After Harvey, Cornyn Introduces Bill to Promote Partnerships with Nonprofits for Community Rehabilitation

Along with Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), I introduced the Tools on Our Local Streets (TOOLS) to Rehabilitate Communities Act to allow Community Development Block Grants to be used to create partnerships with nonprofit organizations for the revitalization of neighborhoods, housing rehabilitation, and natural disaster recovery through more efficient and targeted distribution of Community Development Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds.

This bill would provide additional flexibility for localities by allowing them to partner up with nonprofit organizations, especially helping recovery efforts when a disaster happens. By bringing nonprofit resources and expertise to the table, these grants can be more effective in making America’s neighborhoods better places to live and work.

Background:

• Strengthens Community Development Public-Private Partnerships with Nonprofit Organizations. The Tools on Our Local Streets (TOOLS) to Rehabilitate Communities Act makes nonprofit organizations that provide tools, equipment, or other resources used to complete community development or rehabilitation projects eligible for funding through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). CDBGs provide federal assistance to state and local governments in support of local neighborhood revitalization, housing rehabilitation, and community and economic development. CDBGs are also used to help localities recover from presidentially-declared disasters.  
• Increases Awareness of New Opportunity. This legislation requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to notify current CDBG grant applicants and awardees of the new opportunity.
• Requires HUD to Identify Improvements for Community Development Partnerships with Nonprofits.  This bill requires the HUD Secretary to report on current opportunities for partnerships to complete community development, revitalization, or rehabilitation projects and existing challenges.