Housing America's Veterans and Ensuring they have Needed Services Act or the HAVENS Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement a six-year pilot program to provide grants for the creation of five villages of tiny homes for homeless veterans. Under the bill, the villages must have associated supportive services to allow veterans to live in energy efficient homes, maintain social connections with each other, learn skills, and receive critical counseling.
Under the bill, a tiny home is an individual housing unit that is approximately 240 square feet for one person or approximately 340 square feet if the home is for a family.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3326 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3326
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a pilot program to
build tiny homes for homeless veterans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 15, 2023
Mr. Kilmer (for himself, Ms. Mace, Mr. Keating, Ms. Lee of California,
and Ms. Titus) 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 pilot program to
build tiny homes for homeless veterans, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Housing America's Veterans and
Ensuring they have Needed Services Act'' or the ``HAVENS Act''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON TINY HOMES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) In 2009, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs announced a
plan to end veteran homelessness by the end of fiscal year
2015.
(2) While the Department of Veterans Affairs did not reach
such goal, the Department continues to focus on reducing the
number of veterans experiencing homelessness.
(3) As of January 2020, the Department of Housing and Urban
Development estimated there to be 37,252 homeless veterans.
(4) At the start of January 2020, 21 out of every 10,000
veterans in the United States were experiencing homelessness.
(5) Veterans constitute about six percent of the population
of the United States but eight percent of the country's
homeless population.
(6) Factors related to homelessness among veterans include
post-traumatic stress disorder, social isolation, unemployment,
and substance abuse.
(7) Individual housing units improve personal safety for
veterans and reduce risks associated with close quarters living
in a shelter.
(b) Pilot Program.--
(1) Establishment.--Subchapter VII of chapter 20 of title
38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 2068. Pilot program on tiny homes for homeless veterans.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall carry out a pilot program
(in this section referred to as the `Program') to make grants to
facilitate the creation of five villages of tiny homes--
``(1) across the United States with associated supportive
services to allow veterans to live in the homes, maintain
social connections with each other, learn skills, and receive
critical counseling; and
``(2) in a manner that ensures the homes are energy
efficient with low carbon footprints.
``(b) Eligible Entities.--(1) The Secretary may award a grant under
the Program to any entity eligible for grants under section 2011 of
this title, including--
``(A) a non-profit organization described in section
501(c)(3) or section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986; and
``(B) a State or local government.
``(2) To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an entity
specified in paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary an application
at such time, in such form, and containing such information as the
Secretary determines appropriate.
``(c) Eligible Uses.--A recipient of a grant awarded under the
Program shall use grant funds for the following:
``(1) Construction of the village.
``(2) Supportive job skills services.
``(3) Supportive counseling services, located in the
village or in the local community with transportation to the
community provided to the veterans, including--
``(A) case management services (pursuant to section
2022 of this title);
``(B) financial management;
``(C) counseling for addiction issues;
``(D) educational opportunities;
``(E) anger management; and
``(F) career and employment resources.
``(4) Any other use the Secretary determines appropriate.
``(d) Notice.--The Secretary shall publish a Notice of Funding
Opportunity on the internet website Grants.gov, or such successor
website, for the Program.
``(e) Preference.--In awarding grants under the Program, the
Secretary shall give preference to an entity described in subsection
(b)(1) that proposes to carry out the project facilitated with grant
funds to create LEED-certified units, including by using mass timber.
``(f) Reporting.--(1) During each year beginning in the second year
after being awarded a grant, each grantee shall submit to the
Department a report on the activities of the grantee under the Program
during the calendar year preceding the report, including the following:
``(A) The degree to which the grantee made progress toward
meeting the long-term goals and objectives described in the
application of the grantee and the performance by the grantee
of the covered benchmarks described in the application.
``(B) The demographic data of veterans participating in the
Program.
``(C) The details regarding the progress of such veterans
toward achieving the ability to maintain housing and live
independently, increasing skill levels and income, and
obtaining greater self-determination.
``(D) Any other matter the Secretary determines
appropriate.
``(2) During the fourth year of the Program, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committees on Appropriations and Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and House of Representatives a report comparing the outcomes of
grantees under the Program to the outcomes of grantees under other
grant programs that do not contain individual homes and a community
center with supportive services, including the following:
``(A) The average amount of time a veteran stayed in a tiny
home.
``(B) The percentage of veterans who exit the village to
permanent housing.
``(C) The percentage of veterans who exit the village with
competitive employment.
``(D) The percentage of veterans who have a negative exit
from the village.
``(E) Any other matter the Secretary determinates
appropriate.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amounts authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary for grants under section 2011 of
this title for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2028, $20,000,000 may
be used to carry out the program.
``(h) Sunset.--The Secretary may not award a grant under the
Program after the day that is six years after the date of the enactment
of the HAVENS Act.
``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `community center' means a building of
approximately 2,000 square feet where the veterans can gather
for socialization and to receive supportive services.
``(2) The term `mass timber' means any of the following:
``(A) Cross-laminated timber.
``(B) Nail-laminated timber.
``(C) Glue-laminated timber.
``(D) Laminated strand lumber.
``(E) Laminated veneer lumber.
``(3) The term `negative exit', with respect to a veteran
participating in the Program, means an instance under which a
veteran leaves the Program because such veteran violated the
rules of the Program (excluding exits because of threatened or
actual violence to self or others), failed to comply with the
requirements of the Program, or left the Program without
consulting staff.
``(4) The term `State' means each State of the United
States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, territory
or possession of the United States, and each federally
recognized Indian Tribe.
``(5) The term `tiny home' means an individual housing unit
for one person of approximately 240 square feet or an
individual housing unit for a family of approximately 340
square feet.
``(6) The term `village' means the community of tiny homes
and the community center.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents at the
beginning of chapter 20 of such title is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 2067 the following new item:
``Sec. 2068. Pilot program on tiny homes for homeless veterans.''.
(c) Implementation.--The Secretary shall carry out section 2068 of
such title, as added by subsection (b), not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this section.
<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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