“A bill to make improvements to the Emergency Solutions Grants and Continuum of Care programs, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section defines terms used in the Act, including "(1) appropriate congressional committees" as the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services; "(2) at risk of homelessness" as in section 401 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360); "(3) Department" as the Department of Housing and Urban Development; "(4) homeless" as in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302); "(5) public housing agency" as in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)); and "(6) Secretary" as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (except as otherwise provided).
This section amends the Continuum of Care (CoC) program under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.), which awards competitive grants to communities for permanent and transitional housing and supportive services for homeless individuals and families, as follows: (1) in section 402(g) (42 U.S.C. 11360a(g)), establishes time limits on designations as a unified funding agency, requiring the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to accept applications annually or biennially for designations effective for not more than 2 years, with annual or biennial renewal authority; (2) in section 422 (42 U.S.C. 11382), authorizes 2-year notifications of funding availability (subject to appropriations) that award funds for a second year (including adjustments) unless projects are underperforming, specifies processes for replacements, renewals, excess funds, and 1-year transition grants, strikes certain prior limitations in subsection (c)(2), and extends grant performance periods to 2 years (from 1 year) in subsection (e); (3) in section 423(a) (42 U.S.C. 11383), limits rapid re-housing lease terms to not more than 15 years (previously up to 15 years at applicant and sponsor discretion), adds eligibility for payments of not more than 6 months of rent and utility arrears, and raises the cap on administrative costs to the greater of $70,000 or 5 percent (from 3 percent); (4) adds to section 425 (42 U.S.C. 11385) a requirement for the Comptroller General to study biennially (beginning 1 year after enactment) workforce compensation for supportive services staff, report findings to Congress and HUD, and consider inflation indices; (5) adds to section 426 (42 U.S.C. 11386) flexibilities for unit inspections, including pre-inspections up to 60 days before leasing, remote or video inspections, and leasing prior to inspection if the unit passed a federal inspection within the prior 12 months (with inspection required within 15 days of lease start); and (6) adds to section 430 (42 U.S.C. 11386d) authority to count eligible program income toward required matching contributions if it meets HUD standards and supplements grant activities. This section further specifies definitions (including Indian tribe and tribally designated housing entity under 25 U.S.C. 4103) and provides for nonapplication of certain civil rights laws to CoC funds made available to such entities.
This section amends the Housing Choice Voucher program (i.e., Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance under the U.S. Housing Act of 1937, which aids low-income families in renting privately owned housing) as follows: (1) establishing exceptions to income verification requirements, including acceptance of third-party income calculations and verifications completed within the prior 12 months for federal program eligibility if there has been no change in family income or composition, and requiring use of prior-year income (as determined for the prior calendar year or another 12-month period) with consideration of any interim redeterminations; (2) revising initial inspection requirements for newly leased units by eliminating the need to perform an inspection before family occupancy in certain cases, expanding alternative inspection methods to include units inspected within the prior 12 months (when occupied by a prior assisted tenant or vacant), pre-inspections within 60 days of leasing, remote or video inspections, or leasing prior to inspection if the unit passed an alternative inspection within the prior 12 months followed by an inspection within 15 days of lease start, and exempting such alternatively inspected units from subsequent biennial inspection requirements; and (3) authorizing public housing agencies to use current- and prior-year tenant-based assistance funds for security deposits (for rent, utilities, and other Secretary-approved items) and unit holding fees during inspection and approval, up to an amount equivalent to one month's rent per unit for each purpose, with such uses counting toward the allocation baseline for contract renewals and subject to a Secretary-established cap on the percentage of contract funds.
This section authorizes $5 million for FY2025, in addition to amounts otherwise available and to remain available until expended, for information technology upgrades to the E-Snaps system used to support the program application and awards process for 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.)—i.e., the primary federal program providing grants to public and private nonprofits, states, and localities for permanent and transitional housing and services to homeless individuals and families. In developing the upgrades, the Secretary must prioritize user needs (grant recipients and stakeholders) per specified guidelines (e.g., U.S. Web Design Standards), use privacy- and security-enhancing technology, plan for ongoing operations and maintenance, and is exempt from the Paperwork Reduction Act. This section also expands the Department of Housing and Urban Development working capital fund (42 U.S.C. 3535(f)) to include information technology activities managed by the Chief Information Officer under the Chief Financial Officer's oversight. (1) The fund covers recurring and nonrecurring IT expenses (e.g., services, products, upgrades, modernization, maintenance) to improve digital services, program delivery, and customer experience; and (2) it accepts transfers of unobligated balances from expired discretionary appropriations for FY2025 and later (up to five years after expiration) and up to $10 million annually from salaries and expenses appropriations (excluding Inspector General funds), with such amounts available until expended subject to Office of Management and Budget approval.
This section directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development, not later than 90 days after enactment, to commission an evidence-based report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine analyzing research on health care-homelessness linkages, coordination effects and cost savings from enhanced partnerships among health care organizations, mental health and substance use disorder providers, and housing providers, and providing related policy recommendations and best practices. The section also amends subtitle A of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360 et seq.)—which authorizes HUD homeless assistance grants such as Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grants—by adding a new section 409 authorizing HUD to establish demonstration projects or partnerships between housing providers (e.g., rapid re-housing or public housing agency operators) and healthcare organizations (e.g., hospitals, community health centers, or mental health providers) to furnish housing navigation, placement, casework, or health access improvements for homeless or at-risk individuals, particularly high emergency department users, those with chronic disabilities, substance use disorders, serious mental illness, or severe service needs. (Thus, projects may include HIPAA-compliant data coordination.) HUD must report on the demonstrations to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and House Committee on Financial Services not later than two years after enactment and every four years thereafter.
This section establishes the Advisory Committee on Homelessness in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by adding new section 410 to subtitle A of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360 et seq.). The committee consists of 10 to 15 members jointly appointed by the HUD Secretary and the Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness—including individuals with lived experience of homelessness, advocates, service providers across housing, health care, mental health, substance use, employment, and tribal housing, plus local government or law enforcement representatives—and ex officio members from HUD, the Interagency Council, and specified officials from the Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Education, Veterans Affairs, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs; terms of service are up to 4 years with reappointment eligible, and the first meeting must occur not later than 6 months after all appointments. The committee advises the HUD Secretary and Interagency Council Executive Director on homelessness policies, programs, and initiatives; assesses service effectiveness and gaps; identifies best practices and barriers; and promotes federal coordination and liaison with state, local, and nongovernmental entities.
This section directs (1) the Comptroller General of the United States, not later than one year after enactment, to conduct a multi-community evaluation of coordinated entry systems—standardized processes under the Continuum of Care Program (CoC) to assess and prioritize individuals experiencing homelessness for services—and submit findings to congressional committees and recommendations to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and (2) HUD, not later than two years after enactment, to evaluate those processes (incorporating CoC input, relevant reports, and expert consultations on best practices), issue updated guidance on effective assessments that remove barriers, minimize bias, promote trauma-informed practices, address underserved groups, and allow local flexibility, and establish a periodic feedback procedure (e.g., requests for information not less frequently than every five years).
This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and appropriate congressional committees, not later than 18 months after enactment, a report assessing (1) documentation requirements (beyond photo identification) for determining eligibility and resource prioritization in HUD homelessness assistance programs; (2) the influence of those requirements on housing and resource access; and (3) recommendations for reducing documentation barriers, including through State-issued digital identification available to all residents. The section further requires the Secretary to (1) evaluate that report; (2) publish a request for information from continuums of care and public housing agencies on those same matters; and (3) submit ongoing reports to the committees on the impact of HUD waivers issued in August 2023, and any subsequent similar waivers, that modify admissions to the Housing Choice Voucher program (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) to expedite assistance for homeless individuals.
This section directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to (1) issue at least one request for information on improving data collection via the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) or other systems, coordination between housing and homelessness providers and physical, mental, behavioral health, substance use treatment, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and criminal justice entities, and potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) models to enhance program effectiveness for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness; (2) consider incentives to improve HMIS use, community data exchanges, and coordination to target resources for housing, outreach, prevention, and supportive services to homeless individuals (including chronically homeless) or those at risk with significant criminal justice involvement; (3) coordinate with the VA Secretary on data sharing for HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers under section 8(o)(19) of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)), HMIS, and other VA homeless programs; and (4) issue guidance for anonymized HMIS data access by academic researchers using AI models to improve interventions. It further authorizes HUD to use unobligated funds for demonstration projects or partnerships to improve housing and employment services access, with flexibilities or waivers under subtitles B and C of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11371 et seq., 11381 et seq.) to serve individuals exiting institutions after 120 days or less (who were previously in emergency shelters or places not meant for human habitation), those otherwise lacking fixed nighttime residence post-institution, or those exiting the criminal justice system. The section requires the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) to issue a public report on such demonstrations summarizing efforts and recommending best practices, and directs HUD (in coordination with the Attorney General) to issue guidance on best practices for data collection, funding, and coordination involving behavioral health and criminal justice to divert institution-exiting individuals from homelessness.
This section revises Title II of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, governing the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH)—which coordinates federal programs and resources to address homelessness—by (1) requiring the Council's executive director to testify annually before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services on the federal coordinated response to homelessness; (2) authorizing appropriations of such sums as necessary to carry out the title through the date that is seven years after enactment of the Reducing Homelessness Through Program Reform Act (from $3 million for FY2010 and such sums as necessary for FY2011); (3) striking section 209; and (4) redesignating section 210 as section 209.
This section directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), not later than two years after the date of enactment of this Act, to conduct an evaluation and submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees and publicly on grant allocation amounts, matching requirements, and funding under the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program—which provides grants to state and local governments and nonprofits for emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, and homeless assistance services—and the Continuum of Care (CoC) program—which funds coordinated community systems to promote permanent housing and supportive services for homeless individuals and families—both under title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The report must include field surveys, assessments of unmet needs on relative and absolute bases, and comparisons of local program availability to community needs in small states, small communities, Tribal communities, and rural areas, as related to program funding levels.
This section provides a rule of construction clarifying that nothing in the Act or its amendments limits the Secretary's authority to provide flexibility under housing laws in effect on the date of enactment and that the flexibilities and waivers authorized by the Act do not replace or terminate other such authorities exercisable by the Secretary.