Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§11904 Applications
Title 42 › CHAPTER 124 — PUBLIC HOUSING DRUG ELIMINATION › SUBCHAPTER I — PUBLIC AND ASSISTED HOUSING DRUG ELIMINATION › § 11904
Summary
To get a grant under this program, a public housing agency, a resident management corporation, an Indian tribe, a recipient under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996, or an owner of federally assisted low-income housing must send an application to the Secretary when and how the Secretary asks. The application must include a plan to reduce drug-related or violent crime in and around the housing. That plan can be part of the housing agency’s other plans the Secretary requires. Public housing agencies can apply for one-year grants that may be renewed each year for up to 4 more years, if funding is available and the Secretary finds they are doing a good job. The Secretary can change grant amounts if funding changes. The Secretary usually gives preference to agencies that will keep or expand certain prior activities, but can also pick other strong applications that address urgent crime problems. The Secretary will make rules to identify agencies with serious crime problems and may set aside money for them, with unused set-asides going to preferred applicants. The Secretary will judge applications on how bad the crime problem is, how good and lasting the plan is, whether the applicant can carry it out, and how much tenants and the community support it. For owners of federally assisted low-income housing, the Secretary may use extra criteria that only reflect real differences between those owners and public housing agencies. The Secretary may also consider if a project is in a federally designated high intensity drug trafficking area.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §11904
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)In general
To receive a grant under this subchapter, a public housing agency, a public housing resident management corporation, an Indian tribe a recipient of assistance under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 [25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.], or an owner of federally assisted low-income housing shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such additional information as the Secretary may reasonably require. Such application shall include a plan for addressing the problem of drug-related or violent crime in and around of the housing administered or owned by the applicant for which the application is being submitted, which plan shall be coordinated with and may be included in the public housing agency plan submitted to the Secretary pursuant to section 1437c–1 of this title.
(b)One-year renewable grants
(1)In general
An eligible applicant that is a public housing agency may apply for a 1-year grant under this subchapter that, subject to the availability of appropriated amounts, shall be renewed annually for a period of not more than 4 additional years, except that such renewal shall be contingent upon the Secretary finding, upon an annual or more frequent review, that the grantee agency is performing under the terms of the grant and applicable laws in a satisfactory manner and meets such other requirements as the Secretary may prescribe. The Secretary may adjust the amount of any grant received or renewed under this paragraph to take into account increases or decreases in amounts appropriated for these purposes or such other factors as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(2)Eligibility and preference
The Secretary may not provide assistance under this subchapter to an applicant that is a public housing agency unless—
(A)the agency will use the grants to continue or expand activities eligible for assistance under this subchapter, as in effect immediately before the effective date under section 503(a) of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, in which case the Secretary shall provide preference to such applicant; except that preference under this subparagraph shall not preclude selection by the Secretary of other meritorious applications that address urgent or serious crime problems nor be construed to require continuation of activities determined by the Secretary to be unworthy of continuation; or
(B)the agency is in the class established under paragraph (3).
(3)PHAs having urgent or serious crime problems
The Secretary shall, by regulations issued after notice and opportunity for public comment, set forth criteria for establishing a class of public housing agencies that have urgent or serious crime problems. The Secretary may reserve a portion of the amount appropriated to carry out this subchapter in each fiscal year only for grants for public housing agencies in such class, except that any amounts from such portion reserved that are not obligated to agencies in the class shall be made available only for agencies that are subject to a preference under paragraph (2)(A).
(4)Inapplicability to federally assisted low-income housing
The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to federally assisted low-income housing.
(c)Criteria
The Secretary shall approve applications under subsection (b) that are not subject to a preference under subsection (b)(2)(A) on the basis of thresholds or criteria such as—
(1)the extent of the drug-related or violent crime problem in and around the public or federally assisted low-income housing project or projects proposed for assistance;
(2)the quality of the plan to address the crime problem in the public or federally assisted low-income housing project or projects proposed for assistance, including the extent to which the plan includes initiatives that can be sustained over a period of several years;
(3)the capability of the applicant to carry out the plan; and
(4)the extent to which tenants, the local government and the local community support and participate in the design and implementation of the activities proposed to be funded under the application.
(d)Federally assisted low-income housing
In addition to the selection criteria specified in subsection (c), the Secretary may establish other criteria for the evaluation of applications submitted by owners of federally assisted low-income housing, except that such additional criteria shall be designed only to reflect—
(1)relevant differences between the financial resources and other characteristics of public housing authorities and owners of federally assisted low-income housing, or
(2)relevant differences between the problem of drug-related or violent crime in public housing and the problem of drug-related or violent crime in federally assisted low-income housing.
(e)High intensity drug trafficking areas
In evaluating the extent of the drug-related crime problem pursuant to subsection (c), the Secretary may consider whether housing projects proposed for assistance are located in a high intensity drug trafficking area designated pursuant to section 1504 of title 21.
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), 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. section 503(a) of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(A), is section 503(a) of Pub. L. 105–276, which is set out as an
Effective Date
of 1998 Amendment note under section 1437 of this title. Section 1504 of title 21, referred to in subsec. (e), was repealed by Pub. L. 100–690, title I, § 1009, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4188.
Amendments
1998—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(e)(1), substituted “recipient of assistance under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996” for “tribally designated housing entity” in first sentence and “or violent crime in and around” for “crime on the premises” in second sentence, and inserted before period at end “, which plan shall be coordinated with and may be included in the public housing agency plan submitted to the Secretary pursuant to section 1437c–1 of this title”. Pub. L. 105–276, § 220(3), inserted “an Indian tribe” after “resident management corporation,”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(e)(5), (6), added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(e)(2)(A), inserted introductory provisions and struck out former introductory provisions which read as follows: “Except as provided by subsections (c) and (d) of this section the Secretary shall approve applications under this subchapter based exclusively on—”. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(e)(2)(B), substituted “or violent crime problem in and around” for “crime problem in”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(e)(5), redesignated subsec. (b) as (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (d). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(e)(3)(A), substituted “subsection (c)” for “subsection (b)” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(e)(3)(B), inserted “or violent” after “drug-related” in two places. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(e)(5), redesignated subsec. (c) as (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (e). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(e)(4), substituted “subsection (c)” for “subsection (b)”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105–276, § 586(e)(5), redesignated subsec. (d) as (e). 1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–330 inserted “a tribally designated housing entity,” after “resident management corporation,”. 1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–550 inserted “, a public housing resident management corporation,” after “public housing agency” in first sentence. 1990—Pub. L. 101–625 amended section generally, substituting present provisions for provisions relating generally to applications for grants under this subchapter and to criteria for approval of such applications.
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. § 11904
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110