[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5894 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5894

 To provide funding for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program of the 
  Federal Emergency Management Agency for housing-related assistance 
     needed to prevent homelessness of families in connection with 
                   foreclosures on their residences.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2008

    Ms. Moore of Wisconsin introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide funding for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program of the 
  Federal Emergency Management Agency for housing-related assistance 
     needed to prevent homelessness of families in connection with 
                   foreclosures on their residences.

    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 ``Emergency Housing Assistance Act of 
2008''.

SEC. 2. FUNDING FOR EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for fiscal year 2008, $300,000,000 to remain available 
until expended, for grants under the Emergency Food and Shelter Program 
under title III of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 11331 et seq.). Of any amounts made available pursuant to this 
section not more than 3.5 percent may be used for the costs of 
administration.
    (b) Uses.--Notwithstanding section 313(a) of the McKinney-Vento 
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11343(a))--
            (1) grants to the Emergency Food and Shelter Program 
        National Board (in this subsection referred to as the 
        ``National Board'') made under this section, and any monies 
        received by any private nonprofit organization or local 
        government from the National Board from such amounts, may be 
        used solely for housing-related assistance needed to prevent 
        homelessness in connection with the foreclosure on a dwelling 
        occupied by an eligible family, which shall include relocation 
        expenses, security and utility deposits, mortgage payments, 
        rent payments, utility payments, and other foreclosure or 
        eviction prevention expenses;
            (2) an eligible family may receive assistance under this 
        section for no more than 3 months;
            (3) assistance under this section shall be provided 
        directly to mortgage servicers, property managers, utility 
        companies, or other entities necessary to prevent the 
        homelessness of the eligible family; no funds shall be provided 
        directly to the eligible family; and
            (4) to ensure that funds are only used for the purposes 
        specified in paragraph (1), the National Board and any private 
        nonprofit organization or local government receiving monies 
        from the National Board shall maintain such monies in an 
        account separate from other funds provided under the Emergency 
        Food and Shelter Program.
    (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Eligible family.--The term ``eligible family'' means a 
        family, including a single-person family, that--
                    (A) owns or rents a dwelling subject to foreclosure 
                or a unit in a dwelling subject to foreclosure;
                    (B) is legally responsible for the rent or mortgage 
                payment on the dwelling subject to foreclosure or a 
                unit in the dwelling subject to foreclosure; and
                    (C) does not have the financial resources to avoid 
                becoming homeless if the dwelling the family occupies 
                is foreclosed upon.
            (2) Dwelling.--The term ``dwelling'' means a property 
        consisting of from one to four dwelling units, a multifamily 
        property consisting of five or more dwelling units, or a 
        dwelling unit in such a multifamily property.
                                 <all>