Shelter Our Servicemembers Act
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to jointly establish a two-year pilot program of grants to nonprofit organizations to provide elderly homeless veterans with non-transitional housing.
Allows recipients to use such grant to: (1) purchase real property to provide up to 200 homeless veterans with non-transitional housing, and (2) refurbish or renovate such property.
Makes eligible for such housing veterans of at least 55 years of age who: (1) have been continuously homeless for a year or more or, during the last three years, had at least four separate periods of living on the streets, in an emergency shelter, or a combination thereof; and (2) have a condition that limits their ability to work or perform activities of daily living.
Requires VA to provide case management for elderly veterans receiving such assistance.
[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2813 Introduced in House (IH)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2813
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development to establish a grant pilot program to
provide housing to elderly homeless veterans.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 17, 2015
Mr. Peters (for himself, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr.
Honda, and Ms. Bordallo) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development to establish a grant pilot program to
provide housing to elderly homeless veterans.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Shelter Our Servicemembers Act''.
SEC. 2. ELDERLY HOMELESS VETERANS HOUSING GRANT PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall jointly establish a
pilot program to award grants to nonprofit organizations to provide
elderly homeless veterans with non-transitional housing.
(b) Eligible Organization.--
(1) Nonprofit organization.--The Secretaries may award two
grants under this section to nonprofit organizations that
provide housing to homeless veterans or assist homeless
veterans to find housing.
(2) Locations.--In selecting the nonprofit organizations
under paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall ensure that such
organizations operate in separate geographical locations.
(3) Application.--To be eligible for a grant under this
section, a nonprofit organization shall submit to the
Secretaries an application at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretaries may require.
(c) Number and Amount of Grant.--
(1) Number.--The Secretaries--
(A) may award two grants under this section; and
(B) may not award more than one grant to a single
nonprofit organization.
(2) Amount.--A grant awarded under this section may not
exceed $25,000,000.
(d) Use of Grant.--
(1) In general.--A nonprofit organization may use a grant
awarded under this section to--
(A) purchase real property within a single
geographical area to be used to provide up to 200
eligible homeless veterans with non-transitional
housing; and
(B) refurbish or renovate such property.
(2) Eligible homeless veterans.--A homeless veteran is
eligible for housing provided pursuant to this section if the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines that the homeless
veteran--
(A) has attained the age of 55;
(B) has--
(i) been continuously homeless for a year
or more; or
(ii) during the last three years, had at
least four separate, distinct, and sustained
periods during which the veteran lived or
resided on the streets, in an emergency shelter
for homeless persons, or a combination of both;
and
(C) has a condition that limits the veteran's
ability to work or perform activities of daily living,
including conditions related to--
(i) a diagnosable substance abuse disorder;
(ii) a serious mental illness;
(iii) a developmental disability; or
(iv) a chronic physical illness or
disability.
(e) Case Management.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
provide case management for elderly homeless veterans who
receive housing assistance pursuant to this section. The
Secretary shall maintain a sufficient number of caseworkers to
ensure that the ratio of such homeless veterans to caseworkers
does not exceed 25 to 1.
(2) Provision.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall allow the non-profit organization awarded a
grant under this section to provide the case management under
paragraph (1) if the non-profit organization elects to provide
such case management.
(f) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the
pilot grant program terminates pursuant to subsection (i), the
Secretaries shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and House of Representatives a report on the pilot grant program
that includes--
(1) the number of veterans served under the program;
(2) the types of services offered under the program to such
veterans;
(3) the amount of money spent under the program on each
such veteran;
(4) a recommendation as to the feasibility and advisability
of continuing the program; and
(5) any other information the Secretaries consider
appropriate.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretaries to carry out this section $50,000,000.
(h) Homeless Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term ``homeless
veteran'' means a veteran who--
(1) has attained the age of 55; and
(2) is homeless (as that term is defined in section 103(a)
of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
11302(a))).
(i) Termination.--The pilot grant program established under
subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is two years after the
date on which the Secretaries award a grant under such subsection.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
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