This act establishes and modifies various federal housing programs.
TITLE I--OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOUSING
(Sec. 101) This section requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to review the performance of organizations that receive grants to provide housing counseling services. Such review may take into account the performance of individual counselors.
HUD may terminate assistance for such organizations that are not in compliance with the program's requirements.
(Sec. 102) This section requires HUD to establish best practices and provide technical assistance to state and local entities to support permitting for point-access block buildings (i.e., apartments with a single staircase to access the dwelling units and that are no more than six stories high).
It also allows HUD to award competitive grants to state and local entities to assess the feasibility, safety, and cost-effectiveness of such buildings. This authority expires after seven years.
(Sec. 103) This section exempts from environmental review specified rural housing projects located on an infill site (i.e., a site served by existing infrastructure, including water lines, sewer lines, and roads).
