H.R. 1607
119th CONGRESS 1st Session
To assist applicants for community development block grant recovery assistance not having traditionally accepted forms of documentation of ownership of property to prove such ownership, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · February 26, 2025 · Sponsor: Mrs. Fletcher · Committee: Committee on Financial Services
Table of contents
SEC. 1. Short title
- This Act may be cited as the or the .
SEC. 2. CDBG-Disaster Recovery and CDBG-Mitigation programs
- (a) Documentation of property ownership
- (1) In general
- The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall amend the regulations at part 570 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, to ensure that in providing assistance for the Community Development Block Grant program for Disaster Recovery (CDBG–DR) and the Community Development Block Grant program for Mitigation (CDBG–MIT), in connection with a Presidentially declared disaster, in a case in which a homeowner is required to demonstrate ownership of a property heir property owners and any other owners not having traditionally accepted forms of documentation of ownership of property are provided resources and options for proving ownership for purposes of receiving assistance under such Disaster Recovery and Mitigation programs.
- (2) Acceptable Documentation
- Acceptable documentation for purposes paragraph (1) shall include—
- a signed affidavit of ownership form developed pursuant to subsection (b); or
- letters from local public or private schools, Federal or State benefit providers, and social service organizations, including community assistance programs and nonprofit organizations.
- Acceptable documentation for purposes paragraph (1) shall include—
- (3) Definition
- For purposes of this subsection, the term
heir propertymeans residential property for which title passed by operation of law through intestacy and is held by two or more heirs as tenants in common.
- For purposes of this subsection, the term
- (1) In general
- (b) Affidavit of ownership
- (1) Development and use
- The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall amend the regulations at part 570 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, to provide for the use of a standardized affidavit of ownership form, to be developed by the Secretary, by grantees of the Community Development Block Grant program for Disaster Recovery (CDBG–DR) and the Community Development Block Grant program for Mitigation (CDBG–MIT) in coordination with appropriate authorities of the applicable jurisdiction. Each grantee shall ensure that, at the time of application for housing repair and reconstruction assistance or mitigation assistance under such programs—
- each applicant is informed of the existence of the affidavit of ownership and provided a copy at the time of application; and
- copies of the form in English, Spanish, and any other locally predominant languages of the Presidentially-declared disaster area are accessible to the applicant.
- The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall amend the regulations at part 570 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, to provide for the use of a standardized affidavit of ownership form, to be developed by the Secretary, by grantees of the Community Development Block Grant program for Disaster Recovery (CDBG–DR) and the Community Development Block Grant program for Mitigation (CDBG–MIT) in coordination with appropriate authorities of the applicable jurisdiction. Each grantee shall ensure that, at the time of application for housing repair and reconstruction assistance or mitigation assistance under such programs—
- (2) Prohibition
- A grantee may not require that the signed affidavit of ownership form of an applicant be notarized.
- (1) Development and use
- (c) Exemption
- An affidavit of ownership form shall be exempt from any public comment periods or publication notices under part 570 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations.