,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ebih ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,august #f1 #bjbf,mr4 ,van ,hollen 7for himself and ,mr4 ,curtis7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to facilitate the leasing of ,united ,states ,postal ,service property for the development of housing1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,delivering ,americans ,affordable ,homes ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,united ,states is facing a housing supply shortage that has resulted in a record number of housing cost-burdened households across regions and spanning the large and small cities1 towns1 and coastal and rural communities of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,the ,postal ,service has operated with an annual financial loss in each year since fiscal year #bjjg4 ,in fiscal year #bjbe1 the ,postal ,service reported a net loss of #i1jjj1jjj1jjj4 7#c7 ,the ,postal ,service owns roughly #h1ejj parcels of land in communities across the country1 many of which are suitable for housing development4 7#d7 ,the development of housing on land owned by the ,postal ,service is consistent with its longstanding mission and the delivery of prompt1 reliable1 and efficient mail services to all communities4 7#e7 ,in order to generate revenue to improve its financial position1 and respond to the national housing supply shortage1 it is in the public interest for the ,postal ,service to pursue opportunities to lease to ,state1 local1 and ,tribal governments and their development partners those real property rights which would facilitate housing development and which would create new sources of revenue for the ,postal ,service4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,eligible housing use ,the term eligible housing use means a project to construct new housing units-- 7,a7 for which not less than #hj percent of the total net rentable area is exclusively for residential use2 and 7,b7 which may include commercial1 recreational1 or public uses4 7#b7 ,joint ,development ,partnership ,the term ,joint ,development ,partnership means a joint venture to acquire real property rights and develop the property for an eligible housing use-- 7,a7 consisting of-- 7i7 a public entity2 and 7ii7 #a or more entities with the demonstrated capacity to construct and operate housing for rent1 including any-- 7,i7 private entity2 7,,ii7 non-profit entity2 7,,iii7 public housing agency2 or 7,,iv7 local housing finance agency2 and 7,b7 that is memorialized in a contract1 a memorandum of understanding1 or other legally binding agreement4 7#c7 ,office ,the term ,office means the ,housing ,liaison ,office established under section #d7;a74 7#d7 ,postal ,service ,the term ,postal ,service means the ,united ,states ,postal ,service4 7#e7 ,postmaster ,the term ,postmaster means the ,postmaster ,general of the ,united ,states ,postal ,service4 7#f7 ,public entity ,the term public entity means-- 7,a7 a ,state1 or an agency or instrumentality of a ,state2 7,b7 a political subdivision of a ,state1 or an agency or instrumentality of a political subdivision of a ,state2 7,c7 the ,district of ,columbia1 ,puerto ,rico1 the ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 and or the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 or agency or instrumentality of any such district or territory2 or 7,d7 an ,indian tribe or authorized tribal organization1 or ,alaska ,native village or organization4 #d4 ,housing ,liaison ,office 7a7 ,establishment 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #fj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,postmaster shall establish within the ,postal ,service a ,housing ,liaison ,office4 7#b7 ,placement ,the ,postmaster may task an existing office of the ,postal ,service with the functions of the ,office4 7b7 ,duties ,the duties of the ,office shall be to support the lease of ,postal ,service real property for housing development in accordance with this ,act and carry out the following3 7#a7 ,inventory parcels for leasing 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,office shall identify all real property owned by the ,postal ,service1 with respect to which the lease of such property1 in whole or in part1 including the lease of any right in connection with such property1 may be feasible for housing development4 7,b7 ,factors ,in identifying any parcel of real property for the purposes of subparagraph 7,a71 the ,office shall consider-- 7i7 the parcel's size1 shape1 grading1 adjacencies1 developable air rights1 developable ground rights1 and potential for site consolidation with neighboring land parcels2 7ii7 any physical constraints on the development of the parcel for housing2 and 7iii7 the parcel's proximity to amenities1 including employers1 public transportation stations1 utilities1 and other services and amenities4 7,c7 ,publication of ,inventory ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter on ,january #a of each year1 the ,office shall publish the inventory of property identified under subparagraph 7,a7 in the ,federal ,register and on an official ,postal ,service website4 7#b7 ,establish a joint development process 7,a7 ,establishment ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,office shall publish guidance on a publicly available website establishing a process by which a ,joint ,development ,partnership may propose and negotiate with the ,office to lease1 in whole or in part1 ,postal ,service real property1 including developable ground rights1 developable air rights1 and any other potential development rights1 for an eligible housing use4 7,b7 ,requirements ,the joint development process established under subparagraph 7,a7 shall1 in sequential order-- 7i7 permit a public entity to identify any particular parcel of real property owned by the ,postal ,service for a joint development proposal1 whether or not it is included in the inventory published under paragraph 7#a77;,c72 7ii7 permit a ,joint ,development ,partnership to propose an eligible housing use for the parcel2 and 7iii7 permit a ,joint ,development ,partnership to enter into negotiations with the ,office to potentially lease the identified parcel1 in accordance with this ,act4 7,c7 ,model ,documents ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,office shall make publicly available model lease agreements and model versions of other transactional documents which may be used by the ,office to complete real property transactions pursuant to this ,act4 7#c7 ,disposition for ,housing ,development 7,a7 ,permitted dispositions ,the ,office shall1 at the discretion of the ,office and subject to the approval of the ,postmaster1 enter into a lease of real property rights1 including developable ground rights1 developable air rights1 and any other potential development rights1 in connection with any real property owned by the ,postal ,service with a ,joint ,development ,partnership for an eligible housing use1 in accordance with section #e4 7,b7 ,considerations2 refusal to lease ,the ,office shall consider in its decision to enter into a lease agreement and may refuse to lease property rights under this ,act if-- 7i7 the financial benefit of such lease to the ,postal ,service would be less than the cost to the ,postal ,service arising from the development of housing pursuant to the lease agreement2 or 7ii7 7,i7 the development of housing pursuant to the lease agreement would be substantially disruptive to the delivery of mail2 and 7,,ii7 the ,postal ,service would be unable to mitigate such disruption with reasonable changes to its delivery service4 7,c7 ,prioritization ,the ,office shall prioritize prospective lease agreements-- 7i7 that cover the costs1 in whole or in part1 of the maintenance1 renovation1 or rehabilitation of the ,postal ,service facility at the property of the prospective lease2 7ii7 with a ,joint ,development ,partnership the component entities of which-- 7,i7 have previously demonstrated time and cost efficiency in housing development2 7,,ii7 have previously constructed housing with the support of ,federal1 ,state1 local1 or non-profit subsidies2 and 7,,iii7 have demonstrated willingness to obtain ,federal1 ,state1 local1 or non-profit subsidies for development of housing on the property of the prospective lease2 and 7iii7 that maximize the income-restricted affordability of the units in the proposed housing development project4 7c7 ,consultants ,the ,office may hire experts and consultants as may be necessary to carry out its functions under this ,act4 #e4 ,lease agreements 7a7 ,in general ,each lease agreement entered into pursuant to this ,act shall-- 7#a7 be for a term of not less than #fj years2 7#b7 specify affordability terms1 including that-- 7,a7 restrictions on affordability in the lease agreement shall last for not less than #ej years2 and 7,b7 not less than #bj percent of units in the proposed housing development project shall be affordable to households earning #hj percent or less of the ,area ,median ,income of the area of the proposed housing project1 adjusted for household size2 and 7#c7 over the life of the lease1 provide revenue to the ,postal ,service of not less than the lesser of-- 7,a7 the appraised fair annual rental value of the leased property rights1 as appraised at the time the parties enter into the lease agreement1 minus the value of any public benefit1 at the discretion of the ,postal ,service2 or 7,b7 the net present value of the leased property rights1 as appraised at the time the parties enter into the lease agreement1 minus the value of any public benefit1 at the discretion of the ,postal ,service4 7b7 ,no sales ,the ,office may not enter into any agreement to sell any real property rights to a ,joint ,development ,partnership for an eligible housing use pursuant to this ,act4 7c7 ,preservation ,in any lease agreement under this ,act1 the ,office shall preserve any art that-- 7#a7 is physically located at the ,postal ,service property subject to the lease agreement2 7#b7 was completed between #aicd and #aidc2 and 7#c7 was commissioned1 in whole or in part1 with funding from the ,united ,states ,department of the ,treasury ,section of ,painting and ,sculpture ,program1 ,united ,states ,department of the ,treasury ,section of ,fine ,arts1 or ,united ,states ,department of the ,treasury ,relief ,art ,project4 7d7 ,other requirements ,all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors in the performance of construction1 alteration1 or repair work carried out1 in whole or in part1 pursuant to a lease agreement under this ,act shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on projects of a similar character in the locality as determined by the ,secretary of ,labor in accordance with subchapter ,,iv of chapter #ca of title #dj1 ,united ,states ,code4 ,with respect to the labor standards specified in this subsection1 the ,secretary of ,labor shall have the authority and functions set forth in ,reorganization ,plan ,numbered #ad of #aiej 7#fd ,stat4 #abfg2 #e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app47 and section #cade of title #dj1 ,united ,states ,code4 7e7 ,rule of construction ,the lease of property rights pursuant to this ,act shall not1 by itself1 be considered to be a closure or consolidation for purposes of section #djd7;d7 of title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 or any regulations issued under that section4 #f4 ,funding 7a7 ,initial funding ,upon the enactment of this ,act1 the ,postal ,service shall reserve the next #aj1jjj1jjj dollars it receives in revenue from the sale of ,postal ,service property for carrying out the activities of the ,office4 7b7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,in general ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,postal ,service to carry out this ,act1 to remain available until expended-- 7,a7 #aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbg2 7,b7 #aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbh2 7,c7 #aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbi2 7,d7 #aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjcj2 and 7,e7 #aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjca4 7#b7 ,authorization in subsequent fiscal years ,to the extent amounts authorized to be appropriated under paragraph 7#a7 for a fiscal year are not appropriated in that fiscal year1 such amounts are authorized to be appropriated in a subsequent fiscal year1 in addition to any other amount authorized to be appropriated in that subsequent fiscal year4 7c7 ,revenue from activities ,each year1 the ,postal ,service may reserve up to #aj1jjj1jjj 7as adjusted annually for inflation7 that it receives from lease agreements entered into under this ,act for carrying out the activities of the ,office4 ,all other revenue from lease agreements entered into under this ,act shall be deposited into the ,postal ,service ,fund4 #g4 ,preservation of ,authority ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to limit any authority of the ,postal ,service over real property under section #dja of title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code4