Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§11903 Eligible activities

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 124— - PUBLIC HOUSING DRUG ELIMINATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - PUBLIC AND ASSISTED HOUSING DRUG ELIMINATION › § 11903

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Grants can pay for security and drug‑prevention work at public or other federally assisted low‑income housing. It covers eight kinds of uses, including hiring security staff, paying local police for extra protection, making physical security upgrades, hiring investigators to look into drug or violent crimes and gather evidence, giving training and equipment to tenant patrols, running drug prevention/intervention/treatment programs, funding resident groups or nonprofit managers to set up security and drug‑prevention programs, and youth sports tied to drug‑reduction plans. Grants may also be used for those same anti‑drug activities at housing owned by public housing agencies that is not assisted under the United States Housing Act of 1937 and is not otherwise federally assisted, but only if the housing is in a high intensity drug trafficking area designated under section 1504 of title 21 and the public housing agency proves to the Secretary that drug‑related or violent activity is harming the property.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §11903

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Grants under this subchapter may be used in public housing or other federally assisted low-income housing projects for—
(1)the employment of security personnel;
(2)reimbursement of local law enforcement agencies for additional security and protective services;
(3)physical improvements which are specifically designed to enhance security;
(4)the employment of one or more individuals—
(A)to investigate drug-related or violent crime in and around the real property comprising any public or other federally assisted low-income housing project; and
(B)to provide evidence relating to such crime in any administrative or judicial proceeding;
(5)the provision of training, communications equipment, and other related equipment for use by voluntary tenant patrols acting in cooperation with local law enforcement officials;
(6)programs designed to reduce use of drugs in and around public or other federally assisted low-income housing projects, including drug-abuse prevention, intervention, referral, and treatment programs;
(7)where a public housing agency, an Indian tribe, or recipient of assistance under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 [25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.] receives a grant, providing funding to nonprofit resident management corporations and resident councils to develop security and drug abuse prevention programs involving site residents; and
(8)sports programs and sports activities that serve primarily youths from public or other federally assisted low-income housing projects and are operated in conjunction with, or in furtherance of, an organized program or plan designed to reduce or eliminate drugs and drug-related problems in and around such projects.
(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, grants under this subchapter may be used to eliminate drug-related crime in and around housing owned by public housing agencies that is not public housing assisted under the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.] and is not otherwise federally assisted, for the activities described in paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (a), but only if—
(1)the housing is located in a high intensity drug trafficking area designated pursuant to section 1504 11 See References in Text note below. of title 21; and
(2)the public housing agency owning the housing demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that drug-related or violent activity in or around the housing has a detrimental effect on or about the real property comprising any public or other federally assisted low-income housing.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996, referred to in subsec. (a)(7), is Pub. L. 104–330, Oct. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 4016, which is classified principally to chapter 43 (§ 4101 et seq.) of Title 25, Indians. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 4101 of Title 25 and Tables. The United States Housing Act of 1937, referred to in subsec. (b), is act Sept. 1, 1937, ch. 896, as revised generally by Pub. L. 93–383, title II, § 201(a), Aug. 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 653, which is classified generally to chapter 8 (§ 1437 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1437 of this title and Tables. Section 1504 of title 21, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), was repealed by Pub. L. 100–690, title I, § 1009, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4188.

Amendments

1998—Subsec. (a)(4)(A). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(d)(1)(A), substituted “drug-related or violent crime in and around” for “drug-related crime on or about”. Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(d)(1)(C)(i), substituted “recipient of assistance under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996” for “tribally designated housing entity”. Pub. L. 105–276, § 220(2), inserted “, an Indian tribe,” after “public housing agency”. Subsec. (a)(8). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(d)(1)(B), (C)(ii), (8)[(D)], added par. (8). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(d)(2)(A), substituted “drug-related crime in and around” for “drug-related crime in” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(d)(2)(B), substituted “drug-related or violent activity in or around” for “drug-related activity at”. 1996—Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 104–330 inserted “or tribally designated housing entity” after “public housing agency” and struck out “public housing” after “nonprofit”. 1992—Pub. L. 102–550 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, inserted “where a public housing agency receives a grant,” in par. (7), and added subsec. (b). 1990—Pub. L. 101–625 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “A public housing agency may use a grant under this subchapter for— “(1) the employment of security personnel in public housing projects; “(2) reimbursement of local law

Enforcement

agencies for additional security and protective services for public housing projects; “(3) physical improvements in public housing projects which are specifically designed to enhance security; “(4) the employment of 1 or more individuals— “(A) to investigate drug-related crime on or about the real property comprising any public housing project; and “(B) to provide evidence relating to any such crime in any administrative or judicial proceeding; “(5) the provision of training, communications equipment, and other related equipment for use by voluntary public housing tenant patrols acting in cooperation with local law

Enforcement

officials; “(6) innovative programs designed to reduce use of drugs in and around public housing projects; and “(7) providing funding to nonprofit public housing resident management corporation and tenant councils to develop security and drug abuse prevention programs involving site residents.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by title V of Pub. L. 105–276 effective and applicable beginning upon Oct. 1, 1999, except as otherwise provided, with provision that Secretary may implement amendment before such date, except to extent that such amendment provides otherwise, and with

Savings Provision

, see section 503 of Pub. L. 105–276, set out as a note under section 1437 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–330 effective Oct. 1, 1997, except as otherwise expressly provided, see section 107 of Pub. L. 104–330, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 4101 of Title 25, Indians.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 11903

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73