Services To Prevent Veterans Homelessness Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide financial assistance to eligible entities (private nonprofit organizations or consumer cooperatives) to provide and coordinate the provision of various supportive services for very low-income veteran families occupying permanent housing. Requires: (1) equitable geographic distribution of such assistance; and (2) the Secretary to provide training and technical assistance to participating entities regarding the planning, development, and provision of such services.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4746 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4746
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a financial
assistance program to facilitate the provision of supportive services
for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 14, 2006
Mr. Bradley of New Hampshire (for himself, Mr. McCotter, Mr.
Strickland, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Simmons, Ms. Herseth, Mr.
Filner, Mr. Kuhl of New York, Mr. Wexler, Mr. McDermott, and Ms.
Jackson-Lee of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a financial
assistance program to facilitate the provision of supportive services
for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VERY LOW-
INCOME VETERAN FAMILIES IN PERMANENT HOUSING.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Services to
Prevent Veterans Homelessness Act''.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to facilitate the
provision of supportive services for very low-income veteran families
in permanent housing.
(c) Authorization of Financial Assistance.--
(1) In general.--Subchapter V of chapter 20 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 2044. Financial assistance for supportive services for very low-
income veteran families residing in permanent housing
``(a) Distribution of Financial Assistance.--(1) The Secretary
shall provide financial assistance to eligible entities approved under
this section to provide and coordinate the provision of the supportive
services for very low-income veteran families residing in permanent
housing.
``(2)(A) Financial assistance under this section shall consist of
payments for each such family for which an approved eligible entity
provides or coordinates the provision of supportive services.
``(B) The Secretary shall establish a formula for determining the
rate of payments provided to a very low-income veteran family receiving
supportive services under this section. The rate shall be adjusted not
less than once annually to reflect changes in the cost of living. In
calculating the payment formula under this subparagraph, the Secretary
may consider geographic cost of living variances, family size, and the
cost of services provided.
``(3) In providing financial assistance under paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall give preference to an entity that provides or
coordinates the provision of supportive services for very low-income
veteran families who are transitioning from homelessness to permanent
housing.
``(4) The Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent practicable,
financial assistance under this subsection is equitably distributed
across geographic regions, including rural communities and tribal
lands.
``(5) Each entity receiving financial assistance under this section
to provide supportive services to a very low-income veteran family
shall notify the family that such services are being paid for, in whole
or in part, by the Department.
``(6) The Secretary may require an entity receiving financial
assistance under this section to submit a report to the Secretary
describing the supportive services provided with such financial
assistance.
``(b) Application for Financial Assistance.--(1) An eligible entity
seeking financial assistance under subsection (a) shall submit to the
Secretary an application in such form, in such manner, and containing
such commitments and information as the Secretary determines to be
necessary.
``(2) An application submitted under paragraph (1) shall contain--
``(A) a description of the supportive services proposed to
be provided by the eligible entity;
``(B) a description of the types of very low-income veteran
families proposed to be provided such services;
``(C) an estimate of the number of very low-income veteran
families proposed to be provided such services;
``(D) evidence of the experience of the eligible entity in
providing supportive services to very low-income veteran
families; and
``(E) a description of the managerial capacity of the
eligible entity to--
``(i) coordinate the provision of supportive
services with the provision of permanent housing, by
the eligible entity or by other organizations;
``(ii) continuously assess the needs of very low-
income veteran families for supportive services;
``(iii) coordinate the provision of supportive
services with the services of the Department;
``(iv) tailor supportive services to the needs of
very low-income veteran families; and
``(v) continuously seek new sources of assistance
to ensure the long-term provision of supportive
services to very low-income veteran families.
``(3) The Secretary shall establish criteria for the selection of
eligible entities to receive financial assistance under this section.
``(c) Technical Assistance.--(1) The Secretary shall provide
training and technical assistance eligible entities that receive
financial assistance under this section with respect to the planning,
development, and provision of supportive services to very low-income
veteran families occupying permanent housing.
``(2) The Secretary may provide the training described in paragraph
(1) directly or through grants or contracts with appropriate public or
nonprofit private entities.
``(d) Funding.--Of the amounts available each fiscal year to the
Department for Medical Care for veterans, $25,000,000 shall be
available in each such fiscal year to carry out the provisions of this
section, of which not more than $750,000 may be used to provide
technical assistance under subsection (c).
``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `very low-income veteran family' means a
veteran family whose income does not exceed 50 percent of the
median income for the area, as determined by the Secretary in
accordance with this paragraph, except that--
``(A) the Secretary shall make appropriate
adjustments to the income requirement under
subparagraph (A) based on family size; and
``(B) the Secretary may establish an income ceiling
higher or lower than 50 percent of the median income
for an area if the Secretary determines that such
variations are necessary because the area has unusually
high or low construction costs, fair market rents (as
determined under section 8 of the United States Housing
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f)), or family incomes.
``(2) The term `veteran family' includes a veteran who is a
single person and a family in which the head of household or
the spouse of the head of household is a veteran.
``(3) The term `consumer cooperative' has the meaning given
such term in section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C.
1701q).
``(4) The term `eligible entity' means--
``(A) a private nonprofit organization; or
``(B) a consumer cooperative.
``(5) The term `homeless' has the meaning given the term in
section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. 11302)).
``(6) The term `permanent housing' means community-based
housing without a designated length of stay.
``(7) The term `private nonprofit organization' means--
``(A) any incorporated private institution or
foundation--
``(i) no part of the net earnings of which
inures to the benefit of any member, founder,
contributor, or individual;
``(ii) which has a governing board that is
responsible for the operation of the supportive
services provided under this section; and
``(iii) which is approved by the Secretary
as to financial responsibility;
``(B) a for-profit limited partnership, the sole
general partner of which is an organization meeting the
requirements of clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of
subparagraph (A);
``(C) a corporation wholly owned and controlled by
an organization meeting the requirements of clauses
(i), (ii), and (iii) of subparagraph (A); and
``(D) a tribally designated housing entity (as
defined in section 4 of the Native American Housing
Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25
U.S.C. 4103)).
``(8) The term `supportive services' means the following:
``(A) Services provided by an eligible entity or
subcontractors that address the needs of very low-
income veteran families occupying permanent housing,
including--
``(i) outreach services;
``(ii) health care services, including
diagnosis, treatment, and counseling for mental
health and substance abuse disorders and for
post-traumatic stress disorder, if such
services are not readily available through the
Department of Veterans Affairs medical center
serving the geographic area in which the
veteran family is housed;
``(iii) habilitation and rehabilitation
services;
``(iv) case management services;
``(v) daily living services;
``(vi) personal financial planning;
``(vii) transportation services;
``(viii) vocational counseling;
``(ix) employment and training;
``(x) educational services;
``(xi) assistance in obtaining veterans
benefits and other public benefits, including
health care provided by the Department;
``(xii) assistance in obtaining income
support;
``(xiii) assistance in obtaining health
insurance;
``(xiv) fiduciary and representative payee
services;
``(xv) legal services to assist the veteran
family with reconsiderations or appeals of
veterans and public benefit claim denials and
to resolve outstanding warrants that interfere
with the family's ability to obtain or retain
housing or supportive services;
``(xvi) child care;
``(xvii) housing counseling;
``(xviii) other services necessary for
maintaining independent living; and
``(xix) coordination of services described
in this paragraph.
``(B) Services provided by an eligible entity or
subcontractors, including services described in clauses
(i) through (xix) of subparagraph (A), that are
delivered to very low-income veteran families who are
homeless and who are scheduled to become residents of
permanent housing within 90 days of the date on which
the service is provided pending the location or
development of housing suitable for permanent housing.
``(C) Services provided by an eligible entity or
subcontractors, including services described in clauses
(i) through (xix) of subparagraph (A), for very low-
income veteran families who have voluntarily chosen to
seek other housing after a period of tenancy in
permanent housing, that are provided, for a period of
90 days beginning on the date on which such a family
exits permanent housing or until such a family
commences receipt of other housing services adequate to
meet the needs of the family, but only to the extent
that services under this paragraph are designed to
support such a family in the choice to transition into
housing that is responsive to the individual needs and
preferences of the family.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 2043 the following new item:
``2044. Financial assistance for supportive services for very low-
income veteran families in permanent
housing''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
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