[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4300 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4300
To provide Federal housing assistance on behalf of youths who are aging
out of foster care, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 12, 2019
Ms. Dean (for herself, Mr. Turner, Ms. Bass, and Mr. Stivers)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide Federal housing assistance on behalf of youths who are aging
out of foster care, 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 ``Fostering Stable Housing
Opportunities Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF FAMILY.
Subparagraph (A) of section 3(b)(3) of the United States Housing
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(3)(A)) is amended--
(1) in the first sentence--
(A) by striking ``(v)'' and inserting ``(vi)''; and
(B) by inserting after ``tenant family,'' the
following: ``(v) a youth described in section
8(x)(2)(B)''; and
(2) in the second sentence, by inserting ``or (vi)'' after
``clause (v)''.
SEC. 3. HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS FOR FOSTERING STABLE HOUSING
OPPORTUNITIES.
(a) Assistance for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care.--Section 8(x) of
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(x)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``subject to paragraph
(5),'' before ``(B)'';
(2) in paragraph (3)--
(A) by striking ``(3) Allocation.--The'' and
inserting the following:
``(3) Allocation.--
``(A) In general.--The''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
``(B) Assistance for youth aging out of foster
care.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary shall, subject only to the availability of
funds, allocate such assistance to any public housing
agencies that (i) administer assistance pursuant to
paragraph (2)(B), or seek to administer such
assistance, consistent with procedures established by
the Secretary, and (ii) have requested such assistance
so that they may provide timely assistance to eligible
youth.'';
(3) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
(4) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new
paragraph:
``(5) Requirements for assistance for youth aging out of
foster care.--Assistance provided under this subsection for an
eligible youth pursuant to paragraph (2)(B) shall be subject to
the following requirements:
``(A) Requirements to extend assistance.--
``(i) Participation in family self-
sufficiency.--In the case of a public housing
agency that is providing such assistance under
this subsection on behalf of an eligible youth
and that is carrying out a family self-
sufficiency program under section 23, the
agency shall, subject only to the availability
of such assistance, extend the provision of
such assistance for up to 24 months beyond the
period referred to in paragraph (2)(B), but
only during such period that the youth is in
compliance with the terms and conditions
applicable under section 23 and the regulations
implementing such section to a person
participating in a family self-sufficiency
program.
``(ii) Education, workforce development, or
employment.--In the case of a public housing
agency that is providing such assistance under
this subsection on behalf of an eligible youth
and that is not carrying out a family self-
sufficiency program under section 23, the
agency shall, subject only to the availability
of such assistance, extend the provision of
such assistance for two successive 12-month
periods, after the period referred to in
paragraph (2)(B), but only if during the entire
12-month period preceding each such extension
the youth was--
``(I) engaged in obtaining a
recognized postsecondary credential or
a secondary school diploma or its
recognized equivalent;
``(II) enrolled in an institution
of higher education, as such term is
defined in section 101(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001(a)) and including the institutions
described in subparagraphs (A) and (B)
of section 102(a)(1) of such Act (20
U.S.C. 1002(a)(1)); or
``(III) participating in a career
pathway, as such term is defined in
section 3 of the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
Notwithstanding any other provision of this
clause, a public housing agency shall consider
employment as satisfying the requirements under
this subparagraph.
``(iii) Exceptions.--Notwithstanding
clauses (i) and (ii), a public housing agency
that is providing such assistance under this
subsection on behalf of an eligible youth shall
extend the provision of such assistance for up
to 24 months beyond the period referred to in
paragraph (2)(B), and clauses (i) and (ii) of
this subparagraph shall not apply, if the
eligible youth is--
``(I) a parent or other household
member responsible for the care of a
dependent child under the age of 6 or
for the care of an incapacitated
person;
``(II) a person who is regularly
and actively participating in a drug
addiction or alcohol treatment and
rehabilitation program; or
``(III) a person who is incapable
of complying with the requirement under
clause (i) or (ii), as applicable, due
to a documented medical condition.
``(iv) Verification of compliance.--The
Secretary shall require the public housing
agency to verify compliance with the
requirements under this subparagraph by each
eligible youth on whose behalf the agency
provides such assistance under this subsection
on an annual basis in conjunction with reviews
of income for purposes of determining income
eligibility for such assistance.
``(B) Supportive services.--
``(i) Eligibility.--Each eligible youth on
whose behalf such assistance under this
subsection is provided shall be eligible for
any supportive services (as such term is
defined in section 103 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3102)) made available, in connection with any
housing assistance program of the agency, by or
through the public housing agency providing
such assistance.
``(ii) Information.--Upon the initial
provision of such assistance under this
subsection on behalf of any eligible youth, the
public housing agency shall inform such
eligible youth of the existence of any programs
or services referred to in clause (i) and of
their eligibility for such programs and
services.
``(C) Applicability to moving to work agencies.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
requirements of this paragraph shall apply to
assistance under this subsection pursuant to paragraph
(2)(B) made available by each public housing agency
participating in the Moving to Work Program under
section 204 of the Departments of Veterans Affairs and
Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1996 (42 U.S.C. 1437f note), except
that in lieu of compliance with clause (i) or (ii) of
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, such an agency may
comply with the requirements under such clauses by
complying with such terms, conditions, and requirements
as may be established by the agency for persons on
whose behalf such rental assistance under this
subsection is provided.
``(D) Termination of vouchers upon turn-over.--A
public housing agency shall not reissue any such
assistance made available from appropriated funds when
assistance for the youth initially assisted is
terminated, unless specifically authorized by the
Secretary.
``(E) Reports.--The Secretary shall require each
public housing agency that provides such assistance
under this subsection in any fiscal year to submit a
report to the Secretary for such fiscal year that--
``(i) specifies the number of persons on
whose behalf such assistance under this
subsection was provided during such fiscal
year;
``(ii) specifies the number of persons who
applied during such fiscal year for such
assistance under this subsection, but were not
provided such assistance, and provides a brief
identification in each instance of the reason
why the public housing agency was unable to
award such assistance; and
``(iii) describes how the public housing
agency communicated or collaborated with public
child welfare agencies to collect such data.
``(F) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult
with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to
provide such information and guidance to the Secretary
of Health and Human Services as may be necessary to
facilitate such Secretary in informing States and
public child welfare agencies on how to correctly and
efficiently implement and comply with the requirements
of this subsection relating to assistance provided
pursuant to paragraph (2)(B).''.
(b) Coordination Between PHAs and Public Child Welfare Agencies.--
(1) Applicability to fostering stable housing opportunities
program.--Subparagraph (A) of section 8(x)(4) of the United
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(x)(4)(A)) is
amended by inserting before the semicolon at the end the
following: ``and establishing a point of contact at public
housing agencies to ensure that public housing agencies receive
appropriate referrals regarding eligible recipients''.
(c) PHA Administrative Fees.--Subsection (q) of section 8 of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(q)) is amended by
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) Supplements for administering assistance for youth
aging out of foster care.--If a public housing agency has
established a residency requirement pursuant to subsection
(r)(1)(B)(i), the Secretary may provide supplemental fees under
this subsection to the agency for the cost of administering any
assistance for foster youth under subsection (x)(2)(B), in an
amount determined by the Secretary, but only if the agency
waives the residency requirement for such eligible youth
receiving assistance.''.
(d) PHA Plans.--Subsection (d) of section 5A of the United States
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437c-1(d)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (19) as paragraph (20); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (18) the following new
paragraph:
``(19) Fostering stable housing opportunities.--For any
public housing agency that will provide rental assistance
pursuant section 8(x)(2)(B) during such fiscal year--
``(A) a statement describing how the agency will
connect assisted youths with local community resources
and self-sufficiency services and obtain referrals from
public child welfare agencies regarding youths in
foster care who become eligible for such assistance;
and
``(B) if the agency is requesting supplemental
administrative fees pursuant to section 8(q)(4) and has
established a residency requirement pursuant to
subsection (r)(1)(B)(i), assurances satisfactory to the
Secretary that the agency will waive the residency
requirement for eligible youth receiving such
assistance as required by such section 8(q)(4).''.
SEC. 4. EXCEPTIONS TO LIMITATIONS FOR PROJECT-BASED VOUCHER ASSISTANCE.
(a) Percentage Limitation.--The first sentence of clause (ii) of
section 8(o)(13)(B) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437f(o)(13)(B)(ii)) is amended by inserting before ``or that'' the
following: ``that house eligible youths receiving assistance pursuant
to section 8(x)(2)(B),''.
(b) Income-Mixing Requirement.--Subclause (I) of section
8(o)(13)(D)(ii) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437f(o)(13)(D)(ii)(I)) is amended by inserting after ``elderly
families'' the following: ``, to eligible youths receiving assistance
pursuant to section 8(x)(2)(B),''.
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