Improving Access to Homes for Heroes Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 165 To require the inclusion of veterans in housing planning and an annual report on housing assistance to veterans, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 4, 2021 Mr. GREEN of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services A BILL To require the inclusion of veterans in housing planning and an annual report on housing assistance to veterans, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Access to 4 Homes for Heroes Act of 2021’’. 5 SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF VETERANS IN HOUSING PLANNING. 6 (a) PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY PLANS.—Section 7 5A(d)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 8 U.S.C. 1437c–1(d)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘and dis- 9 abled families’’ and inserting ‘‘, disabled families, and vet- 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:51 Jan 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H165.IH H165 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 165 IH erans (as such term is defined in section 101 of title 38, 1 United States Code)’’. 2 (b) COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY 3 STRATEGIES.— 4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 105 of the Cran- 5 ston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 6 U.S.C. 12705) is amended— 7 (A) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ‘‘vet- 8 erans (as such term is defined in section 101 of 9 title 38, United States Code),’’ after ‘‘acquired 10 immunodeficiency syndrome,’’; 11 (B) in subsection (b)(20), by striking ‘‘and 12 service’’ and inserting ‘‘veterans service, and 13 other service’’; and 14 (C) in subsection (e)(1), by inserting ‘‘vet- 15 erans (as such term is defined in section 101 of 16 title 38, United States Code),’’ after ‘‘homeless 17 persons,’’. 18 (2) CONSOLIDATED PLANS.—The Secretary of 19 Housing and Urban Development shall revise the 20 regulations relating to submission of consolidated 21 plans (part 91 of title 24, Code of Federal Regula- 22 tions) in accordance with the amendments made by 23 paragraph (1) of this subsection to require inclusion 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:51 Jan 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H165.IH H165 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 165 IH of appropriate information relating to veterans and 1 veterans service agencies in all such plans. 2 SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORT ON HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO VET- 3 ERANS. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 31 of 5 each year, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop- 6 ment shall submit a report on the activities of the Depart- 7 ment of Housing and Urban Development relating to vet- 8 erans during such year to the following: 9 (1) The Committee on Banking, Housing, and 10 Urban Affairs of the Senate. 11 (2) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 12 Senate. 13 (3) The Committee on Appropriations of the 14 Senate. 15 (4) The Committee on Financial Services of the 16 House of Representatives. 17 (5) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 18 House of Representatives. 19 (6) The Committee on Appropriations of the 20 House of Representatives. 21 (7) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 22 (b) CONTENTS.—Each report required under sub- 23 section (a) shall include the following information with re- 24 spect to the year for which the report is submitted: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:51 Jan 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H165.IH H165 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 165 IH (1) The number of homeless veterans provided 1 assistance under the program of housing choice 2 vouchers for homeless veterans under section 3 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 4 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)), the socioeconomic charac- 5 teristics and racial characteristics of such homeless 6 veterans, and the number, types, and locations of en- 7 tities contracted under such section to administer 8 the vouchers. 9 (2) The number of homeless veterans provided 10 assistance under the Tribal HUD–VA Supportive 11 Housing Program (HUD–VASH) authorized by the 12 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropria- 13 tions Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113–235; 128 Stat. 2733) 14 the socioeconomic characteristics and racial charac- 15 teristics of such homeless veterans, and the number, 16 types, and locations of entities contracted under 17 such section to administer the vouchers. 18 (3) A summary description of the special con- 19 siderations made for veterans under public housing 20 agency plans submitted pursuant to section 5A of 21 the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 22 1437c–1) and under comprehensive housing afford- 23 ability strategies submitted pursuant to section 105 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:51 Jan 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H165.IH H165 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 165 IH of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Hous- 1 ing Act (42 U.S.C. 12705). 2 (4) A description of the activities of the Special 3 Assistant for Veterans Affairs. 4 (5) A description of the efforts of the Depart- 5 ment of Housing and Urban Development to coordi- 6 nate the delivery of housing and services to veterans 7 with other Federal departments and agencies, in- 8 cluding the Department of Defense, Department of 9 Justice, Department of Labor, Department of 10 Health and Human Services, Department of Vet- 11 erans Affairs, Interagency Council on Homelessness, 12 and the Social Security Administration. 13 (6) The cost to the Department of Housing and 14 Urban Development of administering the programs 15 and activities relating to veterans. 16 (7) Any other information that the Secretary 17 considers relevant in assessing the programs and ac- 18 tivities of the Department of Housing and Urban 19 Development relating to veterans. 20 (c) ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING NEEDS OF VERY LOW- 21 INCOME VETERAN FAMILIES.— 22 (1) IN GENERAL.—For the first report sub- 23 mitted pursuant to subsection (a) and every fifth re- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:51 Jan 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H165.IH H165 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 165 IH port thereafter, the Secretary of Housing and Urban 1 Development shall— 2 (A) conduct an assessment of the housing 3 needs of very low-income veteran families (as 4 such term is defined in paragraph 5); and 5 (B) shall include in each such report find- 6 ings regarding such assessment. 7 (2) CONTENT.—Each assessment under this 8 subsection shall include— 9 (A) conducting a survey of, and direct 10 interviews with, a representative sample of very 11 low-income veteran families (as such term is de- 12 fined in paragraph 5) to determine past and 13 current— 14 (i) socioeconomic characteristics of 15 such veteran families; 16 (ii) barriers to such veteran families 17 obtaining safe, quality, and affordable 18 housing; 19 (iii) levels of homelessness among 20 such veteran families; and 21 (iv) levels and circumstances of, and 22 barriers to, receipt by such veteran families 23 of rental housing and homeownership as- 24 sistance; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:51 Jan 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H165.IH H165 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 165 IH (B) such other information that the Sec- 1 retary determines, in consultation with the Sec- 2 retary of Veterans Affairs and national non- 3 governmental organizations concerned with vet- 4 erans, homelessness, and very low-income hous- 5 ing, may be useful to the assessment. 6 (3) CONDUCT.—If the Secretary contracts with 7 an entity other than the Department of Housing and 8 Urban Development to conduct the assessment 9 under this subsection, such entity shall be a non- 10 governmental organization determined by the Sec- 11 retary to have appropriate expertise in quantitative 12 and qualitative social science research. 13 (4) FUNDING.—Of any amounts made available 14 pursuant to section 501 of the Housing and Urban 15 Development Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 1701z–1) for 16 programs of research, studies, testing, or demonstra- 17 tion relating to the mission or programs of the De- 18 partment of Housing and Urban Development for 19 any fiscal year in which an assessment under this 20 subsection is required pursuant to paragraph (1) of 21 this subsection, $1,000,000 shall be available until 22 expended for costs of the assessment under this sub- 23 section. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:51 Jan 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H165.IH H165 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 165 IH (5) VERY LOW-INCOME VETERAN FAMILY.—The 1 term ‘‘very low-income veteran family’’ means a vet- 2 eran family whose income does not exceed 50 per- 3 cent of the median income for the area, as deter- 4 mined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller 5 and larger families, except that the Secretary may 6 establish an income ceiling higher or lower than 50 7 percent of the median for the area on the basis of 8 the Secretary’s findings that such variations are nec- 9 essary because of prevailing levels of construction 10 costs or fair market rents (as determined under sec- 11 tion 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 12 U.S.C. 1437f)). 13 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:51 Jan 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H165.IH H165 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS