Housing Our Communities Act

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, establish a program to award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to assist planning and implementation activities associated with affordable housing.

If an eligible entity that receives amounts under this Act is a regional planning agency or consortia of regional planning agencies, such eligible entity shall use such amounts to assist planning activities with respect to affordable housing, including—

(A) the development of housing plans;

(B) the substantial improvement of State or local housing strategies;

(C) the development of new regulatory requirements and processes;

(D) updating zoning codes;

(E) increasing the capacity to conduct housing inspections;

(F) increasing the capacity to reduce barriers to housing supply elasticity and housing affordability;

(G) the development of local or regional plans for community development; and

(H) the substantial improvement of community development strategies, including strategies designed to—

(i) increase the availability of affordable housing and access to affordable housing;

(ii) increase access to public transportation; and

(iii) advance sustainable or location-efficient community development goals.

If an eligible entity that receives amounts under this Act is a State, insular area, metropolitan city, or urban county, such eligible entity shall use such amounts to—

(A) implement and administer housing strategies and housing plans;

(B) implement and administer any plans to increase housing choice, address disparities in housing needs, and provide greater access to opportunity;

(C) fund any community investments that support goals identified in a housing strategy or housing plan;

(D) implement and administer regulatory requirements and processes with respect to reformed zoning codes;

(E) increase the capacity to conduct housing inspections;

(F) increase the capacity to reduce barriers to housing supply elasticity and housing affordability;

(G) implement and administer local or regional plans for community development; and

(H) fund any planning to increase—

(i) the availability of affordable housing and access to affordable housing;

(ii) access to public transportation; and

(iii) any location-efficient community development goals.

A eligible entity that receives amounts under this Act may not use more than 10-percent of such amounts for administrative costs.

To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall coordinate with the Federal Transit Administrator in carrying out this Act.

Expenditures on new construction of housing shall be an eligible expense under this Act.

Expenditures on building for the general conduct of government, other than the Federal Government, shall be eligible under this Act when necessary and appropriate as a part of a natural hazard mitigation project.

In this subsection:

The term eligible entity means—

(A) 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; or

(B) a regional planning agency or consortia of regional planning agencies.

The term housing plan means a plan to, with respect to an area within the jurisdiction of an eligible entity—

(A) increase the amount of available housing to meet the demand for such housing and any projected increase in the demand for such housing;

(B) increase the affordability of housing;

(C) increase the accessibility of housing for people with disabilities, including location-efficient housing;

(D) preserve or improve the quality of housing;

(E) reduce barriers to housing development; and

(F) 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.