1.This Act may be cited as the
Homes for Heroes Act of
2006
.
2.Special Assistant for
Veterans Affairs in Office of Secretary of Housing and Urban
DevelopmentSection 4 of the
Department of Housing and Urban Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3533) is amended by
adding at the end the following new subsection:
(g)Special
assistant for veterans affairs
(1)There shall be in the Department a Special
Assistant for Veterans Affairs, who shall be in the Office of the
Secretary.
(2)The Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs
shall be appointed based solely on merit and shall be covered under the
provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the
competitive service.
(3)The Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs
shall be responsible for—
(A)ensuring veterans have access to housing
and homeless assistance under each program of the Department providing either
such assistance;
(B)coordinating all programs and activities of
the Department relating to veterans;
(C)serving as a liaison for the Department
with the Department of Veterans Affairs, including establishing and maintaining
relationships with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
(D)serving as a liaison for the Department,
and establishing and maintaining relationships with officials of State, local,
regional, and nongovernmental organizations concerned with veterans;
(E)providing information and advice
regarding—
(i)sponsoring housing projects for veterans
assisted under programs administered by the Department; or
(ii)assisting veterans in obtaining housing or
homeless assistance under programs administered by the Department;
(F)administering the technical assistance
grants program under section 7 of the Homes for Heroes Act of 2006;
(G)preparing the annual report under section 8
of such Act; and
(H)carrying out such other duties as may be
assigned to the Special Assistant by the Secretary or by
law.
3.Supportive housing for
very low-income veteran families
(a)The purposes of this section are—
(1)to expand the supply of permanent housing
for very low-income veteran families; and
(2)to provide supportive services through such
housing to support the needs of such veteran families.
(b)
(1)The Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development shall, to the extent amounts are made available
for assistance under this section and the Secretary receives approvable
applications for such assistance, provide assistance to private nonprofit
organizations and consumer cooperatives to expand the supply of supportive
housing for very low-income veteran families.
(2)Such assistance
shall be available for use to plan for and finance the acquisition,
construction, reconstruction, or moderate or substantial rehabilitation of a
structure or a portion of a structure to be used as supportive housing for very
low-income veteran families in accordance with this section. Assistance may
also cover the cost of real property acquisition, site improvement, conversion,
demolition, relocation, and other expenses that the Secretary determines are
necessary to expand the supply of supportive housing for very low-income
veteran families.
(3)In meeting the requirement of paragraph
(1), the Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the
Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs, under section 4(g) of the Department of
Housing and Urban Development Act (as amended by section 2).
(c)Assistance under
this section shall be made available in the following forms:
(1)Assistance may be provided as a grant for
costs of planning a project to be used as supportive housing for very
low-income veteran families.
(2)Assistance may be provided as capital
advance under this paragraph for a project, which shall—
(A)bear no interest;
(B)not be required to be repaid so long as the
housing remains available for occupancy by very low-income veteran families in
accordance with this section; and
(C)be in an amount calculated in accordance
with the development cost limitation established pursuant to subsection
(h).
(3)Assistance may be provided as project
rental assistance, under an annual contract that—
(A)obligates the Secretary to make monthly
payments to cover any part of the costs attributed to units occupied (or, as
approved by the Secretary, held for occupancy) by very low-income veteran
families that is not met from project income;
(B)provides for the project not more than the
sum of the initial annual project rentals for all units so occupied and any
initial utility allowances for such units, as approved by the Secretary;
(C)any contract amounts not used by a project
in any year shall remain available to the project until the expiration of the
contract; and
(D)provides that the Secretary shall, to the
extent appropriations for such purpose are available, adjust the annual
contract amount if the sum of the project income and the amount of assistance
payments available under this paragraph are inadequate to provide for
reasonable project costs.
(d)A very
low-income veteran family shall pay as rent for a dwelling unit assisted under
this section the highest of the following amounts, rounded to the nearest
dollar:
(1)30 percent of the veteran family’s adjusted
monthly income.
(2)10 percent of the veteran family’s monthly
income.
(3)If the veteran family is receiving payments
for welfare assistance from a public agency and a part of such payments,
adjusted in accordance with the veteran family’s actual housing costs, is
specifically designated by such agency to meet the veteran family’s housing
costs, the portion of such payments which is so designated.
(e)
(1)All units in
housing, assisted under this section, shall be made available for occupancy by
very low-income veteran families for not less than 15 years.
(2)The initial term of a
contract entered into under subsection (c)(2) shall be 60 months. The Secretary
shall, to the extent approved in appropriation Acts, extend any expiring
contract for a term of not less than 12 months. In order to facilitate the
orderly extension of expiring contracts, the Secretary may make commitments to
extend expiring contracts during the year prior to the date of
expiration.
(f)
(1)Amounts made
available under this section shall be allocated by the Secretary among
approvable applications submitted by private nonprofit organizations and
consumer cooperatives. Applications for assistance under this section shall be
submitted by an applicant in such form and in accordance with such procedures
as the Secretary shall establish. Such applications shall contain—
(A)a description of the proposed
housing;
(B)a description of the assistance the
applicant seeks under this section;
(C)a description of—
(i)the supportive services to be provided to
the persons occupying such housing;
(ii)the manner in which such services will be
provided to such persons, including, in the case of frail elderly persons (as
such term is defined in section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C.
1701q)), evidence of such residential supervision as the Secretary determines
is necessary to facilitate the adequate provision of such services; and
(iii)the public or private sources of assistance
that can reasonably be expected to fund or provide such services;
(D)a certification from the public official
responsible for submitting a housing strategy for the jurisdiction to be served
in accordance with section 105 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing
Act (42 U.S.C. 12705) that the proposed project is consistent with
the approved housing strategy; and
(E)such other information or certifications
that the Secretary determines to be necessary or appropriate to achieve the
purposes of this section.
(2)The Secretary shall not reject an
application on technical grounds without giving notice of that rejection and
the basis therefor to the applicant.
(g)The Secretary shall
establish selection criteria for assistance under this section, which shall
include—
(1)criteria based upon—
(A)the ability of the applicant to develop and
operate the proposed housing;
(B)the need for supportive housing for very
low-income veteran families in the area to be served;
(C)the extent to which the proposed size and
unit mix of the housing will enable the applicant to manage and operate the
housing efficiently and ensure that the provision of supportive services will
be accomplished in an economical fashion;
(D)the extent to which the proposed design of
the housing will meet the physical needs of very low-income veteran
families;
(E)the extent to which the applicant has
demonstrated that the supportive services identified pursuant to subsection
(f)(1)(D) will be provided on a consistent, long-term basis;
(F)the extent to which the proposed design of
the housing will accommodate the provision of supportive services that are
expected to be needed, either initially or over the useful life of the housing,
by the very low-income veterans the housing is intended to serve; and
(G)such other factors as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate to ensure that funds made available under this
section are used effectively;
(2)a preference in such selection for
applications proposing housing to be reserved for occupancy by very low-income
veteran families who are homeless (as such term is defined in section 103 of
the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302); and
(3)criteria appropriate to consider the need
for supportive housing for very low-income veteran families in nonmetropolitan
areas and by Indian tribes.
(h)Provision of
supportive services to veteran families
(1)In carrying out the
provisions of this section, the Secretary shall ensure that housing assisted
under this section provides a range of services tailored to the needs of the
very low-income veteran families occupying such housing, which may include
services for—
(A)outreach;
(B)health (including counseling, mental
health, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder) diagnosis and
treatment;
(C)habilitation and rehabilitation;
(D)case management;
(E)daily living;
(F)personal financial planning;
(G)transportation;
(H)vocation;
(I)employment and training;
(J)education;
(K)assistance in obtaining veterans benefits
and public benefits, including health and medical care provided by the
Department of Veterans Affairs;
(L)assistance in obtaining income
support;
(M)assistance in obtaining health
insurance;
(N)fiduciary and representative payee;
(O)legal aid;
(P)child care;
(Q)housing counseling;
(R)service coordination; and
(S)other services necessary for maintaining
independent living.
(2)Local
coordination of services
(A)The Secretary shall
ensure that owners of housing assisted under this section have the managerial
capacity to—
(i)assess on an ongoing basis the service
needs of residents;
(ii)coordinate the provision of supportive
services and tailor such services to the individual needs of residents;
and
(iii)seek on a continuous basis new sources of
assistance to ensure the long-term provision of supportive services.
(B)Any cost associated
with this subsection shall be an eligible cost under subsections (c)(3) and
(i).
(i)Financial
assistance for services
(1)The Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall, to the extent amounts are available for assistance
under this subsection, provide financial assistance for the provision of
supportive services, and for coordinating the provision of such services, to
very low-income veteran families occupying housing assisted under this section.
Such assistance shall be made through payments to owners of such housing for
each resident of the housing based on the formula established under paragraph
(2).
(2)The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a formula to determine the rate of the payments to be provided under
this subsection. The formula shall determine a rate for each resident of the
housing assisted under this section (which shall be adjusted not less than
annually to take into consideration changes in the cost of living).
(3)Authorization
of appropriations
(A)There is authorized
to be appropriated for the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out this
subsection amounts as follows:
(i)For fiscal year 2007, $25,000,000.
(ii)For each fiscal year after fiscal year
2007, such sums as may be necessary for such fiscal year.
(B)Amounts authorized to be appropriated by
subparagraph (A) shall remain available until expended.
(j)Development cost
limitations
(1)The Secretary shall
periodically establish development cost limitations by market area for various
types and sizes of supportive housing for very low-income veteran families by
publishing a notice of the cost limitations in the Federal Register. The cost
limitations shall reflect—
(A)the cost of construction, reconstruction,
or moderate or substantial rehabilitation of supportive housing for very
low-income veteran families that meets applicable State and local housing and
building codes;
(B)the cost of movables necessary to the basic
operation of the housing, as determined by the Secretary;
(C)the cost of special design features
necessary to make the housing accessible to very low-income veteran
families;
(D)the cost of congregate space necessary to
accommodate the provision of supportive services to veteran families;
(E)if the housing is newly constructed, the
cost of meeting the energy efficiency standards promulgated by the Secretary in
accordance with section 109 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing
Act (42 U.S.C. 12709); and
(F)the cost of land, including necessary site
improvement.
(2)In establishing
development cost limitations for a given market area under this subsection, the
Secretary shall use data that reflect currently prevailing costs of
construction, reconstruction, or moderate or substantial rehabilitation, and
land acquisition in the area.
(3)For purposes of
paragraph (1), a congregate space shall include space for cafeterias or dining
halls, community rooms or buildings, workshops, child care, adult day health
facilities or other outpatient health facilities, or other essential service
facilities.
(4)Neither this
section nor any other provision of law may be construed as prohibiting or
preventing the location and operation, in a project assisted under this
section, of commercial facilities for the benefit of residents of the project
and the community in which the project is located, except that assistance made
available under this section may not be used to subsidize any such commercial
facility.
(5)In the case of existing housing and related
facilities to be acquired, the cost limitations shall include—
(A)the cost of acquiring such housing;
(B)the cost of rehabilitation, alteration,
conversion, or improvement, including the moderate or substantial
rehabilitation thereof; and
(C)the cost of the land on which the housing
and related facilities are located.
(6)The Secretary
shall adjust the cost limitation not less than annually to reflect changes in
the general level of construction, reconstruction, and moderate and substantial
rehabilitation costs.
(7)
(A)The Secretary shall
use the development cost limitations established under paragraph (1) or (5) to
calculate the amount of financing to be made available to individual owners.
Owners which incur actual development costs that are less than the amount of
financing shall be entitled to retain 50 percent of the savings in a special
housing account. Such percentage shall be increased to 75 percent for owners
which add energy efficiency features which—
(i)exceed the energy efficiency standards
promulgated by the Secretary in accordance with section 109 of the
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing
Act (42 U.S.C. 12709);
(ii)substantially reduce the life-cycle cost of
the housing; and
(iii)reduce gross rent requirements.
(B)The special housing account established
under subparagraph (A) may be used—
(i)to provide services to residents of the
housing or funds set aside for replacement reserves; or
(ii)for such other purposes as determined by
the Secretary.
(8)The Secretary
shall, to the extent practicable, give owners the flexibility to design housing
appropriate to their location and proposed resident population within broadly
defined parameters.
(9)Use of funds
from other sourcesAn owner
shall be permitted voluntarily to provide funds from sources other than this
section for amenities and other features of appropriate design and construction
suitable for supportive housing under this section if the cost of such
amenities is—
(A)not financed with the advance; and
(B)is not taken into account in determining
the amount of Federal assistance or of the rent contribution of tenants.
(k)
(1)An owner shall adopt
written tenant selection procedures that are—
(A)satisfactory to the Secretary as—
(i)consistent with the purpose of improving
housing opportunities for very low-income veteran families; and
(ii)reasonably related to program eligibility
and an applicant’s ability to perform the obligations of the lease; and
(B)compliant with subtitle C of title VI of
the Housing and Community Development Act of
1992 (42 U.S.C. 13601 et seq.) and any regulations issued under such
subtitle.
(2)Notification of
rejectionOwners shall
promptly notify in writing any rejected applicant of the grounds for any
rejection.
(3)Information
regarding housingThe
Secretary shall provide, to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary
of Labor, information regarding the availability of the housing assisted under
this section. Within 30 days of receipt of the information, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs and Secretary of Labor shall provide such information to
agencies in the area of the housing that receive assistance from the Department
of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor for providing medical care,
housing, supportive services or employment and training services to homeless
veterans.
(l)
(1)The Secretary
shall make available appropriate technical assistance to ensure that
prospective applicants are able to participate more fully in the program
carried out under this section.
(2)Each owner shall
certify, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that assistance made available
under this section will be conducted and administered in conformity with title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.), the Fair Housing Act
(42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.), and other Federal, State, and local laws
prohibiting discrimination and promoting equal opportunity.
(3)
(A)The Secretary shall
require an owner of housing, assisted under this section, to deposit an amount
not to exceed $15,000 in a special escrow account to ensure the owner’s
commitment to the housing.
(B)The Secretary may
reduce or waive the owner deposit specified under paragraph (3) for individual
applicants if the Secretary finds that such waiver or reduction is necessary to
achieve the purposes of this section and the applicant demonstrates to the
satisfaction of the Secretary that it has the capacity to manage and maintain
the housing in accordance with this section. The Secretary may reduce or waive
the requirement of the owner deposit under paragraph (3) in the case of a
nonprofit applicant that is not affiliated with a national sponsor, as
determined by the Secretary.
(4)The Secretary shall
notify an owner not less than 30 days prior to canceling any reservation of
assistance provided under this section. During the 30-day period following the
receipt of such notice, an owner may appeal the proposed cancellation. Such
appeal, including review by the Secretary, shall be completed not later than 45
days after the appeal is filed.
(5)
(A)The Secretary shall
take such action as may be necessary to ensure that all laborers and mechanics
employed by contractors and subcontractors in the construction of housing with
12 or more units assisted under this section shall be paid wages at rates not
less than the rates prevailing in the locality involved for the corresponding
classes of laborers and mechanics employed on construction of a similar
character, as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with
subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code.
(B)Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any
individual who—
(i)performs services for which the individual
volunteered;
(ii)does not receive compensation for such
services or is paid expenses, reasonable benefits, or a nominal fee for such
services; and
(iii)is not otherwise employed at any time in
the construction work.
(6)Access to
residual receipts
(A)The Secretary shall
authorize the owner of a housing project assisted under this section to use any
residual receipts held for the project in excess of $500 per unit (or in excess
of such other amount prescribed by the Secretary based on the needs of the
project) for activities to retrofit and renovate the project described under
section 802(d)(3) of the Cranston-Gonzalez
National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8011(d)(3)) or to provide
supportive services to residents of the project.
(B)Any owner that uses residual receipts under
this paragraph shall submit to the Secretary a report, not less than annually,
describing the uses of the residual receipts.
(C)In determining the
amount of project rental assistance to be provided to a project under
subsection (c)(3) of this section, the Secretary may take into consideration
the residual receipts held for the project only if, and to the extent that,
excess residual receipts are not used under this paragraph.
(7)Occupancy
standards and obligationsEach owner shall operate housing, assisted
under this section, in compliance with subtitle C of title VI of the
Housing and Community Development Act of
1992 (42 U.S.C. 13601 et seq.) and any regulations issued under such
subtitle.
(8)Amounts for project
reserves for a project assisted under this section may be used for costs,
subject to reasonable limitations as the Secretary determines appropriate, for
reducing the number of dwelling units in the project. Such use shall be subject
to the approval of the Secretary to ensure that the use is designed to retrofit
units that are currently obsolete or unmarketable.
(m)
(1)The term
consumer cooperative has the same meaning given such term for
purposes of the supportive housing for the elderly program under section 202 of
the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q).
(2)Very low-income
veteran familyThe 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 with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that the
Secretary may establish income ceiling higher or lower than 50 percent of the
median for the area on the basis of the Secretary’s findings that such
variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or
fair market rents (as determined under section 8 of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f)), or unusually high or low family incomes.
(3)The term owner means a private
nonprofit organization or consumer cooperative that receives assistance under
this section to develop and operate supportive housing for very low-income
veteran families.
(4)Private
nonprofit organizationThe
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 housing assisted 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 under
clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of subparagraph (A);
(C)a corporation wholly owned and controlled
by an organization meeting the requirements under clauses (i), (ii), and (iii)
of subparagraph (A); and
(D)a tribally designated housing entity, as
such term is defined in section 4 of the Native American Housing Assistance and
Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103).
(5)The term Secretary means the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, except where specifically provided
otherwise.
(6)The term State includes the
several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and
the possessions of the United States.
(7)Supportive
housing for very low-income veteran familiesThe term supportive housing for very
low-income veteran families means housing that is designed to
accommodate the provision of supportive services that are expected to be
needed, either initially or over the useful life of the housing, by the veteran
families that the housing is intended to serve.
(8)The term veteran has the
meaning given the term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
(9)The term veteran
family includes a veteran who is a single person, a family (including
families with children) whose head of household (or whose spouse) is a veteran,
and one or more veterans living together with one or more persons.
(n)Of any amounts made
available for assistance under this section:
(1)Not more than 2.5
percent shall be available for planning grants in accordance with subsection
(c)(1).
(2)Such sums as may be
necessary shall be available for capital advances in accordance with subsection
(c)(2).
(3)Project rental
assistanceSuch sums as may
be necessary shall be available for project rental assistance in accordance
with subsection (c)(3).
(4)Not more than 1
percent shall be available for technical assistance in accordance with
subsection (l)(1).
(o)Authorization of
appropriations for housing assistanceThere is authorized to be appropriated for
assistance under this section $200,000,000 (not including financial assistance
under subsection (i)) for fiscal year 2007 and such sums as may be necessary
for each fiscal year thereafter.
4.Housing choice
vouchers for homeless veteransSection 8(o)(19) of the United States
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) is amended to read as follows:
(19)Rental vouchers
for homeless veterans
(A)In addition to any
amount made available for rental assistance under this subsection, the
Secretary shall make available the amount specified in subparagraph (B), for
use only for providing rental assistance for homeless veterans in conjunction
with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(B)The amount specified in this subparagraph
is, for each fiscal year, the amount necessary to provide not fewer than 20,000
vouchers for rental assistance under this subsection.
(C)The budget authority made available under
any other provisions of law for rental assistance under this subsection for
fiscal year 2007 and each fiscal year thereafter is authorized to be increased
in each such fiscal year by such sums as may be necessary to provide the number
of vouchers specified in subparagraph (B) for such fiscal
year.
.
5.Inclusion of veterans
in housing planning
(a)Public housing
agency plansSection 5A(d)(1)
of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437c-1(d)(1)) is amended
by striking and disabled families
and inserting ,
disabled families, and veterans (as such term is defined in section 101 of
title 38, United States Code)
.
(b)Comprehensive
housing affordability strategies
(1)Section 105 of the
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12705) is
amended—
(A)in subsection (b)(1), by inserting
veterans (as such term is defined in section 101 of title 38, United
States Code),
after acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome,
;
(B)in subsection (b)(20), by striking
and service
and inserting veterans service, and other
service
; and
(C)in subsection (e)(1), by inserting
veterans (as such term is defined in section 101 of title 38, United
States Code),
after homeless persons,
.
(2)The Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development shall revise the regulations relating to
submission of consolidated plans (part 91 of title 24, Code of Federal
Regulations) in accordance with the amendments made by paragraph (1) of this
subsection to require inclusion of appropriate information relating to veterans
and veterans service agencies in all such plans.
6.Exclusion of veterans
benefits from assisted housing rent considerations
(a)Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, for purposes of determining the amount of rent paid by
a family for occupancy of a dwelling unit assisted under a federally assisted
housing program under subsection (b) or in housing assisted under a federally
assisted housing program, the income and the adjusted income of the family
shall not be considered to include any amounts received by any member of the
family from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as—
(1)compensation, as such term is defined in
section 101(13) of title 38, United States Code;
(2)dependency and indemnity compensation, as
such term is defined in section 101(14) of such title; and
(3)pension, as such term is defined in section
101(15) of such title.
(b)Federally
assisted housing programThe
federally assisted housing programs under this subsection are—
(1)the public housing program under the United
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.);
(2)the tenant-based rental assistance program
under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f),
including the program under subsection (o)(19) of such section for housing
rental vouchers for low-income veteran families;
(3)the project-based rental assistance program
under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437f);
(4)the program for housing opportunities for
persons with AIDS under subtitle D of title VIII of the Cranston-Gonzalez
National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12901 et seq.);
(5)the supportive housing for the elderly
program under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q);
(6)the supportive housing for persons with
disabilities program under section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National
Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013);
(7)the supportive housing for the homeless
program under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.);
(8)the program for moderate rehabilitation of
single room occupancy dwellings for occupancy by the homeless under section 441
of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11401);
(9)the shelter plus care for the homeless
program under subtitle F of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 11403 et seq.);
(10)the supportive housing for very low-income
veteran families program under
section
3 of this Act;
(11)the rental assistance payments program
under section 521(a)(2)(A) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C.
1490a(a)(2)(A);
(12)the rental assistance program under section
236 of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715z–1);
(13)the rural housing programs under section
515 and 538 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1485, 1490p–2);
(14)the HOME investment partnerships program
under title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42
U.S.C. 12721 et seq.);
(15)the block grant programs for affordable
housing for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians under titles I through IV and
VIII of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of
1996 (25 U.S.C. 4111 et seq., 4221 et seq.);
(16)the low-income housing tax credit program
under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
(17)any other program for housing assistance
administered by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development or the Secretary
of Agriculture under which eligibility for occupancy in the housing assisted or
for housing assistance is based upon income.
7.Technical assistance
grants for housing assistance for veterans
(a)The Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development shall, to the extent amounts are made available
in appropriation Acts for grants under this section, make grants to eligible
entities under subsection (b) to provide to nonprofit organizations technical
assistance appropriate to assist such organizations in—
(1)sponsoring housing projects for veterans
assisted under programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development;
(2)fulfilling the planning and application
processes and requirements necessary under such programs administered by the
Department; and
(3)assisting veterans in obtaining housing or
homeless assistance under programs administered by the Department.
(b)An eligible entity
under this subsection is a nonprofit entity or organization having such
expertise as the Secretary shall require in providing technical assistance to
providers of services for veterans.
(c)Selection of
grant recipientsThe
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall establish criteria for
selecting applicants for grants under this section to receive such grants and
shall select applicants based upon such criteria.
(d)Of any amounts made available in fiscal
year 2007 or any fiscal year thereafter to the Department of Housing and Urban
Development for salaries and expenses, $1,000,000 shall be available, and shall
remain available until expended, for grants under this section.
8.Annual report on
housing assistance to veterans
(a)Not later than
December 31 each year, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall
submit a report on the activities relating to veterans of the Department of
Housing and Urban Development during such year to the following:
(1)The Committee on Banking, Housing, and
Urban Affairs of the Senate.
(2)The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the
Senate.
(3)The Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate.
(4)The Committee on Financial Services of the
House of Representatives.
(5)The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the
House of Representatives.
(6)The Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives.
(7)The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(b)Each report required under subsection (a)
shall include the following information with respect to the year for which the
report is submitted:
(1)The number of very low-income veteran
families provided assistance under the program of supportive housing for very
low-income veteran families under
section
3 of this Act, the socioeconomic characteristics of such
families, the types of assistance provided such families, and the number,
types, and locations of owners of housing assisted under such section.
(2)The number of homeless veterans provided
assistance under the program of housing choice vouchers for homeless veterans
under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437f(o)(19)) (as amended by
section
4 of this Act), the socioeconomic characteristics of such
homeless veterans, and the number, types, and locations of entities contracted
under such section to administer the vouchers.
(3)A summary description of the special
considerations made for veterans under public housing agency plans submitted
pursuant to section 5A of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437c–1) and under comprehensive housing affordability strategies submitted
pursuant to section 105 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing
Act (42 U.S.C. 12705).
(4)A description of the technical assistance
provided to organizations pursuant to grants under
section
7 of this Act.
(5)A description of the activities of the
Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs.
(6)A description of the efforts of the
Department of Housing and Urban Development to coordinate the delivery of
housing and services to veterans with other Federal departments and agencies,
including the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of
Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs,
Interagency Council on Homelessness, and the Social Security
Administration.
(7)The cost to the Department of Housing and
Urban Development of administering the programs and activities relating to
veterans.
(8)Any other information that the Secretary
considers relevant in assessing the programs and activities relating to
veterans of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(c)Assessment of
housing needs of very low-income veteran families
(1)For the first report
submitted pursuant to subsection (a) and every fifth report thereafter, the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall—
(A)conduct an assessment of the housing needs
of very low-income veteran families (as such term is defined for purposes of
section
3); and
(B)shall include in each such report findings
regarding such assessment.
(2)Each assessment under this subsection shall
include—
(A)conducting a survey of, and direct
interviews with, a representative sample of very low-income veteran families
(as such term is defined for purposes of
section
3) to determine past and current—
(i)socioeconomic characteristics of such
veteran families;
(ii)barriers to such veteran families obtaining
safe, quality, and affordable housing;
(iii)levels of homelessness among such veteran
families; and
(iv)levels and circumstances of, and barriers
to, receipt by such veteran families of rental housing and homeownership
assistance; and
(B)such other information that the Secretary
determines, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and national
nongovernmental organizations concerned with veterans, homelessness, and very
low-income housing, may be useful to the assessment.
(3)If the Secretary contracts with an entity
other than the Department of Housing and Urban Development to conduct the
assessment under this subsection, such entity shall be a nongovernmental
organization determined by the Secretary to have appropriate expertise in
quantitative and qualitative social science research.
(4)Of any amounts made available pursuant to
section 501 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C.
1701z–1) for programs of research, studies, testing, or demonstration relating
to the mission or programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
for any fiscal year in which an assessment under this subsection is required
pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, $1,000,000 shall be available
until expended for costs of the assessment under this subsection.