Build Back Better - House Passed Bill

 Greetings!

Santa Congress is bringing Christmas presents like no other year ever.  I've spent the past two weeks reading H.R. 5376 (Build Back Better Act).  Shy of $2 Trillion in social climate change in America.  Every local government official, and I recommend all community activists,  should investigate how their world will be rocked by its planned impacts.

Highlights of the current bill (H.R. 5376):

Title I -Agriculture

Subtitle B - Forestry

Section 11002.  Non-Federal Land Forest Restoration and Fuels Reduction Projects and Research

$9 Billion "to support forest restoration and resilience projects, including projects to reduce the risk of wildfires and establish defensible space around structures within at-risk communities.

$1 Billion "to implement community wildfire plans, purchase fire-fighting equipment, provide fire-fighting training, and increase the capacity for planning, coordinating, and monitoring projects on non-federal land to protect at-risk communities."

$250 Million "for projects on non-federal land to aid in the recovery and rehabilitation of burned areas, including reforestation."

$250 Million "to expand equitable outdoor access and promote tourism on non-federal forested land for members of underserved groups."

$2.25 Billion "to be used for staffing, salaries, and other workforce needs and expenses to support the development of  Civilian Climate Corps for carrying out projects on non-federal land including rural and urban tree-planting projects, subject to the conditions that Members of the Civilian Climate Corps will be compensated  at not less the 200 percent of the annual federal poverty line."

Section 12005.  Rural Energy For America.

$811 million for 2022, and $272 for each of the years from 2023 to 2027 "relating to under-utilized renewal energy technologies."

Subtitle A—Creating and Preserving Affordable, Equitable

and Accessible Housing for the 21st Century

Section 40001.  Public Housing Investments

$10 billion "for the Capital Fund of the United States Housing Act of 1937, pursuant to the same formula as in fiscal year 2021, to be distributed within 60 days of the date of enactment of this Act."

$66.5 billion to "repair, replace, or construct properties under section 9 of the United States Housing Act of 1937."

$2.75 billion  for "transformation, rehabilitation, and replacement housing needs of public housing, to transform neighborhoods of poverty into functioning, sustainable mixed-income neighborhoods."

$750 million for "overseeing the implementation of this section and the Public Housing Capital Fund and the section 24 grant program generally, including information technology, financial reporting, research and evaluation, other cross-program costs in support of programs administered by the Secretary in this title"

"USE.—Grant funds may be used for resident and community services, community development and revitalization, and affordable housing needs in the community."

Section 40002.  Investments in Affordable and Assessible Housing Production.

$34.77 Billion for "activities and assistance for the HOME Investments Partnerships Program."

Section 40003.  Housing Investment Fund

$9.64 Billion for "make grants to increase investment in the development, preservation, rehabilitation, financing, or purchase of affordable housing primarily for low-, very low , and extremely low- income families , and for homeowners with incomes up to 120 percent of the area median income"

Section 40004.  Section 811 supportive housing for people with disabilities.

$898 million for supportive housing for people with disabilities.

Section 40005.  Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly

$2.36 Billion for Section 8 supportive housing and rental assistance for the elderly.

Section 40006.  Improving Energy Efficiency or Water Efficiency of Climate Resilience of Affordable Housing.

$5.314 Billion to "improve the energy efficiency or water efficiency, implement low emission technologies, materials, processes, including zero emission electricity generation, energy storage, or building electrification, electric car charging, installation, or address climate resilience of multifamily properties."

Section 40007.  Revitalization of Distressed Multifamily Properties.

$3.87 Billion "for the purpose of making physical improvements, including to subsidize gross obligations for the principal amount of direct loans, not to exceed $6 Billion."

Section 40008. Investments in Rural Rental Housing.

$4.36 Billion "for carrying out new construction, improvements to energy and water efficiency or climate resilience, the removal of health and safety hazards, and the preservation and revitalization of housing."

Section 40009. Housing Vouchers.

$48.46 Billion for "incremental tenant-based rental assistance for extremely low income families, and renewals of tenant-based rental assistance."

$24 Billion "for incremental tenant-based rental assistance for households experiencing or at risk of homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking, or survivors of trafficking families, and renewals of such tenant-based rental assistance."

Section 40010. Project-Based Rental Assistance.

$14.76 Billion for "project-based rental assistance."

Section 40101.  Community Development Block Grant Funding for Affordable Housing and Infrastructure.

$6.6 Billion "to address the community and housing infrastructure needs, including in manufactured home communities."

Section 40102 Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control and Housing-Related Health and Safety Mitigation in Housing of Low Income Families.

$6.43 Billion 

Section 40103.  Unlocking Possibilities Program.

$4.260 Billion "for awarding planning grants to develop and evaluate housing policy plans and substantially improve housing strategies."

Section 40105.  Community Restoration and Revitalization Fund.

$5.7 Billion "for awards of planning and implementation grants to eligible recipients to carry out community-led projects to stabilize neighborhoods and increase access to economic opportunity for residents by creating equitable civic infrastructure and creating or preserving affordable housing."