,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bcii ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,april #cj1 #bjai,mr4 ,peters 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,katko1 ,mr4 ,levin of ,california1 ,mr4 ,heck1 ,mr4 ,case1 ,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4 ,rouda1 ,mr4 ,pappas1 ,mr4 ,cisneros1 and ,mr4 ,carbajal7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to provide for greater transparency in the ,,hud-,,vash supported housing program for homeless veterans1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,homes for ,our ,heroes ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,congressional findings ,the ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,departments of ,housing and ,urban ,development 7,,hud7 and ,veterans ,affairs 7,,va7 jointly support veterans experiencing homelessness by providing permanent supportive housing4 7#b7 ,the ,,hud-,,va ,supportive ,housing voucher program 7,,hud-,,vash7 has successfully decreased the number of homeless veterans4 7#c7 ,since the establishment of the ,,hud-,,vash voucher program in #bjjh1 more than #ig1jjj vouchers have been awarded to public housing agencies and more than #agj1jjj homeless veterans have been provided with vouchers4 7#d7 ,the number of veterans experiencing homelessness has declined by over #cj1jjj since #bjji1 according to data from the annual ,point-in-,time ,homeless ,count organized by ,,hud4 7#e7 ,under the ,,hud-,,vash program1 veterans benefit from affordable housing and matching supportive services1 such as mental health treatment1 substance use counseling1 and employment training4 7#f7 ,in the past year1 some regions of the ,nation have seen an increase in the numbers of veterans experiencing homelessness1 particularly in high-cost housing markets where housing is becoming less affordable4 7#g7 ,,hud and ,,va allocate vouchers under the ,,hud-,,vash program based on need1 but do not disclose the formula that determines the allocation of vouchers4 #c4 ,reports 7a7 ,,hud 7#a7 ,annual reports ,paragraph 7#ai7 of section #h7o7 of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f7o77#ai77 is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph3 7,d7 ,annual reports 7i7 ,information required ,not later than the expiration of the #ab-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this subparagraph and not less often than annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,congress1 as provided in clause 7ii71 and make publicly available1 information identifying for the preceding year-- 7,i7 the public housing agencies1 in partnership with the medical centers of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 for which vouchers for rental assistance under this paragraph were allocated2 and 7,,ii7 the number of such vouchers allocated1 disaggregated by the tenant-based vouchers and project-based vouchers1 as awarded by the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development4 7ii7 ,joint report ,the information required under clause 7,i7 shall be submitted-- 7,i7 in a joint report by the ,secretary and the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 together with the information for such year required to be submitted under section #bjjc7;c7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code2 and 7,,ii7 to the ,committees on ,financial ,services and ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committees on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs and ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate4 4 7#b7 ,report on historical data 7,a7 ,information required ,not later than the expiration of the #ij-;day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development shall submit to the ,congress1 as provided in subparagraph 7,b71 and make publicly available1 for each of fiscal years #bjad through #bjai to the greatest extent possible the information described in subclauses 7,i7 and 7,,ii7 of section #h7o77#ai77;,d77i7 of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg1 as added by the amendment made by paragraph 7#a7 of this subsection4 7,b7 ,joint report ,the information required under subparagraph 7,a7 shall be submitted-- 7i7 in a joint report by the ,secretary and the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 together with the information required to be submitted under subsection 7b77#b7 of this section2 and 7ii7 to the ,committees on ,financial ,services and ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committees on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs and ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate4 7b7 ,,va 7#a7 ,annual reports ,section #bjjc of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7c7 ,annual reports on case management funding 7#a7 ,information required ,not later than the expiration of the #f-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this subsection and not less often than annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,congress1 as provided in paragraph 7#b71 and make publicly available1 information identifying for the preceding year-- 7,a7 the medical centers of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs to which funds were provided pursuant to subsection 7b7 of this section for providing case managers under the supported housing program carried out by the ,secretary1 in conjunction with the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development1 pursuant to section #h7o77#ai7 of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f7o77#ai772 7,b7 the eligible entities with which the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs contracted to provide case management services under such supported housing program pursuant to section #cjd of the ,honoring ,america's ,veterans and ,caring for ,camp ,lejeune ,families ,act of #bjab 7#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #bjda note72 7,c7 for each such medical center and eligible entity1 the number of full-time positions provided by such funding2 7,d7 for caseworkers providing such case management services1 the average number of veterans on the caseload for a caseworker2 7,e7 the number of individuals who return to the supported housing program after leaving it2 7,f7 the number of recipients of housing assistance vouchers under the supported housing program by gender2 and 7,g7 the number of such voucher recipients by service era4 7#b7 ,joint report ,the information required under paragraph 7#a7 shall be submitted-- 7,a7 in a joint report by the ,secretary and the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development1 together with the information for such year required to be submitted under section #h7o77#ai77;,d7 of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f7o77#ai77;,d772 and 7,b7 to the ,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs and ,financial ,services of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs and ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs of the ,senate 4 7#b7 ,report on historical data 7,a7 ,information required ,not later than the expiration of the #f-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall submit to the ,congress1 as provided in subparagraph 7,b71 and make publicly available1 for each of fiscal years #bjad through #bjai to the greatest extent possible the information described in subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,g7 of section #bjjc7;c77#a7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as added by the amendment made by paragraph 7#a7 of this subsection4 7,b7 ,joint report ,the information required under subparagraph 7,a7 shall be submitted-- 7i7 in a joint report by the ,secretary and the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development1 together with the information required to be submitted under subsection 7a77#b7 of this section2 and 7ii7 to the ,committees on ,financial ,services and ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committees on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs and ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate4 #d4 ,study of barriers to administration in high housing cost areas 7a7 ,study ,the ,secretaries of ,housing and ,urban ,development and ,veterans ,affairs1 in consultation with the ,united ,states ,interagency ,council on ,homelessness1 shall jointly conduct a study to identify barriers to carrying out the ,,hud-,,vash supported housing program under section #h7o77#ai7 of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg in areas having high housing costs4 ,such study shall-- 7#a7 be carried out with respect to not less than #ae housing market areas used for purposes of fair market rents established under the rental assistance program under section #h of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f71 as selected by such ,secretaries1 that-- 7,a7 have high rates of veterans experiencing homelessness1 as identified by the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development2 7,b7 have high housing costs1 as identified by the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development2 7,c7 have at least one public housing agency and one medical center of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs located within the area2 and 7,d7 include housing market areas for which fair market rents are calculated using the ,small ,area ,fair ,market ,rents and include housing areas that are not calculated using such rents2 7#b7 for each housing market area covered by the study1 collect data with respect to only one public housing agency and one medical center of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs located in the area2 and 7#c7 identify for such high housing cost areas-- 7,a7 the average amount of time elapsed between a veteran receiving a voucher for rental assistance under the program and signing a lease for a residence to be assisted using such voucher2 7,b7 administrative burdens to the use of project-based voucher assistance under such program1 including any ,state and local regulations that make project-based vouchers more difficult to use2 7,c7 ways in which public housing agencies leverage private resources with public funds under such program and difficulties developers may experience under such program in the use of project-based vouchers2 7,d7 how public housing agencies and medical centers of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs define the term unused vouchers2 7,e7 the process for reallocation of any such unused vouchers2 and 7,f7 any best practices for administration of vouchers under the program in such high housing cost areas4 7b7 ,report ,not later than the expiration of the #ab-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development and the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall jointly submit to the ,congress a report setting forth the findings of the study under subsection 7a7 and any recommendations resulting from such study4 #e4 ,appearances before ,congress ,not later than the expiration of the #ij-;day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development and the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall each appear before the ,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,senate to provide information regarding-- 7#a7 the formula used to allocate vouchers for rental assistance under the ,,hud-,,vash supported housing program under section #h7o77#ai7 of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg among medical centers of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs2 7#b7 how such ,secretaries use existing data1 including requests from medical facilities of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs and partnering public housing agencies and voucher utilization rates1 to make allocation determinations2 and 7#c7 which functions and calculations are made by the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs and which are made by ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development1 in making such allocations4