S.Amdt. 4304

SA 4304, submitted by Mr. Hawley, aims to add a section to H.R. 6644 focused on the oversight of landlord compliance with housing quality standards. It proposes amending the United States Housing Act of 1937 to create a Housing Choice Voucher Landlord Database.

The amendment seeks to add the following:

• Database Establishment: The Secretary and public housing agencies would create a database of owners of properties receiving tenant-based assistance. This includes lists of properties, the identity of those with legal rights to lease or sublease, actions taken against owners for violations, and previous or ongoing litigation between owners and public housing agencies.

• Tenant Complaints: The database would include a way for tenants to submit complaints about owners, including identifying information and a description of the complaint.

• Public Disclosure: A public list would be maintained featuring owner identities, actions taken for violations, and litigation details, while protecting tenant privacy and redacting specific addresses or personally identifiable information.

• Accountability and Penalties:

  • The Secretary must review tenant complaints within 60 days and make qualified complaints public.
  • Owners who knowingly provide misleading or inconsistent information to avoid sanctions or undermine transparency would be guilty of a violation of section 1012 of title 18, United States Code, and banned from receiving Federal Government contracts.

• Oversight: The HUD Inspector General would investigate efforts to circumvent data collection and report on obstacles such as owner deficiencies or the renaming of ownership entities to evade transparency.

• Audits: The Secretary would audit public housing agencies and update the section 8 management assessment program to include compliance with these requirements.