Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 3.djvu/740

 112 STAT. 2570 PUBLIC LAW 105-276—OCT. 21, 1998 "(1) IN GENERAL.— Each contract for contributions for a public housing agency shall require that the agency maintain its public housing in a condition that complies with standards which meet or exceed the housing quality standards established under paragraph (2). "(2) FEDERAL STANDARDS. —The Secretary shall establish housing quality standards under this paragraph that ensure that public housing dwelling units are safe and habitable. Such standards shall include requirements relating to habitability, including maintenance, health and sanitation factors, condition, and construction of dwellings, and shall, to the greatest extent practicable, be consistent with the standards established under section 8(o)(8)(B)(i). The Secretary may determine whether the laws, regulations, standards, or codes of any State or local jurisdiction meet or exceed these standards, for purposes of this subsection. "(3) ANNUAL INSPECTIONS.— Each public housing agency that owns or operates public housing shall make an annual inspection of each public housing project to determine whether units in the project are maintained in accordance with the requirements under paragraph (1). The agency shall retain the results of such inspections and, upon the request of the Secretary, the Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or any auditor conducting an audit under section 5(h), shall make such results available.". SEC. 531. DEMOLITION AND DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC HOUSING. (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 18 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437p) is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 18. DEMOLITION AND DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC HOUSING. "(a) APPLICATIONS FOR DEMOLITION AND DISPOSITION. — Except as provided in subsection (b), upon receiving an application by a public housing agency for authorization, with or without financial assistance under this title, to demolish or dispose of a public housing project or a portion of a public housing project (including any transfer to a resident-supported nonprofit entity), the Secretary shall approve the application, if the public housing agency certifies— "(1) in the case of— "(A) an application proposing demolition of a public housing project or a portion of a public housing project, that- 'll) the project or portion of the public housing project is obsolete as to physical condition, location, or other factors, making it unsuitable for housing purposes; and "(ii) no reasonable program of modifications is costeffective to return the public housing project or portion of the project to useful life; and "(B) an application proposing the demolition of only a portion of a public housing project, that the demolition will help to ensure the viability of the remaining portion of the project; "(2) in the case of an application proposing disposition by sale or other transfer of a public housing project or other real property subject to this title—

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