119-hr5034

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5034 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5034

 To reform the requirements regarding the safety and security of 
families living in public and federally assisted housing in high-crime 
 areas.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 August 22, 2025

Ms. Wilson of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred 
 to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To reform the requirements regarding the safety and security of 
families living in public and federally assisted housing in high-crime 
 areas.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Liberty City Rising Act''.

SEC. 2. SAFETY STANDARDS FOR FEDERALLY ASSISTED HOUSING IN HIGH-CRIME 
 AREAS.

    (a) Public Housing.--

Section 6

    (f)

    (2) of the United States Housing 
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437d

    (f)

    (2) ) is amended--

    (1) by striking ``The Secretary shall'' and inserting the 
 following:
 ``
        (A) Safe and habitable.--The Secretary shall''; 
 and

    (2) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
        (B) High-crime areas.--
 ``
            (i) === Definition. ===
-In this subparagraph, 
 the term `high-crime area' means a neighborhood 
 or other small geographic area that the 
 Secretary determines has a high incidence of 
 violent crime, based on the most recent violent 
 crime data available from a State, unit of 
 local government, or other source determined 
 appropriate by the Secretary, that lists the 
 types of crimes and number of offenses 
 committed in the area.
 ``
            (ii) Additional safety and security 
 standards.--In addition to the standards under 
 subparagraph
        (A) , the Secretary shall establish 
 standards to ensure the safety and security of 
 dwellings located in a high-crime area.
 ``
            (iii) Contents.--The standards 
 established under clause
            (ii) --
 ``
            (I) shall require a public 
 housing agency to consider security 
 measures that meet the specific needs 
 of a property or building; and
 ``
            (II) may include requirements 
 related to security cameras, locks, 
 lighting, or other security measures.
 ``
            (iv) Anonymous hotline.--A public housing 
 agency that operates a public housing project 
 in a high-crime area shall establish an 
 anonymous hotline for tenants to report 
 suspicious activity and crimes that occur in 
 the community in which the public housing 
 project is located.''.

    (b) Project-Based Assisted Housing.--

    (1) In general.--

Section 8

    (o)

    (13) of the United States 
 Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f

    (o)

    (13) ) is amended by 
 adding at the end the following:
 ``
        (P) Safety and security standards for high-crime 
 areas.--
 ``
            (i) === Definition. ===
-In this subparagraph, 
 the term `high-crime area' means a neighborhood 
 or other small geographic area that the 
 Secretary determines has a high incidence of 
 violent crime, based on the most recent violent 
 crime data available from a State, unit of 
 local government, or other source determined 
 appropriate by the Secretary, that lists the 
 types of crimes and number of offenses 
 committed in the area.
 ``
            (ii) Contract requirement.--An assistance 
 contract for project-based assistance entered 
 into under this paragraph with respect to a 
 structure shall require that the owner maintain 
 the structure, if determined to be in a high-
 crime area, in a condition that complies with 
 standards that meet or exceed the safety and 
 security standards established under clause
            (iii) .
 ``
            (iii) Safety and security standards.--The 
 Secretary shall establish standards to ensure 
 the safety and security of structures located 
 in a high-crime area.
 ``
            (iv) Contents.--The standards established 
 under clause
            (iii) --
 ``
            (I) shall require the owner of a 
 structure that receives project-based 
 assistance under this paragraph to 
 consider security measures that meet 
 the specific needs of the structure; 
 and
 ``
            (II) may include requirements 
 related to security cameras, locks, 
 lighting, or other security measures.
 ``
            (v) Inspections.--When determining 
 whether a dwelling unit that is in a high-crime 
 area meets the housing quality standards under 
 paragraph

    (8)
        (A) , a public housing agency shall 
 also determine whether the dwelling unit meets 
 the standards established under this 
 subparagraph.
 ``
            (vi) Anonymous hotline.--A public housing 
 agency that provides project-based assistance 
 under this paragraph with respect to a 
 structure in a high-crime area shall establish 
 an anonymous hotline for tenants to report 
 suspicious activity and crimes that occur in 
 the community in which the structure is 
 located.''.

    (2) Conforming amendment.--

Section 8
            (d) (2) of the United 
 States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f
            (d) (2) ) is amended 
 by adding at the end the following:
 ``
        (E)
            (i) Subsection

    (o)

    (13)
        (P) (relating to safety and security 
standards for high-crime areas) shall apply to a contract for project-
based assistance under this paragraph and to a public housing agency 
that enters into such a contract.
 ``
            (ii) When determining whether a structure assisted under this 
paragraph that is in a high-crime area, as defined in subsection

    (o)

    (13)
        (P) , meets any applicable housing quality standards, a public 
housing agency shall also determine whether the structure meets the 
safety and security standards established under that subsection.''.
            (c) Deadlines.--

    (1) Determination of high-crime areas.--Not later than 90 
 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
 Housing and Urban Development shall make an initial 
 determination as to which areas of the United States are high-
 crime areas for purposes of sections 6

    (f)

    (2)
        (B) , 8
            (d) (2)
        (E) , 
 and 8

    (o)

    (13)
        (P) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as 
 added by this section.

    (2) Safety and security standards.--Not later than 1 year 
 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
 Housing and Urban Development shall establish the safety and 
 security standards for public housing projects and other 
 assisted structures located in high-crime areas required under 
 sections 6

    (f)

    (2)
        (B) , 8
            (d) (2)
        (E) , and 8

    (o)

    (13)
        (P) of the United 
 States Housing Act of 1937, as added by this section.

SEC. 3. GRANT PRIORITY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS IN HIGH-CRIME AREAS.

 

Section 9
            (d) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437g
            (d) ) is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (4) Emergency safety and security funding priority for 
 high-crime areas.--In awarding grants for safety and security 
 measures using amounts from the Capital Fund, the Secretary 
 shall give priority to an application from a public housing 
 agency that proposes to use the grant for a public housing 
 project located in a high-crime area (as defined in 

section 6

    (f)

    (2)
        (B) ).''.
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