Grants for converting structures for use as emergency shelters and housing for homeless persons and families

(a)

Authority

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall carry out a program under this section to make grants to States and continua of care for distribution to units of local government and private nonprofit organizations to assist in carrying out conversions of structures for use as emergency, temporary, and transitional housing and emergency shelters for homeless persons and families. (b)

Use of grant amounts

Amounts from a grant under this section shall be used only in connection with the conversion of hotels, motels, or vacant, blighted, or unused residential properties for use as housing or shelter as provided in subsection (a), including for— (1)the acquisition (by purchase or lease), rehabilitation, renovation, or other conversion of such structures; (2)operating costs in connection with use of such structures as housing or shelters; and (3)providing supportive services, as such term is defined in section 401 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360), homelessness prevention services, and housing counseling services in connection with the converted housing or shelter. (c)

Application; selection

The Secretary shall provide for States and continua of care to apply for grants under this section and shall select States and continua of care to receive such grants based on a competition that takes into account— (1)the level of housing instability in the jurisdiction of the applicant and the need— (A)for emergency, transitional, or permanent housing or emergency shelters for homeless persons and families; (B)to address safety and public health needs of such persons and families; and (C)for supportive services for such persons and families; and (2)the effectiveness of the proposed method of distribution of grant amounts to units of local government and private nonprofit organizations in addressing such needs. (d)

Reports

The Secretary shall require each recipient of a grant under this section to submit a report to the Secretary, upon the expiration of the 12-month period beginning upon the award of such grant, detailing how grant amounts were used and describing the effect of such use on the level of homelessness in the jurisdiction of the recipient. (e)

Definitions

For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply: (1)

Continuum of care

The term continuum of care means a collaborative applicant established and operating for a geographic area for purposes of the Continuum of Care Program under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.). (2)

Emergency housing

The term emergency housing means housing that is provided on a short-term and temporary basis to address emergency situations. Such term does not include transitional or permanent housing, as such terms are defined in section 401 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360). (3)

Emergency shelter; private nonprofit organization; State

The terms emergency shelter, private nonprofit organization, and State have the meanings given such terms in section 321 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11351). (4)

Homeless

The term homeless has the meaning given such term in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302). (5)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. (6)

Permanent housing; transitional housing

The terms permanent housing and transitional housing have the meanings given such term in section 401 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360). (f)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section $750,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.