H.R. 6217

[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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