§ 1439 — Local Housing Assistance Plan

(1) if the unit of general local government in which the proposed assistance is to be provided has an approved housing assistance plan, shall— (A) not later than ten days after receipt of the application, notify the chief executive officer of such unit of general local government that such application is under consideration; and (B) afford such unit of general local government the opportunity, during the thirty-day period beginning on the date of such notification, to object to the approval of the application on the grounds that the application is inconsistent with its housing assistance plan. (2) If the unit of general local government objects to the application on the grounds that it is inconsistent with its housing assistance plan, the Secretary may not approve the application unless he determines that the application is consistent with such housing assistance plan. If the Secretary determines, that such application is consistent with the housing assistance plan, he shall notify the chief executive officer of the unit of general local government of his determination and the reasons therefor in writing. If the Secretary concurs with the objection of the unit of local government, he shall notify the applicant stating the reasons therefor in writing. (3) If the Secretary does not receive an objection by the close of the period referred to in paragraph (1)(B), he may approve the application unless he finds it inconsistent with the housing assistance plan. If the Secretary determines that an application is inconsistent with a housing assistance plan, he shall notify the applicant stating the reasons therefor in writing. (4) The Secretary shall make the determinations referred to in paragraphs (2) and (3) within thirty days after he receives an objection pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) or within thirty days after the close of the period referred to in paragraph (1)(B), whichever is earlier. (5) As used in this section, the term “housing assistance plan” means a housing assistance plan submitted and approved under section 5304 of this title or, in the case of a unit of general local government not participating under title I of this Act [42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.], a housing plan approved by the Secretary as meeting the requirements of this section. In developing a housing assistance plan under this paragraph a unit of general local government shall consult with local public agencies involved in providing for the welfare of children to determine the housing needs of (A) families identified by the agencies as having a lack of adequate housing that is a primary factor in the imminent placement of a child in foster care or in preventing the discharge of a child from foster care and reunification with his or her family; and (B) children who, upon discharge of the child from foster care, cannot return to their family or extended family and for which adoption is not available. The unit of general local government shall include in the housing assistance plan needs and goals with respect to such families and children. (b) The provisions of subsection (a) shall not apply to— (1) applications for assistance involving 12 or fewer units in a single project or development; (2) applications for assistance with respect to housing in new community developments approved under title IV of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 [42 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.] or title VII of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1970 [42 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.] which the Secretary determines are necessary to meet the housing requirements under such title; or (3) applications for assistance with respect to housing financed by loans or loan guarantees from a State or agency thereof, except that the provisions of subsection (a) shall apply where the unit of general local government in which the assistance is to be provided objects in its housing assistance plan to the exemption provided by this paragraph. (c) (i) of title 12. Amounts for tenant-based assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)] may not be provided to any public housing agency that has been disqualified from providing such assistance. (ii) Assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)] shall be allocated in a manner that enables participating jurisdictions to carry out, to the maximum extent practicable, comprehensive housing affordability strategies approved in accordance with section 105 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act [42 U.S.C. 12705]. Such jurisdictions shall submit recommendations for allocating assistance under such section 8(o) to the Secretary in accordance with procedures that the Secretary determines to be appropriate to permit allocations of such assistance to be made on the basis of timely and complete information. This clause may not be construed to prevent, alter, or otherwise affect the application of the formula established pursuant to clause (i) for purposes of allocating such assistance. For purposes of this clause, the term “participating jurisdiction” means a State or unit of general local government designated by the Secretary to be a participating jurisdiction under title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act [42 U.S.C. 12721 et seq.]. (B) The formula allocation requirements of subparagraph (A) shall not apply to— (i) 9 [42 U.S.C. 1437g], or the rental rehabilitation grant program under section 17,3 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, except that the Secretary shall comply with section 102 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 [42 U.S.C. 3545] with respect to such assistance; or (ii) other assistance referred to in subsection (a) that is approved in appropriation Acts for uses that the Secretary determines are incapable of geographic allocation, including amendments of existing contracts, renewal of assistance contracts, assistance to families that would otherwise lose assistance due to the decision of the project owner to prepay the project mortgage or not to renew the assistance contract, assistance to prevent displacement or to provide replacement housing in connection with the demolition or disposition of public housing, and assistance in support of the property disposition and loan management functions of the Secretary. (C) Any allocation of assistance under subparagraph (A) shall, as determined by the Secretary, be made to the smallest practicable area, consistent with the delivery of assistance through a meaningful competitive process designed to serve areas with greater needs. (D) Any amounts allocated to a State or areas or communities within a State that are not likely to be used within a fiscal year shall not be reallocated for use in another State, unless the Secretary determines that other areas or communities (that are eligible for assistance under the program) within the same State cannot use the amounts within that same fiscal year. (2) The Secretary may reserve such housing assistance funds as he deems appropriate for use by a State or agency thereof. (A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, with respect to fiscal years beginning after September 30, 1990, the Secretary may retain not more than 5 percent of the financial assistance that becomes available under programs described in subsection (a)(1) during any fiscal year. Any such financial assistance that is retained shall be available for subsequent allocation to specific areas and communities, and may only be used for— (i) unforeseen housing needs resulting from natural and other disasters; (ii) housing needs resulting from emergencies, as certified by the Secretary, other than such disasters; (iii) housing needs resulting from the settlement of litigation; and (iv) housing in support of desegregation efforts. (B) Any amounts retained in any fiscal year under subparagraph (A) that are unexpended at the end of such fiscal year shall remain available for the following fiscal year under the program under subsection (a)(1) from which the amount was retained. Such amounts shall be allocated on the basis of the formula under subsection (d)(1). (A) The Secretary shall not reserve or obligate assistance subject to allocation under paragraph (1)(A) to specific recipients, unless the assistance is first allocated on the basis of the formula contained in that paragraph and then is reserved and obligated pursuant to a competition. (B) Any competition referred to in subparagraph (A) shall be conducted pursuant to specific criteria for the selection of recipients of assistance. The criteria shall be contained in— (i) a regulation promulgated by the Secretary after notice and public comment; or (ii) to the extent authorized by law, a notice published in the Federal Register. (C) Subject to the times at which appropriations for assistance subject to paragraph (1)(A) may become available for reservation in any fiscal year, the Secretary shall take such steps as the Secretary deems appropriate to ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable, the process referred to in subparagraph (A) is carried out with similar frequency and at similar times for each fiscal year. (D) This paragraph shall not apply to assistance referred to in paragraph (4).3 (e) From budget authority made available in appropriation Acts for fiscal year 1988, the Secretary shall enter into an annual contributions contract for a term of 180 months to obligate sufficient funds to provide assistance payments pursuant to section 8(b)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437f(b)(1)] on behalf of 500 lower income families from budget authority made available for fiscal year 1988, so long as such families occupy properties in Jefferson County, Texas. If a lower income family receiving assistance payments pursuant to this subsection ceases to qualify for assistance payments pursuant to the provisions of section 8 of such Act [42 U.S.C. 1437f] or of this subsection during the 180-month term of the annual contributions contract, assistance payments shall be made on behalf of another lower income family who occupies a unit identified in the previous sentence.