42 USC 1437aaa-1 – Planning grants
(a) Grants
The Secretary is authorized to make planning grants to applicants for the purpose of developing homeownership programs under this subchapter. The amount of a planning grant under this section may not exceed $200,000, except that the Secretary may for good cause approve a grant in a higher amount.
(b) Eligible activities
Terms Used In 42 USC 1437aaa-1
- development: means any or all undertakings necessary for planning, land acquisition, demolition, construction, or equipment, in connection with a low-income housing project. See 42 USC 1437a
- income: means income from all sources of each member of the household, as determined in accordance with criteria prescribed by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, except that any amounts not actually received by the family and any amounts which would be eligible for exclusion under section 1382b(a)(7) of this title or any deferred Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits that are received in a lump sum amount or in prospective monthly amounts may not be considered as income under this paragraph. See 42 USC 1437a
- project: means (A) housing developed, acquired, or assisted by a public housing agency under this chapter, and (B) the improvement of any such housing. See 42 USC 1437a
- public housing: includes dwelling units in a mixed finance project that are assisted by a public housing agency with capital or operating assistance. See 42 USC 1437a
- Secretary: means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. See 42 USC 1437a
- State: includes the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories and possessions of the United States, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. See 42 USC 1437a
Planning grants may be used for activities to develop homeownership programs (which may include programs for cooperative ownership), including—
(1) development of resident management corporations and resident councils;
(2) training and technical assistance for applicants related to development of a specific homeownership program;
(3) studies of the feasibility of a homeownership program;
(4) inspection for lead-based paint hazards, as required by section 4822(a) of this title;
(5) preliminary architectural and engineering work;
(6) tenant and homebuyer counseling and training;
(7) planning for economic development, job training, and self-sufficiency activities that promote economic self-sufficiency of homebuyers and homeowners under the homeownership program;
(8) development of security plans; and
(9) preparation of an application for an implementation grant under this subchapter.
(c) Application
(1) Form and procedures
An application for a planning grant shall be submitted by an applicant in such form and in accordance with such procedures as the Secretary shall establish.
(2) Minimum requirements
The Secretary shall require that an application contain at a minimum—
(A) a request for a planning grant, specifying the activities proposed to be carried out, the schedule for completing the activities, the personnel necessary to complete the activities, and the amount of the grant requested;
(B) a description of the applicant and a statement of its qualifications;
(C) identification and description of the public housing project or projects involved, and a description of the composition of the tenants, including family size and income;
(D) a certification by the public official responsible for submitting the comprehensive housing affordability strategy under section 12705 of this title that the proposed activities are consistent with the approved housing strategy of the State or unit of general local government within which the project is located (or, during the first 12 months after November 28, 1990, that the application is consistent with such other existing State or local housing plan or strategy that the Secretary shall determine to be appropriate); and
(E) a certification that the applicant will comply with the requirements of the Fair Housing Act [42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.], title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.], section 794 of title 29, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 [42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.], and will affirmatively further fair housing.
(d) Selection criteria
The Secretary shall, by regulation, establish selection criteria for a national competition for assistance under this section, which shall include—
(1) the qualifications or potential capabilities of the applicant;
(2) the extent of tenant interest in the development of a homeownership program for the project;
(3) the potential of the applicant for developing a successful and affordable homeownership program and the suitability of the project for homeownership;
(4) national geographic diversity among projects for which applicants are selected to receive assistance; and
(5) such other factors that the Secretary shall require that (in the determination of the Secretary) are appropriate for purposes of carrying out the program established by this subchapter in an effective and efficient manner.