(a) The Administration shall: (1) assist the Governor in coordinating the activities of governmental units of the State that affect the solution of community development problems and the implementation of community plans; (2) encourage and assist political subdivisions to develop mutual and cooperative solutions to their common problems; (3) serve as a clearinghouse for information and other materials that may be pertinent to sound community development, including information on available federal, State, and private financial and technical assistance; (4) carry out continuing studies and analyses of sound community development in cooperation with the Department of Planning; (5) make recommendations, in cooperation with the Department of Planning, for administrative or legislative action, paying particular attention to the problems of metropolitan, suburban, and other areas; (6) implement model or demonstration programs and projects, contract to administer functions or services in a political subdivision, or otherwise provide a program of practical research in community development; (7) promote community development by giving to political subdivisions, local development agencies, local development entities, or nonprofit organizations: (i) technical assistance and advisory, consultative, training, and educational services; and (ii) grants and loans to pay for: 1. the services and technical assistance; and 2. any development costs; (8) (i) contract for and accept from the federal government a grant, contribution, or loan of money, property, or other aid in any form for community development; and (ii) do all things necessary to qualify for the grant, contribution, or loan, including those things necessary to qualify for assistance as a local public agency or public housing agency under a federal housing or renewal program; (9) contract for and accept from any governmental unit of the State or other source a gift, grant, contribution, or loan of money, property, or other aid in any form for community development and comply with the terms and conditions of the gift, grant, contribution, or loan; (10) attach to a sale or lease of property or to a loan or grant the terms and conditions that the Director determines and the Secretary approves; (11) enter into agreements to make annual payments instead of assessments, charges, or property taxes to a political subdivision in respect to real property that the Administration owns; and (12) provide money to programs eligible to receive funding from the Neighborhood Business Development Fund under § 6-310 of this article. (b) To implement community development projects and public purpose projects in accordance with Part V of this subtitle, and subject to §§ 4-213(b) and 4- 214 of this subtitle, the Administration may: (1) (i) acquire, own, and hold land that is open, mainly open, or undeveloped, or any interest in the land; (ii) install access and interior streets and roads and sewer and water lines in or to the land and otherwise improve the land; or (iii) transfer, lease, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of or encumber the land; (2) (i) acquire, own, and hold land that is not open, mainly open, or undeveloped, as well as personal or mixed property; (ii) manage and operate the property; (iii) clear, improve, construct, or rehabilitate the property; (iv) transfer, lease, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of or encumber the property; or (v) take assignments of rentals or leases for the property; (3) arrange or contract with a political subdivision or private party in connection with a community development project or public purpose project for: (i) planning, replanning, zoning, or rezoning; (ii) opening, grading, or closing streets, roads, alleys, or other places; (iii) furnishing facilities; (iv) acquiring property or property rights by the political subdivision; or (v) furnishing property or services; and (4) spend Administration money for an undertaking that the Secretary approves. (c) The Administration shall develop and implement a weatherization program to provide money for insulation materials and insulation costs to households that qualify based on income and the program eligibility guidelines that the Secretary establishes. (d) (1) (i) In this subsection the following words have the meanings indicated. (ii) "Covered building" has the meaning stated in § 2-1601 of the Environment Article. (iii) "Energy conservation project" means a project that qualifies under § 4-218 of this subtitle. (2) For the purpose of reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions from multifamily residential buildings in accordance with the standards adopted under § 2-1602 of the Environment Article, the Administration shall develop and implement a program to provide grants and loans for energy conservation projects and projects to install renewable energy generating systems in covered buildings that house primarily low- to moderate-income households. (3) Grants and loans provided under this subsection may not be used for a project to install new equipment that uses fossil fuels or improve the efficiency of existing equipment that uses fossil fuels. (4) In each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $5,000,000 to the Department for the purpose of providing grants and loans under this subsection. (5) On or before December 1, 2023, and each December 1 thereafter, the Administration shall report to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2-1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly on the projects funded under this subsection.
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