[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4390 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4390

To establish a grant program to provide support for housing navigators 
who assist individuals in navigating local, State, and Federal housing 
              assistance programs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 27, 2023

Mr. Schiff (for himself, Ms. Jacobs, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Clarke of New 
York, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Evans, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Khanna, Mr. 
 Mullin, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Norton, and Ms. Sanchez) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a grant program to provide support for housing navigators 
who assist individuals in navigating local, State, and Federal housing 
              assistance programs, 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 ``Housing Navigators Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO PROVIDE HOUSING NAVIGATORS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (in 
this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the 
Office of Housing Counseling, shall carry out a program to make grants 
to eligible entities under subsection (b) to support education, 
awareness, and enrollment in State and Federal housing assistance 
programs to individuals, communities, applicants, and program 
enrollees.
    (b) Eligibility.--A grant under this section may be made only to a 
community- or consumer-focused nonprofit group, a trade, industry, or 
professional associations, or a State or unit of local government, 
that--
            (1) will serve as a housing navigator by conducting 
        activities described in subsection (c); and
            (2) has demonstrated to the Secretary that--
                    (A) the entity has existing relationships, or could 
                readily establish relationships, with administrators of 
                local, State, or Federal housing assistance programs;
                    (B) has knowledge and expertise in local, State, or 
                Federal housing assistance programs, and
                    (C) has existing relationships, or could readily 
                establish relationships, with communities and 
                individuals who would likely benefit from such 
                programs.
    (c) Duties.--An entity that receives a grant under this section 
shall use amounts from such grant for--
            (1) conducting in-person public education activities to 
        raise awareness of local, State, and Federal housing assistance 
        programs in communities where individuals would likely benefit 
        from assistance provided by such programs;
            (2) distribute information concerning eligibility and 
        enrollment processes in such programs;
            (3) facilitate and assist applicants in the enrollment 
        process for such programs, including by offering assistance 
        online, over the telephone, and in-person; and
            (4) provide information in a manner that is culturally and 
        linguistically appropriate to the needs of the population being 
        served.
    (d) Standards.--
            (1) Navigators.--The Secretary shall establish standards 
        for entities receiving grants under this section, including 
        standards to ensure that any entity receiving such a grant is 
        qualified and licensed, if appropriate, to engage in the 
        activities described in subsection (c) and to avoid conflicts 
        of interest.
            (2) Information.--The Secretary, in collaboration with 
        States, shall establish standards to ensure that information 
        made available by entities receiving grants under this section 
        is fair, accurate, and impartial.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for grants under this section $50,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2024 through 2029.
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