House Report No. 115-750 (2018)

115TH CONGRESS 1
2d Session

J

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

r

REPORT

115-750

DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES AP
PROPRIATIONS BILL, 2019

JUNE 12, 2018.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of

the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. DIAZ-BALART, from the Committee on Appropriations,
submitted the following

REPORT
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[To accompany HR. 60721

The Committee on Appropriations submits the following report in
explanation of the accompanying bill making appropriations for the
Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development,
and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019.
INDEX TO BILL AND REPORT
Page number
Bill
Report

Title I—Department of Transportation
Title Il—Department of Housing and Urban Development
Title Ill—Related Agencies
Title W—General Provisions
Reporting requirements
Minority views

2
83
171
176

4
70
105
109
110
176

PROGRAM, PROJECT, AND ACTIVITY
During fiscal year 2019, for the purposes of the Balanced Budget
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Public Law 99—177), as
amended, with respect to appropriations contained in the accom
panying bill, the terms program, project, and activity (PPA) shall

mean any item for which a dollar amount is contained in appro
30—391

83
calls into question the effectiveness of HUD oversight, and the Real
Estate Assessment Center’s (REAC) inspections of HUD-assisted
housing. The Committee encourages the Department to work with
the Congress on enforcement actions, including civil monetary pen
alties, that HUD can take to ensure PHAs and landlords maintain
the physical quality of HUD-assisted units. Similarly, while the
Committee is supportive of efforts to quickly issue tenant-protec
tion vouchers, the issuance of these vouchers is a tacit acknowl
edgement that the Department has failed to ensure units are main
tained as decent, safe and sanitary. Additionally, failure to main
tain the physical condition of HUD-assisted properties results in a
loss of critical affordable housing and tenant protection vouchers
are of questionable value to families that encounter a lack of af
fordable housing in their communities. The Committee directs the
Department to solicit comments from stakeholders, including ten
ants, to identify ways the Department can improve its inspection
protocols and oversight. The Committee will continue to closely
monitor the Department’s efforts and progress and directs the De
partment to submit to the House and Senate Committees on Appro
priations within 60 days of enactment of this Act a report identi
fying how HUD is improving the inspection process and related
protocols, including quality assurance of inspections, identified ac
tions yet to be implemented, the status of actions undertaken, and
a timeline for completion of all actions.
Lead assessments in federally-assisted housing.—The Committee
continues to believe that, given the significant impact lead expo
sure can have on children and their development, there continues
to be a need for lead inspection standards within federally assisted
housing, including public housing and the housing choice voucher
program. The Committee believes that the Department has the
statutory authority necessary to require stringent inspections when
checking homes for lead paint. Visual lead inspections have proven
at times insufficient and more rigorous standards such as requiring
risk assessments prior to a family moving into a home should be
considered where appropriate to ensure that children living in fed
erally-assisted homes are protected from lead poisoning.
Operating fund adjustment factors.—The Committee is concerned
that the Department’s current methodology for calculating formula
income and utility expenses for PHAs does not accurately reflect
the reality that many experience locally. This is especially true for
those PHAs that serve large elderly or disabled populations, or op
erate on a utility that is of higher cost than other parts of the coun
try. The Committee appreciates that the Department takes seri
ously concerns raised by PHAs and is reviewing its data and evalu
ating alternative approaches. The Committee directs the Depart
ment to report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropria
tions within 60 days of enactment of this Act on alternative meth
odologies for calculating PHA formula income for purposes of Oper
ating Fund eligibility.