Unlocking possibilities program

(a) Appropriation In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for fiscal year 2027, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated— (1) $1,646,000,000 for awarding grants under sections 101, 102, 103, 104(a) through 104(i), 104(l), 104(m), 105(a) through 105(g), 106(a)(2), 106(a)(4), 106(b) through 106(f), 109, 110, 111, 113, 115, 116, 120, and 122 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301, 5302, 5303, 5304(a)–(i), 5304(l), 5304(m), 5305(a)–(g), 5306(a)(2), 5306(a)(4), 5306(b)–(f), 5309, 5310, 5311, 5313, 5315, 5316, 5319, and 5321) awarded on a competitive basis to eligible recipients to carry out grants under subsection (c) of this section; (2) $8,000,000 for research and evaluation related to housing planning and other associated costs; (3) $3,000,000 to provide technical assistance to grantees or applicants for grants made available by this section; and (4) $66,000,000 for the costs to the Secretary of administering and overseeing the implementation of this section and community and economic development programs overseen by the Secretary generally, including information technology, financial reporting, research and evaluations, and other cross-program costs in support of programs administered by the Secretary in this title, and other costs. Amounts appropriated by this section shall remain available until September 30, 2036. (b) Program establishment The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, acting through the Director of the Office of Community Land Use and Zoning Reform established under section 4(i) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act (as added by the amendment made by section 107(a) of this Act), shall establish a competitive grant program for— (1) planning grants to develop and evaluate housing plans and substantially improve housing strategies; (2) streamlining regulatory requirements and shorten processes, reform zoning codes, increasing capacity to conduct housing inspections, or other initiatives that reduce barriers to housing supply elasticity and affordability; (3) developing and evaluating local or regional plans for community development to substantially improve community development strategies related to sustainability, fair housing, and location efficiency; (4) implementation and livable community investment grants; and (5) research and evaluation. (c) Grants (1) Planning grants The Secretary shall, under selection criteria determined by the Secretary, award grants under this paragraph on a competitive basis to eligible entities to assist planning activities, including administration of such activities, engagement with community stakeholders and housing practitioners, to— (A) develop housing plans; (B) substantially improve State or local housing strategies; (C) develop new regulatory requirements and processes, reform zoning codes, increasing capacity to conduct housing inspections, or undertake other initiatives to reduce barriers to housing supply elasticity and affordability; (D) develop local or regional plans for community development; and (E) substantially improve community development strategies, including strategies to increase availability and access to affordable housing, to further access to public transportation or to advance other sustainable or location-efficient community development goals. (2) Implementation and livable community investment grants The Secretary shall award implementation grants under this paragraph on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the purpose of implementing and administering— (A) completed housing strategies and housing plans and any planning to affirmatively further fair housing within the meaning of subsections (d) and (e) of section 808 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 608) and applicable regulations and for community investments that support the goals identified in such housing strategies or housing plans; (B) new regulatory requirements and processes, reformed zoning codes, increased capacity to conduct housing inspections, or other initiatives to reduce barriers to housing supply elasticity and affordability that are consistent with a plan under subparagraph (A); and (C) completed local or regional plans for community development and any planning to increase availability and access to affordable housing, access to public transportation and other sustainable or location-efficient community development goals. (d) Coordination with FTA administrator To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall coordinate with the Federal Transit Administrator in carrying out this section. (e) Definitions For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) Eligible entity 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 (42 U.S.C. 5302); or (B) for purposes of grants under subsection (b)(1), a regional planning agency or consortia. (2) Housing plan; housing strategy (A) Housing plan The term housing plan means a plan of an eligible entity to, with respect to the area within the jurisdiction of the eligible entity— (i) match the creation of housing supply to existing demand and projected demand growth in the area, with attention to preventing displacement of residents, reducing the concentration of poverty, and meaningfully reducing and not perpetuating housing segregation on the basis of race, color, religion, natural origin, sex, disability, or familial status; (ii) increase the affordability of housing in the area, increase the accessibility of housing in the area for people with disabilities, including location-efficient housing, and preserve or improve the quality of housing in the area; (iii) reduce barriers to housing development in the area, with consideration for location efficiency, affordability, and accessibility; and (iv) coordinate with the metropolitan transportation plan of the area under the jurisdiction of the eligible entity, or other regional plan. (B) Housing strategy The term housing strategy means the housing strategy required under section 105 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12705). (f) Costs to grantees Up to 15 percent of a recipient’s grant may be used for administrative costs. (g) Rules of construction (1) In general Except as otherwise provided by this section, amounts appropriated or otherwise made available under this section shall be subject to the community development block grant program requirements under subsection (a)(1). (2) Exceptions (A) Housing construction Expenditures on new construction of housing shall be an eligible expense under this section. (B) Buildings for general conduct of government Expenditures on building for the general conduct of government, other than the Federal Government, shall be eligible under this section when necessary and appropriate as a part of a natural hazard mitigation project. (h) Waivers The Secretary may waive or specify alternative requirements for any provision of subsection (a)(1) or regulation for the administration of the amounts made available under this section other than requirements related to fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, and the environment, upon a finding that the waiver or alternative requirement is not inconsistent with the overall purposes of such Act and that the waiver or alternative requirement is necessary to facilitate the use of amounts made available under this section. (i) Implementation The Secretary shall have the authority to issue such regulations notices, or other guidance, forms, instructions, and publications to carry out the programs, projects, or activities authorized under this section to ensure that such programs, projects, or activities are completed in a timely and effective manner.