Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008/Division B/Title IX

Title IX: MISCELLANEOUS

SEC. 2901. HOMELESS ASSISTANCE.

(a) Appropriations.—Section 726 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11435) is amended by striking "$70,000,000" and all that follows and inserting "$100,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year.".

(b) Emergency Assistance.—Section 722 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11432) is amended by adding at the end the following:

"(h) Special Rule for Emergency Assistance.—

"(1) Emergency assistance.—

"(A) Reservation of amounts.—Subject to paragraph (4) and notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the Secretary shall use funds appropriated under section 726 for fiscal year 2009, but not to exceed $30,000,000, for the purposes of providing emergency assistance through grants.

"(B) General authority.—The Secretary shall use the funds to make grants to State educational agencies under paragraph (2), to enable the agencies to make subgrants to local educational agencies under paragraph (3), to provide activities described in section 723(d) for individuals referred to in subparagraph (C).

"(C) Eligible individuals.—Funds made available under this subsection shall be used to provide such activities for eligible individuals, consisting of homeless children and youths, and their families, who have become homeless due to home foreclosure, including children and youths, and their families, who became homeless when lenders foreclosed on properties rented by the families.

"(2) Grants to state educational agencies.—

"(A) Disbursement.—The Secretary shall make grants with funds provided under paragraph (1)(A) to State educational agencies based on need, consistent with the number of eligible individuals described in paragraph (1)(C) in the States involved, as determined by the Secretary.

"(B) Assurance.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, a State educational agency shall provide an assurance to the Secretary that the State educational agency, and each local educational agency receiving a subgrant from the State educational agency under this subsection shall ensure that the activities carried out under this subsection are consistent with the activities described in section 723(d).

"(3) Subgrants to local educational agencies.—A State educational agency that receives a grant under paragraph (2) shall use the funds made available through the grant to make subgrants to local educational agencies. The State educational agency shall make the subgrants to local educational agencies based on need, consistent with the number of eligible individuals described in paragraph (1)(C) in the areas served by the local educational agencies, as determined by the State educational agency.

"(4) Restriction.—The Secretary—

"(A) shall determine the amount (if any) by which the funds appropriated under section 726 for fiscal year 2009 exceed $70,000,000; and

"(B) may only use funds from that amount to carry out this subsection.".

SEC. 2902. INCREASING ACCESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF ENERGY EFFICIENT MORTGAGES.

(a) Definition.—As used in this section, the term "energy efficient mortgage" has the same meaning as given that term in paragraph (24) of section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12704(24)).

(b) Recommendations to Eliminate Barriers to Use of Energy Efficient Mortgages.—

(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in conjunction with the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall consult with the residential mortgage industry and States to develop recommendations to eliminate the barriers that exist to increasing the availability, use, and purchase of energy efficient mortgages, including such barriers as—

(A) the lack of reliable and accessible information on such mortgages, including estimated energy savings and other benefits of energy efficient housing;

(B) the confusion regarding underwriting requirements and differences among various energy efficient mortgage programs;

(C) the complex and time consuming process of securing such mortgages;

(D) the lack of publicly available research on the default risk of such mortgages; and

(E) the availability of certified or accredited home energy rating services.

(2) Report to congress.—The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall submit a report to Congress that—

(A) summarizes the recommendations developed under paragraph (1); and

(B) includes any recommendations for statutory, regulatory, or administrative changes that the Secretary deems necessary to institute such recommendations.

(c) Energy Efficient Mortgages Outreach Campaign.—

(1) In general.—The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in consultation and coordination with the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and State Energy and Housing Finance Directors, shall carry out an education and outreach campaign to inform and educate consumers, home builders, residential lenders, and other real estate professionals on the availability, benefits, and advantages of—

(A) improved energy efficiency in housing; and

(B) energy efficient mortgages.

(2) Authorization of appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out the education and outreach campaign described under paragraph (1).