need in each region of the Nation. (F) The Secretary shall develop the formula in subparagraph (A) in ongoing consultation with (i) the Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate, (ii) the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development of the Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs of the House of Representatives, and (iii) organizations representing States and units of general local government. Not less than 60 days prior to publishing a formula for comment, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs of the House of Representatives a copy of the formula the Secretary intends to propose. (A) If the formula, when applied to funds approved under this section in appropriations Acts for a fiscal year, would allocate less than $3,000,000 to any State, the allocation for such State shall be $3,000,000, and the increase shall be deducted pro rata from the allocations of other States. (B) If no unit of general local government within a State receives an allocation under paragraph (3), the State’s allocation shall be increased by $500,000. Priority for use of such increased allocation shall go to the provision of affordable housing within the boundaries of metropolitan cities, urban counties, and approved consortia within the State, based on the need for such funds. The increased allocation to a State under the preceding sentence shall be derived by a pro rata deduction from the allocations to units of general local government in all States, except that such pro rata deduction shall not reduce the allocation of any unit of general local government below $500,000. (3) The Secretary shall allocate funds available for formula allocation to units of general local government that, as of the end of the previous fiscal year, qualified as metropolitan cities, urban counties, and consortia approved by the Secretary in accordance with section 12746(2) of this title so that, when all such funds are initially allocated by formula, jurisdictions that are allocated an amount of $500,000 or more, and participating jurisdictions (other than consortia that fail to renew the membership of all of their member jurisdictions) that are allocated an amount less than $500,000, shall receive an allocation. Prior to announcing initial allocations, the Secretary shall successively recalculate the allocations to jurisdictions under this subsection so that the maximum number of such jurisdictions can receive initial allocations, except as provided in paragraph (4). (4) If the amount appropriated pursuant to section 12724 of this title for any fiscal year is less than $1,500,000,000, then this section shall be applied during that year by substituting “$335,000” for “$500,000” where it appears in paragraph (3). (c) The Secretary shall establish objective criteria for making direct reallocations to any participating jurisdiction and other eligible entities. A jurisdiction shall be eligible for a direct reallocation under this subsection only if the jurisdiction, in a form acceptable to the Secretary, submits an application that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the jurisdiction is engaged, or has made good faith efforts to engage, in cooperative efforts between the State and appropriate participating jurisdictions within the State to develop, coordinate, and implement housing strategies under this subchapter. The Secretary shall by regulation establish objective selection criteria for such direct reallocations, which criteria shall take into account— (1) the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to expand the supply of affordable rental housing, including units developed by public housing agencies, as indicated by the additional number of units of affordable housing made available through production or rehabilitation within the previous 2 years, making adjustment for regional variations in construction and rehabilitation costs and giving special consideration to the number of additional units made available under this subchapter through production or rehabilitation, including units developed by public housing agencies, in relation to the amounts made available under this program; (2) the applicant’s actions that— (A) direct funds made available under this part to benefit very low-income families, with a range of incomes, in amounts that exceed the income targeting requirements of section 12744 of this title, with extra consideration given for activities that expand the supply of affordable housing for very low-income families whose incomes do not exceed 30 percent of the median family income for the area, as determined by the Secretary; (B) apply the tenant selection preference categories applicable under section 1437f of this title to the selection of tenants for housing assisted under this part; (C) provide matching resources in excess of funds required under section 12750 of this title; and (D) stimulate a high degree of investment and participation in development by the private sector, including nonprofit organizations; and (3) the degree to which the applicant is pursuing policies that— (A) make existing housing more affordable; (B) remove or ameliorate any negative effects that public policies identified by the applicant pursuant to section 12705(b)(4) of this title may have on the cost of housing or the incentives to develop, maintain, or improve affordable housing in the jurisdiction; (C) preserve the affordability of privately-owned housing that is vulnerable to conversion, demolition, disinvestment, or abandonment; (D) increase the supply of housing that is affordable to very low-income and low-income persons, particularly in areas that are accessible to expanding job opportunities; and (E) remedy the effects of discrimination and improve housing opportunities for disadvantaged minorities. (1) The Secretary shall make any reallocations periodically throughout each fiscal year so as to ensure that all funds to be reallocated are made available to eligible jurisdictions as soon as possible, consistent with orderly program administration. Jurisdictions eligible for such reallocations shall include participating jurisdictions and jurisdictions meeting the requirements of paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of section 12746 of this title. (2) The Secretary shall establish procedures according to which participating jurisdictions may make commitments to invest funds made available under this section. Such procedures shall provide for appropriate stages of commitment of funds to a project from initial reservation through binding commitment. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, funds that the Secretary determines are needed to fulfill binding commitments shall not be available for reallocation. (3) Unless otherwise specified in this part, any reallocation of funds from a State shall be made only among all participating States, and any reallocation of funds from units of general local government shall be made only among all participating units of general local government.