Sec. 4. Emergency relief funding
1,445 words·~7 min read·
/bill/116/s/2613/is/section-4A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 11360 et seq.) is amended— by redesignating section 491 ( 42 U.S.C. 11408 ) as section 441; by redesignating section 592 ( 42 U.S.C. 11408a ) as section 442; and by adding at the end the following: There is appropriated to the Secretary, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024, to remain available until expended, for emergency relief grants under this section to address the unmet needs of homeless populations in jurisdictions with the highest need. Amounts appropriated under subsection
(a)for a fiscal year shall be allocated among collaborative applicants that comply with section 402, in accordance with the funding formula established under paragraph
(2)of this subsection. The Secretary shall, in consultation with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, establish a formula for allocating grant amounts under this section to address the unmet needs of homeless populations in jurisdictions with the highest need, using the best currently available data that targets need based on key structural determinants of homelessness in the geographic area represented by a collaborative applicant, which shall include data providing accurate counts of— the poverty rate; shortages of affordable housing for low-income families, very low-income families, and extremely low-income families, as those terms are defined in section 3(b)(2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 ( 42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(2) ); the number of overcrowded housing units; the number of— unsheltered homeless individuals; and chronically homeless individuals; and any other factors that the Secretary considers appropriate. For each fiscal year for which amounts are appropriated under subsection
(a)or otherwise made available under this section, and for each collaborative applicant for which an amount is allocated using the formula established under paragraph
(2)of this subsection, the Secretary shall make a grant to the collaborative applicant in the amount allocated. Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish the funding formula required under paragraph (2). Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary establishes the formula required under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall distribute amounts appropriated under subsection
(a)or otherwise made available under this section for fiscal year 2020. Subject to paragraphs
(2)through (4), a collaborative applicant that receives a grant under this section may use the grant amounts only for eligible activities under section 415, 423, or 441(b). Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a collaborative applicant that receives a grant under this section shall use not less than 75 percent of the grant amount for permanent supportive housing, including capital costs, rental subsidies, and services. The Secretary shall exempt a collaborative applicant from the requirement under subparagraph
(A)if the applicant demonstrates, in accordance with any standards and procedures established by the Secretary, that— chronic homelessness has been functionally eliminated in the geographic area served by the applicant; or the permanent supportive housing under development in the geographic area served by the applicant will be sufficient to functionally eliminate chronic homelessness once the permanent supportive housing is available for occupancy. Not later than 60 days after the Secretary receives a request for an exemption under clause (i), the Secretary shall make a determination regarding the request. Not more than 5 percent of the total amount of a grant provided under this section to a collaborative applicant may be used for costs of administration. The Secretary shall ensure that a collaborative applicant that receives a grant under this section is implementing, to the extent possible, and will use the grant amounts in accordance with, a Housing First model for assistance for homeless individuals. Expiring contracts for leasing, rental assistance, or permanent housing shall be treated, for purposes of section 429, as expiring contracts referred to in subsection
(a)of that section. Not later than September 1, 2020, the Secretary and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness shall submit a report that describes the design and implementation of the grant program under this section, including the formula required under subsection (b)(2), to— the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate; the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. The Secretary and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness shall submit a semiannual report to the committees specified in paragraph
(1)that describes the operation of the grant program under this section during the preceding 6 months, including— identification of the grants made; and a description of the activities funded with grant amounts. The Secretary shall require a collaborative applicant that receives a grant under this section to submit any information to the Secretary that is necessary for the Secretary to comply with the reporting requirement under subparagraph (A). There is appropriated to the Secretary, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024, to remain available until expended, which shall be used in accordance with paragraphs
(2)and (3). Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Secretary shall use amounts appropriated under paragraph
(1)for incremental rental voucher assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 ( 42 U.S.C. 1437f(o) ) for individuals and families who are homeless (as defined in section 103 of this Act), which shall be in addition to incremental rental voucher assistance provided under that section pursuant to renewal of expiring contracts for such assistance. The Secretary may use not more than 10 percent of amounts appropriated for a fiscal year under paragraph
(1)for administrative fees under section 8(q) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 ( 42 U.S.C. 1437f(q) ). The Secretary shall establish policies and procedures to provide the fees described in subparagraph
(A)to the extent necessary to assist homeless individuals and families on whose behalf rental assistance is provided to find and maintain suitable housing. The Secretary shall make assistance provided under this section available to public housing agencies based on— geographical need for the assistance by homeless individuals and families, as identified by the Secretary; the administrative performance of public housing agencies; and other factors as specified by the Secretary. Assistance made available under this section shall continue to remain available only for homeless individuals and families upon turnover. Renewal of expiring contracts for rental assistance provided under subsection
(a)and for administrative fees under that subsection shall, to the extent provided in appropriation Acts, be funded under the section 8 tenant-based rental assistance account. If the Secretary finds that a waiver or alternative requirement is necessary to ensure that homeless individuals and families can obtain housing using rental assistance made available under this section, the Secretary may waive, or specify alternative requirements for, any provision of any statute or regulation that the Secretary administers in connection with the use of funds made available under this section (except for requirements related to fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, and the environment) that relates to screening of applicants for assistance, admission of applicants, and selection of tenants. The Secretary shall require public housing agencies receiving rental assistance funding made available under this section to take all reasonable actions to help assisted individuals and families avoid subsequent homelessness. There is appropriated to the Secretary, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2024, to remain available until expended, for grants under this section to provide outreach and coordinate services for individuals and families who are homeless or formerly homeless. The Secretary shall make grants under this section on a competitive basis only to collaborative applicants that comply with section 402. In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to collaborative applicants that submit plans to make innovative and effective use of staff funded with grant amounts in accordance with subsection (c). A collaborative applicant that receives a grant under this section may use the grant amounts only for providing case managers, social workers, or other staff who conduct outreach and coordinate services for individuals and families who are homeless or formerly homeless. Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish the criteria for awarding grants under this section, including the priority system required under subsection (b). Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary establishes criteria under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall distribute amounts appropriated under subsection
(a)or otherwise made available under this section for fiscal year 2020. .
Connectionstraces to 5
Citation graph
cites case law
Cites 5Cited by 0 across 0 sources