[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>