Naomi Schwartz Safe Parking Program Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2965 To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a grant program to provide amounts to eligible entities for costs associ- ated with the establishment and operation of a safe parking program, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 4, 2021 Mr. CARBAJAL (for himself and Mr. LAMALFA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services A BILL To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a grant program to provide amounts to eligi- ble entities for costs associated with the establishment and operation of a safe parking program, 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 ‘‘Naomi Schwartz Safe 4 Parking Program Act of 2021’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:01 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2965.IH H2965 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2965 IH SEC. 2. SAFE PARKING PROGRAM GRANTS. 1 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 2 date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of 3 Housing and Urban Development shall establish a grant 4 program to provide amounts to eligible entities for costs 5 associated with the establishment and operation of new or 6 existing safe parking program. 7 (b) GRANT TERM.—If the Secretary awards a grant 8 to an eligible entity under subsection (a), such grant shall 9 be for a term of 5 years. 10 (c) AMOUNT.— 11 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity awarded a 12 grant under this section shall receive an equal 13 amount of money in each of the 5 years of the term 14 of the grant. 15 (2) CAP.—No eligible entity may receive an 16 amount under this section that exceeds $5,000,000. 17 (d) APPLICATIONS.— 18 (1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 19 grant under subsection (a), an eligible entity shall 20 submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 21 in such manner, and containing such information as 22 the Secretary may require, including a description of 23 how any amounts awarded to the eligible entity will 24 be used. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:01 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2965.IH H2965 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2965 IH (2) MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.—An eligible entity 1 may, in such application, propose to establish or 2 continue operating safe parking program as multiple 3 locations. 4 (3) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give pri- 5 ority to applications from eligible entities that serve 6 homeless persons in underserved areas, as such term 7 is defined in section 81.2 of title 24, Code of Federal 8 Regulations. 9 (e) USE OF FUNDS.—Except as provided by sub- 10 section (f), any eligible entity that is awarded an amount 11 under this section shall use such amount for costs associ- 12 ated with— 13 (1) establishing and operating a safe parking 14 program; 15 (2) providing permanent rehousing assistance to 16 families using the safe parking program; 17 (3) employing staff who maintain the safety 18 and health of participants and monitor program or 19 shelter compliance; 20 (4) establishing and maintaining the operation 21 of hygiene facilities and restrooms for homeless per- 22 sons; 23 (5) maintaining the vehicles of homeless per- 24 sons using a safe parking program and providing 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:01 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2965.IH H2965 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 2965 IH gas for such persons to use their vehicles to drive to 1 places that will help them obtain or maintain hous- 2 ing, including to work, to schools, to medical ap- 3 pointments, and to search for home; or 4 (6) entering data and information into the De- 5 partment of Housing and Urban Development’s 6 Homeless Management Information System. 7 (f) ALTERNATIVE USE OF FUNDS.—If a eligible enti- 8 ty determines that a safe parking program is no longer 9 necessary, such eligible entity may, after approval from 10 the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development use any 11 amounts provided under this section for activities that are 12 eligible for the use of emergency solutions grant program 13 amounts under section 415 of the McKinney-Vento Home- 14 less Assistance Act. 15 (g) REHOUSING AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERV- 16 ICES.—Any homeless person who makes use of a safe 17 parking program established or operated using amounts 18 awarded under this section is not required to accept case 19 management or rehousing services offered as part of such 20 program. 21 (h) DEFINITIONS.— 22 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti- 23 ty’’ means— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:01 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2965.IH H2965 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 2965 IH (A) a unit of general purpose local govern- 1 ment; 2 (B) an Indian tribe or its tribally des- 3 ignated housing entity as such terms are de- 4 fined in section 4 of the Native American Hous- 5 ing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 6 1996; 7 (C) a non-profit organization that provides 8 services to homeless persons; or 9 (D) a collaborative applicant or other orga- 10 nization or entity funded under the Continuum 11 of Care program under subtitle C of title IV of 12 the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 13 (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.). 14 (2) ESSENTIAL SERVICE.—The term ‘‘essential 15 service’’ as the meaning given the term in section 16 567.102 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations. 17 (3) HOMELESS PERSON.—The term ‘‘homeless 18 person’’ has the meaning given the term in section 19 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance 20 Act. 21 (4) SAFE PARKING PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘safe 22 parking program’’ means a program that— 23 (A) provides homeless persons living in ve- 24 hicles, including motor homes, with a safe place 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:01 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2965.IH H2965 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 2965 IH to park their vehicles overnight to facilitate a 1 transition to more stable housing; and 2 (B) provides re-housing services and essen- 3 tial services. 4 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 5 the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 6 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 7 the several States, the District of Columbia, the 8 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, 9 Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Is- 10 lands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and 11 any other territory or possession of the United 12 States. 13 (i) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall, not 14 later than 180 days after the end of the second fiscal year 15 and after the end of the fifth fiscal year following the date 16 of the enactment of this section, submit to the Congress 17 a report on the impact of grants awarded under this sec- 18 tion, including, to the extent determinable, any data 19 about— 20 (1) the number of homeless persons living in ve- 21 hicles in the geographic region in which the eligible 22 entity operates in each of the 7 previous years; 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:01 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2965.IH H2965 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 2965 IH (2) the demographics and number of homeless 1 persons who choose to participate in a safe parking 2 program; and 3 (3) the number of homeless persons who choose 4 to participate in a safe parking program who exit 5 into permanent housing. 6 (j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 7 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 8 $25,000,000 for each of the first 5 fiscal years beginning 9 after the date of the enactment of this section. 10 (k) TERMINATION OF GRANT PROGRAM.—The Sec- 11 retary may not award any grant under this section after 12 the date that is final day of the fifth fiscal year beginning 13 afer the date of the enactment of this section. 14 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:01 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2965.IH H2965 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS