Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated for making payments to eligible grantees under this section, $25,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2021.
The Secretary shall make pro rata reductions in the amounts of the allocations determined under clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) for entities described in such clause as necessary to ensure that the total amount of payments made pursuant to such clause does not exceed the remainder amount described in such clause.
If the Secretary determines as of 30 days after December 27, 2020, that an entity described in clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) has declined to receive its full allocation under such clause then, not later than 15 days after such date, the Secretary shall redistribute, on a pro rata basis, such allocation among the other entities described in such clause that have not declined to receive their allocations.
The sum of the amounts allocated under subparagraph (A) to all of the eligible grantees described in clause (ii) of subparagraph (C) shall not be less than the amount equal to 0.3 percent of the amount appropriated under subsection (a)(1).
The Secretary shall reduce the amount of the allocation determined under subparagraph (A) for the eligible grantee described in clause (i) of subparagraph (C) as necessary to meet the requirement of clause (i).
An eligible grantee shall only use the funds provided from a payment made under this section to provide financial assistance and housing stability services to eligible households.
Subject to the exception in clause (ii), an eligible grantee shall not provide an eligible household with financial assistance for prospective rent payments for more than 3 months based on any application by or on behalf of the household.
To the extent that applicants have rental arrears, grantees may not make commitments for prospective rent payments unless they have also provided assistance to reduce an eligible household’s rental arrears.
With respect to financial assistance for rent and rental arrears and utilities and home energy costs and utility and home energy costs arrears provided to an eligible household from a payment made under this section, an eligible grantee shall make payments to a lessor or utility provider on behalf of the eligible household, except that, if the lessor or utility provider does not agree to accept such payment from the grantee after outreach to the lessor or utility provider by the grantee, the grantee may make such payments directly to the eligible household for the purpose of making payments to the lessor or utility provider.
For any payments made by an eligible grantee to a lessor or utility provider on behalf of an eligible household, the eligible grantee shall provide documentation of such payments to such household.
Not more than 10 percent of funds received by an eligible grantee from a payment made under this section may be used to provide eligible households with case management and other services related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as defined by the Secretary, intended to help keep households stably housed.
Not more than 10 percent of the amount paid to an eligible grantee under this section may be used for administrative costs attributable to providing financial assistance and housing stability services under paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively, including for data collection and reporting requirements related to such funds.
Beginning on September 30, 2021, the Secretary shall recapture excess funds, as determined by the Secretary, not obligated by a grantee for the purposes described under subsection (c) and the Secretary shall reallocate and repay such amounts to eligible grantees who, at the time of such reallocation, have obligated at least 65 percent of the amount originally allocated and paid to such grantee under subsection (b)(1), only for the allowable uses described under subsection (c). The amount of any such reallocation shall be determined based on demonstrated need within a grantee’s jurisdiction, as determined by the Secretary.
Funds provided to an eligible grantee under a payment made under this section shall remain available through September 30, 2022.
For funds reallocated to an eligible grantee pursuant to subsection (d), an eligible grantee may request, subject to the approval of the Secretary, a 90-day extension of the deadline established in paragraph (1).
Each report under this subsection shall disaggregate the information relating to households provided under subparagraphs (A) through (F) of paragraph (1) by the gender, race, and ethnicity of the primary applicant for assistance in such households.
The Secretary may establish alternative reporting requirements for grantees described in subsection (b)(2).
Of the funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (a), not more than $15,000,000 may be used for administrative expenses of the Secretary in administering this section, including technical assistance to grantees in order to facilitate effective use of funds provided under this section.
The Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury shall conduct monitoring and oversight of the receipt, disbursement, and use of funds made available under this section.
If the Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury determines that a State, Tribal government, or unit of local government has failed to comply with subsection (c), the amount equal to the amount of funds used in violation of such subsection shall be booked as a debt of such entity owed to the Federal Government. Amounts recovered under this subsection shall be deposited into the general fund of the Treasury.
Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated to the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury, $6,500,000 to carry out oversight and recoupment activities under this subsection. Amounts appropriated under the preceding sentence shall remain available until expended.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to diminish the authority of any Inspector General, including such authority as provided in the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) [3]
Assistance provided to a household from a payment made under this section shall not be regarded as income and shall not be regarded as a resource for purposes of determining the eligibility of the household or any member of the household for benefits or assistance, or the amount or extent of benefits or assistance, under any Federal program or under any State or local program financed in whole or in part with Federal funds.
The term “area median income” means, with respect to a household, the median income for the area in which the household is located, as determined by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
To the extent feasible, an eligible grantee shall ensure that any rental assistance provided to an eligible household pursuant to funds made available under this section is not duplicative of any other Federally funded rental assistance provided to such household.
The term “Inspector General” means the Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury.
The term “unit of local government” has the meaning given such term in paragraph (2) of section 801(g) of title 42, except that, in applying such term for purposes of this section, such paragraph shall be applied by substituting “200,000” for “500,000”.
The authority of an eligible grantee to make new obligations to provide payments under subsection (c) shall terminate on the date established in subsection (e) for that eligible grantee. Amounts not expended in accordance with this section shall revert to the Department of the Treasury.