Tribal HUD-VASH Act of 2023
This bill provides statutory authority for the Tribal HUD-VASH program, which provides rental assistance and supportive services to Indian veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and living in or near an area where a tribe or tribally designated housing entity provides assistance for affordable housing.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may use up to 5% of rental assistance amounts under the HUD-VASH program, which provides housing assistance to homeless veterans, for the Tribal HUD-VASH program. The Tribal HUD-VASH program must be carried out by HUD in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Under the program, grants must be made to entities eligible for housing assistance block grants. HUD may make renewal grants to entities that have received prior program grants.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4155 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4155
To provide for rental assistance for homeless or at-risk Indian
veterans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 15, 2023
Mr. Cole (for himself, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Mr. Ciscomani, Ms.
McCollum, Mr. Zinke, and Mr. McGovern) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for rental assistance for homeless or at-risk Indian
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 ``Tribal HUD-VASH Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS OR AT-RISK INDIAN VETERANS.
Section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E);
and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following new
subparagraph (D):
``(D) Indian veterans housing rental assistance
program.--
``(i) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
``(I) Eligible indian veteran.--The
term `eligible Indian veteran' means an
Indian veteran who is--
``(aa) homeless or at risk
of homelessness; and
``(bb) living--
``(AA) on or near a
reservation; or
``(BB) in or near
any other Indian area.
``(II) Eligible recipient.--The
term `eligible recipient' means a
recipient eligible to receive a grant
under section 101 of the Native
American Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C.
4111).
``(III) Indian; indian area.--The
terms `Indian' and `Indian area' have
the meanings given those terms in
section 4 of the Native American
Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C.
4103).
``(IV) Indian veteran.--The term
`Indian veteran' means an Indian who is
a veteran.
``(V) Program.--The term `Program'
means the Tribal HUD-VASH program
carried out under clause (ii).
``(VI) Tribal organization.--The
term `tribal organization' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of
the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5304).
``(ii) Program specifications.--The
Secretary may use up to 5 percent of the
amounts made available for rental assistance
under this paragraph to carry out a rental
assistance and supported housing program, to be
known as the `Tribal HUD-VASH program', in
conjunction with the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, by awarding grants for the benefit of
eligible Indian veterans.
``(iii) Model.--
``(I) In general.--Except as
provided in subclause (II), the
Secretary shall model the Program on
the rental assistance and supported
housing program authorized under
subparagraph (A) and applicable
appropriations Acts, including
administration in conjunction with the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
``(II) Exceptions.--
``(aa) Secretary of housing
and urban development.--After
consultation with Indian
tribes, eligible recipients,
and any other appropriate
tribal organizations, the
Secretary may make necessary
and appropriate modifications
to facilitate the use of the
Program by eligible recipients
to serve eligible Indian
veterans.
``(bb) Secretary of
veterans affairs.--After
consultation with Indian
tribes, eligible recipients,
and any other appropriate
tribal organizations, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
may make necessary and
appropriate modifications to
facilitate the use of the
Program by eligible recipients
to serve eligible Indian
veterans.
``(iv) Eligible recipients.--The Secretary
shall make amounts for rental assistance and
associated administrative costs under the
Program available in the form of grants to
eligible recipients.
``(v) Funding criteria.--The Secretary
shall award grants under the Program based on--
``(I) need;
``(II) administrative capacity; and
``(III) any other funding criteria
established by the Secretary in a
notice published in the Federal
Register after consulting with the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
``(vi) Administration.--Grants awarded
under the Program shall be administered in
accordance with the Native American Housing
Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996
(25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.), except that
recipients shall--
``(I) submit to the Secretary, in a
manner prescribed by the Secretary,
reports on the utilization of rental
assistance provided under the Program;
and
``(II) provide to the Secretary
information specified by the Secretary
to assess the effectiveness of the
Program in serving eligible Indian
veterans.
``(vii) Consultation.--
``(I) Grant recipients; tribal
organizations.--The Secretary, in
coordination with the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, shall consult with
eligible recipients and any other
appropriate tribal organization on the
design of the Program to ensure the
effective delivery of rental assistance
and supportive services to eligible
Indian veterans under the Program.
``(II) Indian health service.--The
Director of the Indian Health Service
shall provide any assistance requested
by the Secretary or the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs in carrying out the
Program.
``(viii) Waiver.--
``(I) In general.--Except as
provided in subclause (II), the
Secretary may waive or specify
alternative requirements for any
provision of law (including
regulations) that the Secretary
administers in connection with the use
of rental assistance made available
under the Program if the Secretary
finds that the waiver or alternative
requirement is necessary for the
effective delivery and administration
of rental assistance under the Program
to eligible Indian veterans.
``(II) Exception.--The Secretary
may not waive or specify alternative
requirements under subclause (I) for
any provision of law (including
regulations) relating to labor
standards or the environment.
``(ix) Renewal grants.--The Secretary may--
``(I) set aside, from amounts made
available for tenant-based rental
assistance under this subsection and
without regard to the amounts used for
new grants under clause (ii), such
amounts as may be necessary to award
renewal grants to eligible recipients
that received a grant under the Program
in a previous year; and
``(II) specify criteria that an
eligible recipient must satisfy to
receive a renewal grant under subclause
(I), including providing data on how
the eligible recipient used the amounts
of any grant previously received under
the Program.
``(x) Reporting.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of this
subparagraph, and every 5 years thereafter, the
Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs and the Director of the
Indian Health Service, shall--
``(I) conduct a review of the
implementation of the Program,
including any factors that may have
limited its success; and
``(II) submit a report describing
the results of the review under
subclause (II) to--
``(aa) the Committee on
Indian Affairs, the Committee
on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs, the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs, and the
Committee on Appropriations of
the Senate; and
``(bb) the Subcommittee for
Indian and Insular Affairs of
the Committee on Natural
Resources, the Committee on
Financial Services, the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
``(xi) Impact on formula current assisted
stock.--For a given fiscal year's allocation
formula of the Native American Housing Block
Grants program, as authorized under title I of
NAHASDA (25 U.S.C. 4111 et seq.), the number of
qualifying low-income housing dwelling units
under section 302(b)(1) of NAHASDA (25 U.S.C.
4152(b)(1)) shall not be reduced due to the
placement of an eligible Indian veteran
assisted with amounts provided under the Tribal
HUD-VASH Program within such qualifying
units.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
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