[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6217 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6217
To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make
grants to eligible entities for use to eliminate blight and assist in
neighborhood revitalization, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 20, 2025
Mr. Mrvan (for himself, Mr. Sorensen, Ms. Norton, Mr. Kennedy of New
York, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Budzinski, Ms. Randall, Mr.
McGarvey, and Mr. Landsman) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make
grants to eligible entities for use to eliminate blight and assist in
neighborhood revitalization, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Revitalize Our Neighborhoods Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. BLIGHT ELIMINATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION GRANTS.
(a) Authority.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may
make grants under this section, on a competitive basis, to eligible
entities for use for eligible activities designed to eliminate blight
and promote neighborhood revitalization.
(b) Use in Low-Income Areas.--Amounts from a grant awarded under
this section may be used only to carry out eligible activities within
low-income communities.
(c) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible for a grant under this
section, and entity shall be--
(1) a State;
(2) a unit of general local government, including a city,
county, town, parish, village, or other general-purpose
political subdivision of a State; or
(3) a multi-jurisdictional entity.
(d) Eligible Activities.--
(1) In general.--Amounts from a grant awarded under this
section may be used only for the following activities:
(A) Demolition, clearance, and removal of blighted
structures.
(B) Boarding of vacant properties and blighted
structures.
(C) Deconstruction of structures.
(D) Removal of waste and site clearance and vacant
land management.
(E) Renovation of existing structures that are
blighted or abandoned.
(F) Construction or preservation of affordable
rental or owner-occupied housing as an outcome of
blight elimination.
(G) Administrative costs, including for staffing
and compliance with grant requirements, in an amount
that is not more than 10 percent of the total grant for
the recipient.
(2) Use of amounts by land banks, community housing
development organizations, and local governments.--
(A) In general.--A recipient of grant under this
section that may provide such grant amounts to land
banks or Community Housing Development Organizations
(as such term is defined in section 104 of the
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42
U.S.C. 12704(1))) to carry out eligible activities
within low-income communities.
(B) State grantees.--A recipient of a grant under
this section that is a State may provide such grant
amounts to units of general local government whose
jurisdictions include low-income communities to carry
out eligible activities within such low-income
communities.
(3) Prohibition.--Amounts from a grant awarded under this
section may not be used to acquire any occupied residential
dwelling unit.
(e) Matching Requirement.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall require each eligible
entity that receives a grant under this section to contribute
an amount of matching funds that is equal to or greater than 15
percent of the amount of the grant, to be used for eligible
activities under this section.
(2) Source of funds.--Amounts from the following sources
may be counted towards compliance with the requirement under
paragraph (1):
(A) Any amounts received pursuant to any Federal
program.
(B) Any amounts provided by the applicants.
(C) Any proceeds from sales of properties renovated
using grant amounts under this section.
(f) Application and Plan.--
(1) Application.--A grant awarded under this section may
only be provided to an eligible entity that submits to the
Secretary an application for such a grant that contains a plan
for use of grant funds in accordance with paragraph (2) and
such other information, certifications, and assurances as the
Secretary considers necessary.
(2) Plan.--A plan under this paragraph shall be a detailed
5-year plan for the use of grant amounts awarded under this
section and matching amounts contributed that includes--
(A) identification of the low-income communities in
which eligible activities under subsection (d)(1) will
be carried out using grant and matching amounts;
(B) a description of the eligible activities under
subsection (d)(1) to be carried out using grant and
matching amounts;
(C) a timetable for carrying out such eligible
activities, which shall provide for the expenditure of
grant and matching amounts within 5 years after
receipt; and
(D) identification of the sources of matching
amounts to be provided and assurances of the
availability of such matching amounts.
(g) Selection; Criteria.--The Secretary shall select applications
to receive grants under this section pursuant to a competition and
based on criteria as established by the Secretary for such selection.
(h) Coordination With Other Federal Programs.--An eligible entity
that receives grant amounts under this section may use such grant
amounts in coordination with the eligible activities of other Federal
programs, including with--
(1) the Community Development Block Grant program;
(2) the HOME Investment Partnership program;
(3) the Housing Trust Fund;
(4) the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program;
(5) the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields
Program; and
(6) the New Market Tax Credit program.
(i) Technical Assistance.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide technical
assistance to eligible entities that receive a grant under this
section for the life cycle of the grant.
(2) Limitation.--The Secretary may not use more than 5
percent of amounts appropriated under this section for
technical assistance.
(j) Reports.--
(1) Grantee reports.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 15 months after
receiving an initial grant under this section, and
annually thereafter, a recipient of such grant shall
submit to the Secretary a report on the activities
funded with amounts under this section, through a
report template developed by the Secretary.
(B) Requirements.--The report required under
subparagraph (A) shall include a description of--
(i) amounts used for the matching
requirement;
(ii) amounts used for eligible activities
funded under this section, apart from the
amounts provided under this section;
(iii) resources made available by amounts
provided under this section;
(iv) how the recipient invested amounts
under this section;
(v) the geographic distribution of such
investments;
(vi) the families and persons assisted
under this section; and
(vii) the progress meeting planned
objectives using amounts provided under this
section.
(C) Availability.--The Secretary shall make the
reports submitted under this paragraph publicly
available on a website of the Department of Housing and
Urban Development.
(2) GAO reports.--
(A) Initial report.--Not later than 3 years after
initial grant awards are provided under this section,
the Comptroller General of the United States shall
submit to the Congress a report that describes, with
respect to the grant program under this section--
(i) planned projects;
(ii) populations impacted;
(iii) challenges and recommendations; and
(iv) expected outcomes.
(B) Final report.--Not later than 6 years after
initial grant awards are provided under this section,
the Comptroller General of the United States shall
submit to the Congress a report that describes, with
respect to the grant program under this section--
(i) final outcomes;
(ii) the implementation and projects
completed;
(iii) populations impacted; and
(iv) challenges and recommendations for
future recipients of grants under this section.
(k) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the following
definitions shall apply:
(1) Abandoned.--The term ``abandoned'' means, with respect
to an unoccupied structure--
(A) the mortgage, tribal leasehold, or tax payments
are at least 90 days delinquent;
(B) a code enforcement inspection has determined
that the property is not habitable and the owner has
taken no corrective actions within 90 days of
notification of the deficiencies; or
(C) the structure is subject to a court-ordered
receivership or nuisance abatement related to
abandonment pursuant to State or local law or otherwise
meets a State definition of an abandoned structure.
(2) Affordable rental or owner-occupied housing.--The term
``affordable rental or owner-occupied housing'' means housing
that qualifies as affordable under section 215 of the Cranston-
Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12745).
(3) Blighted.--The term ``blighted'' means a structure that
exhibits determinable signs of deterioration sufficient to
constitute a threat to human health, safety, and public
welfare, as determined by the Secretary.
(4) Land bank.--The term ``land bank'' means a government
entity, agency, or program, or a special purpose nonprofit
entity formed by 1 or more units of government in accordance
with a State or local law with respect to land banks, that has
been designated by 1 or more State or local governments to
acquire, steward, and dispose of vacant, abandoned, or other
problem properties in accordance with locally determined
priorities.
(5) Low-income community.--The term ``low-income
community'' has the meaning given such term in section 45D of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 45D) and includes
any census tract or other area that is treated as a low-income
community for purposes of such section.
(6) Multi-jurisdictional entity.--The term ``multi-
jurisdictional entity'' means an association of local
governments or public agencies which are bound by a collective
agreement, as determined appropriate by the Secretary for the
purpose of carrying out the eligible activities under this
section.
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development.
(8) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern
Mariana Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,
and any other territory or possession of the United States.
(9) Structure.--The term ``structure'' includes residential
structures and commercial structures.
(10) Unoccupied.--The term ``unoccupied'' means a structure
that--
(A) has no occupants;
(B) is not being maintained for seasonal use;
(C) is not actively marketed for sale or rent; or
(D) is not being held vacant pending re-occupancy
by a buyer or tenant.
(l) Regulations.--The Secretary may issue any regulations necessary
to carry out this section.
(m) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section
for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.
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