I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4449

To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to enable States

to construct, rehabilitate, purchase or rent permanent housing for homeless AFDC families, using funds that would otherwise be used to provide

emergency assistance for such families.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 18, 1994

Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota (for himself, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. VENTO, and Mr. RANGEL) introduced the following bill;

which was referred jointly to the Committees on Ways and Means and

Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs

A BILL

To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act

to enable States to construct, rehabilitate, purchase or

rent permanent housing for homeless AFDC families,

using funds that would otherwise be used to provide

emergency assistance for such families.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Permanent Housing

5 for Homeless Families Act’’.
2

•HR 4449 IH

1 SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE DEEMED TO INCLUDE

2 CONSTRUCTION, REHABILITATION, PUR3 CHASE, AND RENTAL OF PERMANENT HOUS4 ING FOR HOMELESS AFDC FAMILIES.

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 406 of the Social Security

6 Act (42 U.S.C. 606) is amended by inserting after sub7 section (c) the following:

8 ‘‘(d)(1) The term ‘emergency assistance to needy

9 families with children’ includes the qualified expenditures

10 of an eligible State.

11 ‘‘(2) As used in paragraph (1):

12 ‘‘(A) The term ‘eligible State’ means, with re13 spect to a fiscal year, a State that meets the follow14 ing requirements:

15 ‘‘(i) The State plan approved under this

16 part for the fiscal year includes provision for

17 emergency assistance as described in subsection

18 (e) or this subsection.

19 ‘‘(ii) The State has provided assurances to

20 the Secretary that the average amount that the

21 State intends to expend per family for such

22 emergency assistance for the fiscal year would

23 not exceed such average amount for the imme24 diately preceding fiscal year. The Secretary

25 shall prescribe in regulations standards for de26 termining the period over which capital expendi-
3

•HR 4449 IH

1 tures incurred in the provision of such emer2 gency assistance are to be amortized.

3 ‘‘(iii) There has been a 30-day period for

4 which the average amount expended by the

5 State for the provision of housing in shelters for

6 the homeless or in hotels, motels, or other tem7 porary accommodations was at least $1,200 per

8 family.

9 ‘‘(B) The term ‘qualified expenditure’ means an

10 expenditure used exclusively for the construction, re11 habilitation, purchase, or rental of permanent hous12 ing—

13 ‘‘(i) by the State, a political subdivision of

14 the State, an agency or instrumentality of the

15 State or of a political subdivision of the State,

16 or a nonprofit organization;

17 ‘‘(ii) all units of which will be used exclu18 sively for rental to families that—

19 ‘‘(I) are eligible (at the time of the

20 rental) for aid under the State plan under

21 this part;

22 ‘‘(II) have been unable to obtain de23 cent housing at rents not exceeding 30 per24 cent of their income; and
4

•HR 4449 IH

1 ‘‘(III) if such housing were not avail2 able, would be homeless or compelled to

3 live in a shelter for the homeless or in a

4 hotel, motel, or other temporary accom5 modations; and

6 ‘‘(iii) in a local jurisdiction that is experi7 encing a critical shortage of housing units that

8 are affordable to families eligible for aid under

9 the State plan.’’.

10 (b) SUNSET.—Effective 10 years after the date of the

11 enactment of this Act, the amendment made by subsection

12 (a) is hereby repealed.

13 SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

14 In providing emergency shelter to homeless AFDC

15 families, the Congress encourages the States to combine

16 funds available for such purpose under the program of aid

17 to families with dependent children with funds available

18 under other Federal, State, or local programs, including

19 the Community Development Block Grant program, the

20 Home Investment Partnership program, and the programs

21 under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act.

Æ