Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act
This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration to award grants to local and tribal government entities for the planning and implementation of programs to address homelessness.
The program includes five-year implementation grants to assist such entities in carrying out activities and paying capital building costs associated with the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families.
Eligible entities must demonstrate the capacity to address areas such as mental health, substance use disorder and recovery services, chronic health conditions, and educational and job training.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 24 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 24
To fight homelessness in the United States by authorizing a grant
program within the Health Resources and Services Administration for
housing programs that offer comprehensive services and intensive case
management for homeless individuals and families.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 23 (legislative day, January 3), 2023
Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mrs.
Shaheen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To fight homelessness in the United States by authorizing a grant
program within the Health Resources and Services Administration for
housing programs that offer comprehensive services and intensive case
management for homeless individuals and families.
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 ``Fighting Homelessness Through
Services and Housing Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Administrator of the Health Resources and
Services Administration (referred to in this section as the
``Administrator''), in consultation with the working group established
under subsection (b), shall establish a grant program to award
competitive grants to eligible entities for the planning and
implementation of programs to address homelessness.
(b) Working Group.--The Administrator shall establish an
interagency working group to provide advice to the Administrator in
carrying out the program under subsection (a). The working group shall
include representatives from the United States Interagency Council on
Homelessness, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human
Services, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of
Labor, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs,
Department of Agriculture, Department of the Treasury, Department of
Justice, and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
(c) Types of Grants.--
(1) Implementation grants.--
(A) In general.--Under the program under subsection
(a), the Administrator shall award 5-year
implementation grants to eligible entities to assist
such entities in carrying out activities, and paying
capital building costs, associated with the provision
of housing and services to homeless individuals and
families, including homeless children and youths (as
defined by section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)), or those at risk of
becoming homeless.
(B) Amount.--The amount awarded to an entity under
a grant under this paragraph shall not exceed
$25,000,000.
(C) Matching requirement.--With respect to the
costs of the activities to be carried out by an entity
under a grant under this paragraph, the entity shall
make available (directly or through donations from
public or private entities) non-Federal contributions
toward such costs in an amount that equals 25 percent
of the amount of the grant.
(2) Planning grants.--
(A) In general.--Under the program under subsection
(a), the Administrator shall award 1-year planning
grants to eligible entities to assist such entities in
developing comprehensive plans to address homelessness
in the communities and regions served by such entities
or to enhance the effectiveness of existing programs
that serve homeless individuals and families, including
homeless children and youths (as defined by section 725
of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. 11434a)), or those at risk of becoming homeless.
(B) Amount.--The amount awarded to an entity under
a grant under this paragraph shall not exceed $100,000,
and such amount shall not be subject to any matching
requirement.
(d) Eligibility.--
(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
the program under subsection (a), an entity shall--
(A) be a governmental entity (at the county, city,
regional, or locality level), Indian tribe, or tribal
organization;
(B) demonstrate that the capacity of the entity for
providing services under the grant includes the ability
to address mental health, substance use disorder and
recovery services, disabling or other chronic health
conditions, educational and job training or employment
outcomes, and life skills needs (including financial
literacy); and
(C) submit to the Administrator an application that
includes an assurance that, in carrying out activities
under the grant, the entity will--
(i) ensure stable housing, intensive case
management, and comprehensive services that
include, at minimum, mental health, substance
use disorder treatment and recovery services,
education and job training, age-appropriate
services for children, and life skills training
(such as financial literacy training);
(ii) coordinate with the population to be
served by the entity to ensure that supportive
services are tailored to meet the specific and
actual needs of the individuals and families
served;
(iii) coordinate with local law
enforcement, courts (including specialized
courts), probation, and other public services
agencies to conduct outreach and better
identify at-risk or homeless populations that
would benefit from services offered by the
entity;
(iv) follow trauma-informed best practices
to address the needs of the populations to be
served;
(v) provide services under the grant on-
site or in-home as appropriate;
(vi) provide assistance in addressing the
transportation needs of individuals for
services provided under the grant off-site; and
(vii) comply with additional requirements,
if the entity intends to serve families with
children under the grant, to ensure--
(I) that services include
children's behavioral and mental health
services, early childhood education,
regular and age-appropriate children's
programming and activities, child
health, development, and nutrition
screening (including coordination of
medical and well-child services), and
parenting classes and support programs;
(II) in conditions where family
housing is provided in a central
facility and not in mixed units in a
commercial building, that a safe space
for play and age-appropriate activities
is available on-site and has regular
hours of operation; and
(III) that the entity has in place
protocol for staff training and best
practices to identify and prevent child
trafficking, abuse, and neglect.
(2) Case management.--An entity receiving a grant under
this section shall ensure that case management provided by the
entity under the grant does not exceed a ratio of 1 caseworker
to 20 cases.
(3) Partnerships.--An entity may enter into a partnership
with more than one provider that may include a local health
agency, non-profit service providers, medical and mental health
providers, housing providers, and other service providers as
necessary.
(e) Oversight Requirements.--
(1) Annual reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date
on which a grant is received by an entity under subsection (a),
and annually thereafter for the term of the grant, such entity
shall submit to the Administrator a report on the activities
carried out under the grant. Such report shall include, with
respect to activities carried out under the grant in the
community served, measures of outcomes relating to--
(A) whether individuals and families who are served
continued to have housing and did not experience
intermittent periods of homelessness;
(B) whether individuals and families who are served
see improvements in their physical and mental health,
have access to a specific primary care provider,
promptly receive any needed health care, and have a
health care plan that meets their individual needs
(including access to mental health and substance use
treatment as applicable, and family-based treatment
models);
(C) whether children who are served are enrolled in
school, attend regularly, and are receiving services to
meet their educational needs;
(D) whether children who are served have access to
trauma-informed mental health care and screening for
any mental and behavioral health needs, as well as
other services to meet their needs, as appropriate;
(E) how grant funds are used; and
(F) other matters determined appropriate by the
Administrator.
(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection shall
be construed to condition the receipt of future housing and
other services by individuals under the grant on the outcomes
detailed in the reports submitted under paragraph (1).
(f) Definition.--In this section, the terms ``Indian tribe'' and
``tribal organization'' have the meanings given such terms in section 4
of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25
U.S.C. 5304) and shall include tribally designated housing entities (as
defined in section 4(22) of the Native American Housing Assistance and
Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103(22))) and entities that
serve Native Hawaiians (as defined in section 338K(c) of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254s(c))).
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $1,000,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2023 through 2028, of which--
(1) not less than 5 percent of such funds shall be awarded
to Indian tribes and tribal organizations;
(2) $5,000,000 shall be made available for planning grants
under subsection (c)(2); and
(3) the remainder shall be made available for
implementation grants under subsection (c)(1).
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S56-57)
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line