LINKING SERVICES TO PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS.

SEC. 538. LINKING SERVICES TO PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS. (a) In General.— Title I of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.), as amended by the preceding provisions of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following new section: “SEC. 34. SERVICES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS. “(a) In General.— To the extent that amounts are provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary may make grants to public housing agencies on behalf of public housing residents, or directly to resident management corporations, resident councils, or resident organizations (including nonprofit entities supported by residents), for the purposes of providing a program of supportive services and resident empowerment activities to provide supportive services to public housing residents or assist such residents in becoming economically self-sufficient. “(b) Eligible Activities.— Grantees under this section may use such amounts only for activities on or near the property of the public housing agency or public housing project that are designed to promote the self-sufficiency of public housing residents or provide supportive services for such residents, including activities relating to— “(1) physical improvements to a public housing project in order to provide space for supportive services for residents; 112 STAT. 2593 “(2) the provision of service coordinators or a congregate housing services program for elderly individuals, elderly disabled individuals, nonelderly disabled individuals, or temporarily disabled individuals; “(3) the provision of services related to work readiness, including education, job training and counseling, job search skills, business development training and planning, tutoring, mentoring, adult literacy, computer access, personal and family counseling, health screening, work readiness health services, transportation, and child care; “(4) economic and job development, including employer linkages and job placement, and the start-up of resident microenterprises, community credit unions, and revolving loan funds, including the licensing, bonding, and insurance needed to operate such enterprises; “(5) resident management activities and resident participation activities; and “(6) other activities designed to improve the economic self-sufficiency of residents. “(c) Funding Distribution.— “(1) In general.— Except for amounts provided under subsection (d), the Secretary may distribute amounts made available under this section on the basis of a competition or a formula, as appropriate. “(2) Factors for distribution.— Factors for distribution under paragraph (1) shall include— “(A) the demonstrated capacity of the applicant to carry out a program of supportive services or resident empowerment activities; “(B) the ability of the applicant to leverage additional resources for the provision of services; and “(C) the extent to which the grant will result in a high quality program of supportive services or resident empowerment activities. “(d) Matching Requirement.— The Secretary may not make any grant under this section to any applicant unless the applicant supplements amounts made available under this section with funds from sources other than this section in an amount equal to not less than 25 percent of the grant amount. Such supplemental amounts may include— “(1) funds from other Federal sources; “(2) funds from any State or local government sources; “(3) funds from private contributions; and “(4) the value of any in-kind services or administrative costs provided to the applicant. “(e) Funding for Resident Organizations.— To the extent that there are a sufficient number of qualified applications for assistance under this section, not less than 25 percent of any amounts appropriated to carry out this section shall be provided directly to resident councils, resident organizations, and resident management corporations. In any case in which a resident council, resident organization, or resident management corporation lacks adequate expertise, the Secretary may require the council, organization, or corporation to utilize other qualified organizations as contract administrators with respect to financial assistance provided under this section. ”. 112 STAT. 2594 (b) Assessment and Report by Secretary.— Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall— (1) conduct an evaluation and assessment of grants carried out by resident organizations, and particularly of the effect of the grants on living conditions in public housing; and (2) submit to the Congress a report setting forth the findings of the Secretary as a result of the evaluation and assessment and including any recommendations the Secretary determines to be appropriate. This subsection shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.