§ 4111. Block grants

(a) Authority

(1) In general

For each fiscal year, the Secretary shall (to the extent amounts are made available to carry out this chapter) make grants under this section on behalf of Indian tribes—

(A) to carry out affordable housing activities under part A of subchapter II; and

(B) to carry out self-determined housing activities for tribal communities programs under part B of that subchapter.

(2) Provision of amounts

Under such a grant on behalf of an Indian tribe, the Secretary shall provide the grant amounts for the tribe directly to the recipient for the tribe.

(b) Plan requirement

(1) In general

The Secretary may make a grant under this chapter on behalf of an Indian tribe for a fiscal year only if—

(A) the Indian tribe has submitted to the Secretary an Indian housing plan for such fiscal year under section 4112 of this title; and

(B) the plan has been determined under section 4113 of this title to comply with the requirements of section 4112 of this title.

(2) Waiver

The Secretary may waive the applicability of the requirements under paragraph (1), in whole or in part, for a period of not more than 90 days, if the Secretary determines that an Indian tribe has not complied with, or is unable to comply with, those requirements due to exigent circumstances beyond the control of the Indian tribe.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, grant amounts provided under this chapter on behalf of an Indian tribe may not be used for rental or lease-purchase homeownership units that are owned by the recipient for the tribe unless the governing body of the locality within which the property subject to the development activities to be assisted with the grant amounts is or will be situated has entered into an agreement with the recipient for the tribe providing for local cooperation required by the Secretary pursuant to this chapter. The Secretary may waive the requirements of this subsection and subsection (d) of this section if the recipient has made a good faith effort to fulfill the requirements of this subsection and subsection (d) of this section and agrees to make payments in lieu of taxes to the appropriate taxing authority in an amount consistent with the requirements of subsection (d)(2) of this section until such time as the matter of making such payments has been resolved in accordance with subsection (d) of this section.

(d) Exemption from taxation

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, grant amounts provided under this chapter on behalf of an Indian tribe may not be used for affordable housing activities under this chapter for rental or lease-purchase dwelling units developed under the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.) or with amounts provided under this chapter that are owned by the recipient for the tribe unless—

(1) such dwelling units (which, in the case of units in a multi-unit project, shall be exclusive of any portions of the project not developed under the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.] or with amounts provided under this chapter) are exempt from all real and personal property taxes levied or imposed by any State, tribe, city, county, or other political subdivision; and

(2) the recipient for the tribe makes annual payments of user fees to compensate such governments for the costs of providing governmental services, including police and fire protection, roads, water and sewerage systems, utilities systems and related facilities, or payments in lieu of taxes to such taxing authority, in an amount equal to the greater of $150 per dwelling unit or 10 percent of the difference between the shelter rent and the utility cost, or such lesser amount as—

(A) is prescribed by State, tribal, or local law;

(B) is agreed to by the local governing body in the agreement under subsection (c) of this section; or

(e) Effect of failure to exempt from taxation

Notwithstanding subsection (d) of this section, a grant recipient that does not comply with the requirements under such subsection may receive a block grant under this chapter, but only if the tribe, State, city, county, or other political subdivision in which the affordable housing development is located contributes, in the form of cash or tax remission, the amount by which the taxes paid with respect to the development exceed the amounts prescribed in subsection (d)(2) of this section.

(f) Amount

Except as otherwise provided under this chapter, the amount of a grant under this section to a recipient for a fiscal year shall be—

(1) in the case of a recipient whose grant beneficiary is a single Indian tribe, the amount of the allocation under section 4151 of this title for the Indian tribe; and

(2) in the case of a recipient whose grant beneficiary is more than 1 Indian tribe, the sum of the amounts of the allocations under section 4151 of this title for each such Indian tribe.

(g) Use for affordable housing activities under plan

Except as provided in subsection (h) of this section and part B of subchapter II, amounts provided under a grant under this section may be used only for affordable housing activities under subchapter II of this chapter that are consistent with an Indian housing plan approved under section 4113 of this title.

(h) Administrative and planning expenses

The Secretary shall, by regulation, authorize each recipient to use a percentage of any grant amounts received under this chapter for comprehensive housing and community development planning activities and for any reasonable administrative and planning expenses of the recipient relating to carrying out this chapter and activities assisted with such amounts, which may include costs for salaries of individuals engaged in administering and managing affordable housing activities assisted with grant amounts provided under this chapter and expenses of preparing an Indian housing plan under section 4112 of this title.

(i) Public-private partnerships

Each recipient shall make all reasonable efforts, consistent with the purposes of this chapter, to maximize participation by the private sector, including nonprofit organizations and for-profit entities, in implementing the approved Indian housing plan.

(j) Federal supply sources

For purposes of section 501 of title 40, on election by the applicable Indian tribe—

(1) each Indian tribe or tribally designated housing entity shall be considered to be an Executive agency in carrying out any program, service, or other activity under this chapter; and

(2) each Indian tribe or tribally designated housing entity and each employee of the Indian tribe or tribally designated housing entity shall have access to sources of supply on the same basis as employees of an Executive agency.

(k) Tribal preference in employment and contracting

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, with respect to any grant (or portion of a grant) made on behalf of an Indian tribe under this chapter that is intended to benefit 1 Indian tribe, the tribal employment and contract preference laws (including regulations and tribal ordinances) adopted by the Indian tribe that receives the benefit shall apply with respect to the administration of the grant (or portion of a grant).

U.S. Code

§ 4111. Block grants