H.R. 1725, Emergency Assistance for Renters Act of 2021
Summary
House bill 1725, the Emergency Assistance for Renters Act of 2021, introduced in the House of Representatives on March 9, 2021, by Waters and referred to the Committee on Financial Services. Its printed purpose is to provide emergency assistance for renters to respond to the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes. Section 2 appropriates $21,550,000,000 to the Secretary of the Treasury for fiscal year 2021 for payments to eligible grantees, and reserves $305,000,000 for payments to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and other listed territories, $30,000,000 for administration costs, $3,000,000 for the Inspector General and $2,500,000,000 for high need grantees. It also amends a provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 by striking December 31, 2021 and inserting September 30, 2022.
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“H.R. 1725, Emergency Assistance for Renters Act of 2021.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/bills-bills-117hr1725ih-bills-117hr1725ih/
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I
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1725
To provide emergency assistance for renters to respond to the COVID–
19 pandemic, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 9, 2021
Ms. WATERS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial Services
A BILL
To provide emergency assistance for renters to respond to
the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency Assistance
5 for Renters Act of 2021’’.
6 SEC. 2. EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
7 (a) FUNDING.—
8 (1) APPROPRIATION.—In addition to amounts
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9 otherwise available, there is appropriated to the Sec-
10 retary of the Treasury for fiscal year 2021, out of
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2
1 any money in the Treasury not otherwise appro-
2 priated, $21,550,000,000, to remain available until
3 September 30, 2027, for making payments to eligi-
4 ble grantees under this section.
5 (2) RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—Of the amount
6 appropriated under paragraph (1), the Secretary
7 shall reserve—
8 (A) $305,000,000 for making payments
9 under this section to the Commonwealth of
10 Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands,
11 Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern
12 Mariana Islands, and American Samoa;
13 (B) $30,000,000 for costs of the Secretary
14 for the administration of emergency rental as-
15 sistance programs and technical assistance to
16 recipients of any grants made by the Secretary
17 to provide financial and other assistance to
18 renters;
19 (C) $3,000,000 for administrative expenses
20 of the Inspector General relating to oversight of
21 funds provided in this section; and
22 (D) $2,500,000,000 for payments to high
23 need grantees as provided in this section.
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24 (b) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS TO ELIGIBLE GRANT-
25 EES.—
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1 (1) ALLOCATION FOR STATES AND UNITS OF
2 LOCAL GOVERNMENT.—
3 (A) IN GENERAL.—The amount appro-
4 priated under paragraph (1) of subsection (a)
5 that remains after the application of paragraph
6 (2) of such subsection shall be allocated to eligi-
7 ble grantees described in subparagraphs (A)
8 and (B) of subsection (f)(1) in the same man-
9 ner as the amount appropriated under section
10 501 of subtitle A of title V of division N of the
11 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public
12 Law 116–260) is allocated to States and units
13 of local government under subsection (b)(1) of
14 such section, except that section 501(b) of such
15 subtitle A shall be applied—
16 (i) without regard to clause (i) of
17 paragraph (1)(A);
18 (ii) by deeming the amount appro-
19 priated under paragraph (1) of subsection
20 (a) of this Act that remains after the ap-
21 plication of paragraph (2) of such sub-
22 section to be the amount deemed to apply
23 for purposes of applying clause (ii) of sec-
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24 tion 501(b)(1)(A) of such subtitle A;
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1 (iii) by substituting ‘‘$152,000,000’’
2 for ‘‘$200,000,000’’ each place such term
3 appears;
4 (iv) in subclause (I) of such section
5 501(b)(1)(A)(v), by substituting ‘‘under
6 section 2 of the Emergency Assistance for
7 Renters Act of 2021’’ for ‘‘under section
8 501 of subtitle A of title V of division N
9 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
10 2021’’; and
11 (v) in subclause (II) of such section
12 501(b)(1)(A)(v), by substituting ‘‘local
13 government elects to receive funds from
14 the Secretary under section 2 of the Emer-
15 gency Assistance for Renters Act of 2021
16 and will use the funds in a manner con-
17 sistent with such section’’ for ‘‘local gov-
18 ernment elects to receive funds from the
19 Secretary under section 501 of subtitle A
20 of title V of division N of the Consolidated
21 Appropriations Act, 2021 and will use the
22 funds in a manner consistent with such
23 section’’.
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24 (B) PRO RATA ADJUSTMENT.—The Sec-
25 retary shall make pro rata adjustments in the
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1 amounts of the allocations determined under
2 subparagraph (A) of this paragraph for entities
3 described in such subparagraph as necessary to
4 ensure that the total amount of allocations
5 made pursuant to such subparagraph does not
6 exceed the remainder appropriated amount de-
7 scribed in such subparagraph.
8 (2) ALLOCATIONS FOR TERRITORIES.—The
9 amount reserved under subsection (a)(2)(A) shall be
10 allocated to eligible grantees described in subsection
11 (f)(1)(C) in the same manner as the amount appro-
12 priated under section 501(a)(2)(A) of subtitle A of
13 title V of division N of the Consolidated Appropria-
14 tions Act, 2021 (Public Law 116–260) is allocated
15 under section 501(b)(3) of such subtitle A to eligible
16 grantees described under subparagraph (C) of such
17 section 501(b)(3), except that section 501(b)(3) of
18 such subtitle A shall be applied—
19 (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘of
20 section 2 of the Emergency Assistance for
21 Renters Act of 2021’’ after ‘‘the amount re-
22 served under subsection (a)(2)(A)’’; and
23 (B) in clause (i) of subparagraph (B), by
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24 substituting ‘‘the amount equal to 0.3 percent
25 of the amount appropriated under subsection
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1 (a)(1)’’ with ‘‘the amount equal to 0.3 percent
2 of the amount appropriated under subsection
3 (a)(1) of section 2 of the Emergency Assistance
4 for Renters Act of 2021’’.
5 (3) HIGH-NEED GRANTEES.—The Secretary
6 shall allocate funds reserved under subsection
7 (a)(2)(D) to eligible grantees with a high need for
8 assistance under this section, with the number of
9 very low-income renter households paying more than
10 50 percent of income on rent or living in sub-
11 standard or overcrowded conditions, rental market
12 costs, and change in employment since February
13 2020 used as the factors for allocating funds.
14 (c) PAYMENT SCHEDULE.—
15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall pay all
16 eligible grantees not less than 40 percent of each
17 such eligible grantee’s total allocation provided
18 under subsection (b) within 60 days of enactment of
19 this Act.
20 (2) SUBSEQUENT PAYMENTS.—The Secretary
21 shall pay to eligible grantees additional amounts in
22 tranches up to the full amount of each such eligible
23 grantee’s total allocation in accordance with a proce-
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24 dure established by the Secretary, provided that any
25 such procedure established by the Secretary shall re-
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1 quire that an eligible grantee must have obligated
2 not less than 75 percent of the funds already dis-
3 bursed by the Secretary pursuant to this section
4 prior to disbursement of additional amounts.
5 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—
6 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible grantee shall
7 only use the funds provided from payments made
8 under this section as follows:
9 (A) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—
10 (i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause
11 (ii) of this subparagraph, funds received by
12 an eligible grantee from payments made
13 under this section shall be used to provide
14 financial assistance to eligible households,
15 not to exceed 18 months, including the
16 payment of—
17 (I) rent;
18 (II) rental arrears;
19 (III) utilities and home energy
20 costs;
21 (IV) utilities and home energy
22 costs arrears; and
23 (V) other expenses related to
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24 housing, as defined by the Secretary.
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1 (ii) LIMITATION.—The aggregate
2 amount of financial assistance an eligible
3 household may receive under this section,
4 when combined with financial assistance
5 provided under section 501 of subtitle A of
6 title V of division N of the Consolidated
7 Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law
8 116–260), shall not exceed 18 months.
9 (B) HOUSING STABILITY SERVICES.—Not
10 more than 10 percent of funds received by an
11 eligible grantee from payments made under this
12 section may be used to provide case manage-
13 ment and other services intended to help keep
14 households stably housed.
15 (C) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more
16 than 15 percent of the total amount paid to an
17 eligible grantee under this section may be used
18 for administrative costs attributable to pro-
19 viding financial assistance, housing stability
20 services, and other affordable rental housing
21 and eviction prevention activities, including for
22 data collection and reporting requirements re-
23 lated to such funds.
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24 (D) OTHER AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUS-
25 ING AND EVICTION PREVENTION ACTIVITIES.—
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1 An eligible grantee may use any funds from
2 payments made under this section that are un-
3 obligated on October 1, 2022, for purposes in
4 addition to those specified in this paragraph,
5 provided that—
6 (i) such other purposes are affordable
7 rental housing and eviction prevention pur-
8 poses, as defined by the Secretary, serving
9 very low-income families (as such term is
10 defined in section 3(b) of the United
11 States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
12 1437a(b))); and
13 (ii) prior to obligating any funds for
14 such purposes, the eligible grantee has ob-
15 ligated not less than 75 percent of the
16 total funds allocated to such eligible grant-
17 ee in accordance with this section.
18 (2) DISTRIBUTION OF ASSISTANCE.—Amounts
19 appropriated under subsection (a)(1) of this section
20 shall be subject to the same terms and conditions
21 that apply under paragraph (4) of section 501(c) of
22 subtitle A of title V of division N of the Consolidated
23 Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116–260) to
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24 amounts appropriated under subsection (a)(1) of
25 such section 501.
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1 (e) REALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—
2 (1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning March 31, 2022,
3 the Secretary shall reallocate funds allocated to eligi-
4 ble grantees in accordance with subsection (b) but
5 not yet paid in accordance with subsection (c)(2) ac-
6 cording to a procedure established by the Secretary.
7 (2) ELIGIBILITY FOR REALLOCATED FUNDS.—
8 The Secretary shall require an eligible grantee to
9 have obligated 50 percent of the total amount of
10 funds allocated to such eligible grantee under sub-
11 section (b) to be eligible to receive funds reallocated
12 under paragraph (1) of this subsection.
13 (3) PAYMENT OF REALLOCATED FUNDS BY THE
14 SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall pay to each eligi-
15 ble grantee eligible for a payment of reallocated
16 funds described in paragraph (2) of this subsection
17 the amount allocated to such eligible grantee in ac-
18 cordance with the procedure established by the Sec-
19 retary in accordance with paragraph (1) of this sub-
20 section.
21 (4) USE OF REALLOCATED FUNDS.—Eligible
22 grantees may use any funds received in accordance
23 with this subsection only for purposes specified in
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24 paragraph (1) of subsection (d).
25 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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1 (1) ELIGIBLE GRANTEE.—The term ‘‘eligible
2 grantee’’ means any of the following:
3 (A) The 50 States of the United States
4 and the District of Columbia.
5 (B) A unit of local government (as defined
6 in paragraph (5)).
7 (C) The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
8 the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, the
9 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
10 lands, and American Samoa.
11 (2) ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD.—The term ‘‘eligible
12 household’’ means a household of 1 or more individ-
13 uals who are obligated to pay rent on a residential
14 dwelling and with respect to which the eligible grant-
15 ee involved determines that—
16 (A) 1 or more individuals within the house-
17 hold has—
18 (i) qualified for unemployment bene-
19 fits; or
20 (ii) experienced a reduction in house-
21 hold income, incurred significant costs, or
22 experienced other financial hardship during
23 or due, directly or indirectly, to the
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24 coronavirus pandemic;
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1 (B) 1 or more individuals within the
2 household can demonstrate a risk of experi-
3 encing homelessness or housing instability; and
4 (C) the household is a low-income family
5 (as such term is defined in section 3(b) of the
6 United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
7 1437a(b)).
8 (3) INSPECTOR GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Inspec-
9 tor General’’ means the Inspector General of the De-
10 partment of the Treasury.
11 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
12 the Secretary of the Treasury.
13 (5) UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.—The term
14 ‘‘unit of local government’’ has the meaning given
15 such term in section 501 of subtitle A of title V of
16 division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
17 2021 (Public Law 116–260).
18 (g) AVAILABILITY.—Funds provided to an eligible
19 grantee under a payment made under this section shall
20 remain available through September 30, 2025.
21 (h) EXTENSION OF AVAILABILITY UNDER PROGRAM
22 FOR EXISTING FUNDING.—Paragraph (1) of section
23 501(e) of subtitle A of title V of division N of the Consoli-
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24 dated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116–260) is
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1 amended by striking ‘‘December 31, 2021’’ and inserting
2 ‘‘September 30, 2022’’.
Æ
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