What This Bill Does
This bill creates a grant program within the Health Resources and Services Administration to award money to eligible entities for housing programs that serve homeless individuals and families. The grants help pay for housing, comprehensive services like mental health treatment and job training, and case management support. The bill aims to fight homelessness by funding these integrated housing and service programs.
Who It Affects
Local and state governments, Indian tribes and tribal organizations, nonprofit service providers, homeless individuals and families, families with homeless children, people at risk of becoming homeless, local law enforcement agencies, courts, mental health and medical providers, and educational institutions.
Key Provisions
• The Health Resources and Services Administration will establish a grant program and an interagency working group with representatives from multiple federal departments to provide advice on the program. (Sec. 2(a) and 2(b))
• Eligible organizations can receive 5-year implementation grants up to $25,000,000 to provide housing and services, with a requirement that the organization contribute 25 percent of the costs through non-federal funding. (Sec. 2(c)(1))
• Eligible organizations can receive 1-year planning grants up to $100,000 with no matching funds required to develop comprehensive plans addressing homelessness. (Sec. 2(c)(2))
• Grant recipients must provide stable housing, intensive case management with no more than 1 caseworker per 20 cases, and comprehensive services including mental health care, substance use disorder treatment, job training, and life skills training. (Sec. 2(d)(1) and 2(d)(2))
• Grant recipients must submit annual reports measuring outcomes like whether people maintained housing, improved their health, and whether children enrolled in and attended school. (Sec. 2(e)(1))
What Changes
If this becomes law, the federal government will begin awarding grants to eligible government agencies, tribes, and tribal organizations to establish or expand housing programs with intensive support services for homeless people. Organizations that receive these grants must provide specific services, maintain required staffing ratios, and report annually on how well their programs help people maintain housing and improve their health and circumstances.
Important Definitions
• Homeless children and youths: Not fully defined in this bill; the bill references the definition in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
• Indian tribe and tribal organization: These terms have the meanings given in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and include tribally designated housing entities and entities serving Native Hawaiians.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 516
To fight homelessness in the United States by authorizing a grant program
within the Health Resources and Services Administration for housing
programs that offer comprehensive services and intensive case manage-
ment for homeless individuals and families.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 25, 2023
Mr. LIEU (for himself, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE, and Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of
California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Financial Services
A BILL
To fight homelessness in the United States by authorizing
a grant program within the Health Resources and Serv-
ices Administration for housing programs that offer com-
prehensive services and intensive case management for
homeless individuals and families.
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 ‘‘Fighting Homelessness
4
Through Services and Housing Act’’.
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•HR 516 IH
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Health
2
Resources and Services Administration (referred to in this
3
section as the ‘‘Administrator’’), in consultation with the
4
working group established under subsection (b), shall es-
5
tablish a grant program to award competitive grants to
6
eligible entities for the planning and implementation of
7
programs to address homelessness.
8
(b) WORKING GROUP.—The Administrator shall es-
9
tablish an interagency working group to provide advice to
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the Administrator in carrying out the program under sub-
11
section (a). The working group shall include representa-
12
tives from the United States Interagency Council on
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Homelessness, Department of Education, Department of
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Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and
15
Urban Development, Department of Labor, Department
16
of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, De-
17
partment of Agriculture, Department of the Treasury, De-
18
partment of Justice, and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
19
(c) TYPES OF GRANTS.—
20
(1) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.—
21
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Under the program
22
under subsection (a), the Administrator shall
23
award 5-year implementation grants to eligible
24
entities to assist such entities in carrying out
25
activities, and paying capital building costs, as-
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•HR 516 IH
sociated with the provision of housing and serv-
1
ices to homeless individuals and families, in-
2
cluding homeless children and youths (as de-
3
fined by section 725 of the McKinney-Vento
4
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)),
5
or those at risk of becoming homeless.
6
(B) AMOUNT.—The amount awarded to an
7
entity under a grant under this paragraph shall
8
not exceed $25,000,000.
9
(C) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—With re-
10
spect to the costs of the activities to be carried
11
out by an entity under a grant under this para-
12
graph, the entity shall make available (directly
13
or through donations from public or private en-
14
tities) non-Federal contributions toward such
15
costs in an amount that equals 25 percent of
16
the amount of the grant.
17
(2) PLANNING GRANTS.—
18
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Under the program
19
under subsection (a), the Administrator shall
20
award 1-year planning grants to eligible entities
21
to assist such entities in developing comprehen-
22
sive plans to address homelessness in the com-
23
munities and regions served by such entities or
24
to enhance the effectiveness of existing pro-
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•HR 516 IH
grams that serve homeless individuals and fami-
1
lies, including homeless children and youths (as
2
defined by section 725 of the McKinney-Vento
3
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)),
4
or those at risk of becoming homeless.
5
(B) AMOUNT.—The amount awarded to an
6
entity under a grant under this paragraph shall
7
not exceed $100,000, and such amount shall
8
not be subject to any matching requirement.
9
(d) ELIGIBILITY.—
10
(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a
11
grant under the program under subsection (a), an
12
entity shall—
13
(A) be a governmental entity (at the coun-
14
ty, city, regional, or locality level), Indian tribe,
15
or tribal organization;
16
(B) demonstrate that the capacity of the
17
entity for providing services under the grant in-
18
cludes the ability to address mental health, sub-
19
stance use disorder and recovery services, dis-
20
abling or other chronic health conditions, edu-
21
cational and job training or employment out-
22
comes, and life skills needs (including financial
23
literacy); and
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•HR 516 IH
(C) submit to the Administrator an appli-
1
cation that includes an assurance that, in car-
2
rying out activities under the grant, the entity
3
will—
4
(i) ensure stable housing, intensive
5
case management, and comprehensive serv-
6
ices that include, at minimum, mental
7
health, substance use disorder treatment
8
and recovery services, education and job
9
training, age-appropriate services for chil-
10
dren, and life skills training (such as fi-
11
nancial literacy training);
12
(ii) coordinate with the population to
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be served by the entity to ensure that sup-
14
portive services are tailored to meet the
15
specific and actual needs of the individuals
16
and families served;
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(iii) coordinate with local law enforce-
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ment, courts (including specialized courts),
19
probation, and other public services agen-
20
cies to conduct outreach and better iden-
21
tify at-risk or homeless populations that
22
would benefit from services offered by the
23
entity;
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•HR 516 IH
(iv) follow trauma-informed best prac-
1
tices to address the needs of the popu-
2
lations to be served;
3
(v) provide services under the grant
4
on-site or in-home as appropriate;
5
(vi) provide assistance in addressing
6
the transportation needs of individuals for
7
services provided under the grant off-site;
8
and
9
(vii) comply with additional require-
10
ments, if the entity intends to serve fami-
11
lies with children under the grant, to en-
12
sure—
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(I) that services include chil-
14
dren’s behavioral and mental health
15
services, early childhood education,
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regular and age-appropriate children’s
17
programming and activities, child
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health, development, and nutrition
19
screening (including coordination of
20
medical and well-child services), and
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parenting classes and support pro-
22
grams;
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(II) in conditions where family
24
housing is provided in a central facil-
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•HR 516 IH
ity and not in mixed units in a com-
1
mercial building, that a safe space for
2
play and age-appropriate activities is
3
available on-site and has regular
4
hours of operation; and
5
(III) that the entity has in place
6
protocol for staff training and best
7
practices to identify and prevent child
8
trafficking, abuse, and neglect.
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(2) CASE MANAGEMENT.—An entity receiving a
10
grant under this section shall ensure that case man-
11
agement provided by the entity under the grant does
12
not exceed a ratio of 1 caseworker to 20 cases.
13
(3) PARTNERSHIPS.—An entity may enter into
14
a partnership with more than one provider that may
15
include a local health agency, non-profit service pro-
16
viders, medical and mental health providers, housing
17
providers, and other service providers as necessary.
18
(e) OVERSIGHT REQUIREMENTS.—
19
(1) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year
20
after the date on which a grant is received by an en-
21
tity under subsection (a), and annually thereafter
22
for the term of the grant, such entity shall submit
23
to the Administrator a report on the activities car-
24
ried out under the grant. Such report shall include,
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•HR 516 IH
with respect to activities carried out under the grant
1
in the community served, measures of outcomes re-
2
lating to—
3
(A) whether individuals and families who
4
are served continued to have housing and did
5
not experience intermittent periods of homeless-
6
ness;
7
(B) whether individuals and families who
8
are served see improvements in their physical
9
and mental health, have access to a specific pri-
10
mary care provider, promptly receive any need-
11
ed health care, and have a health care plan that
12
meets their individual needs (including access to
13
mental health and substance use treatment as
14
applicable, and family-based treatment models);
15
(C) whether children who are served are
16
enrolled in school, attend regularly, and are re-
17
ceiving services to meet their educational needs;
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(D) whether children who are served have
19
access to trauma-informed mental health care
20
and screening for any mental and behavioral
21
health needs, as well as other services to meet
22
their needs, as appropriate;
23
(E) how grant funds are used; and
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•HR 516 IH
(F) other matters determined appropriate
1
by the Administrator.
2
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this
3
subsection shall be construed to condition the receipt
4
of future housing and other services by individuals
5
under the grant on the outcomes detailed in the re-
6
ports submitted under paragraph (1).
7
(f) DEFINITION.—In this section, the terms ‘‘Indian
8
tribe’’ and ‘‘tribal organization’’ have the meanings given
9
such terms in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination
10
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304) and shall
11
include tribally designated housing entities (as defined in
12
section 4(22) of the Native American Housing Assistance
13
and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C.
14
4103(22))) and entities that serve Native Hawaiians (as
15
defined in section 338K(c) of the Public Health Service
16
Act (42 U.S.C. 254s(c))).
17
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
18
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section,
19
$1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through
20
2029, of which—
21
(1) not less than 5 percent of such funds shall
22
be awarded to Indian tribes and tribal organizations;
23
(2) $5,000,000 shall be made available for plan-
24
ning grants under subsection (c)(2); and
25
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•HR 516 IH
(3) the remainder shall be made available for
1
implementation grants under subsection (c)(1).
2
Æ
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