I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 165 

To require the inclusion of veterans in housing planning and an annual 

report on housing assistance to veterans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 4, 2021 

Mr. GREEN of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To require the inclusion of veterans in housing planning 

and an annual report on housing assistance to veterans, 

and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Improving Access to 

5 Homes for Heroes Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF VETERANS IN HOUSING PLANNING. 

7 (a) PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY PLANS.—Section 

8 5A(d)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 

9 U.S.C. 1437c–1(d)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘and dis10 abled families’’ and inserting ‘‘, disabled families, and vetVerDate Sep 11 2014 17:51 Jan 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H165.IH H165

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1 erans (as such term is defined in section 101 of title 38, 

2 United States Code)’’. 

3 (b) COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

4 STRATEGIES.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 105 of the Cran6 ston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 

7 U.S.C. 12705) is amended— 

8 (A) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ‘‘vet9 erans (as such term is defined in section 101 of 

10 title 38, United States Code),’’ after ‘‘acquired 

11 immunodeficiency syndrome,’’; 

12 (B) in subsection (b)(20), by striking ‘‘and 

13 service’’ and inserting ‘‘veterans service, and 

14 other service’’; and 

15 (C) in subsection (e)(1), by inserting ‘‘vet16 erans (as such term is defined in section 101 of 

17 title 38, United States Code),’’ after ‘‘homeless 

18 persons,’’. 

19 (2) CONSOLIDATED PLANS.—The Secretary of 

20 Housing and Urban Development shall revise the 

21 regulations relating to submission of consolidated 

22 plans (part 91 of title 24, Code of Federal Regula23 tions) in accordance with the amendments made by 

24 paragraph (1) of this subsection to require inclusion 


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1 of appropriate information relating to veterans and 

2 veterans service agencies in all such plans. 

3 SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORT ON HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO VET4 ERANS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 31 of 

6 each year, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop7 ment shall submit a report on the activities of the Depart8 ment of Housing and Urban Development relating to vet9 erans during such year to the following: 

10 (1) The Committee on Banking, Housing, and 

11 Urban Affairs of the Senate. 

12 (2) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

13 Senate. 

14 (3) The Committee on Appropriations of the 

15 Senate. 

16 (4) The Committee on Financial Services of the 

17 House of Representatives. 

18 (5) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

19 House of Representatives. 

20 (6) The Committee on Appropriations of the 

21 House of Representatives. 

22 (7) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

23 (b) CONTENTS.—Each report required under sub24 section (a) shall include the following information with re25 spect to the year for which the report is submitted: 


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1 (1) The number of homeless veterans provided 

2 assistance under the program of housing choice 

3 vouchers for homeless veterans under section 

4 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 

5 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)), the socioeconomic charac6 teristics and racial characteristics of such homeless 

7 veterans, and the number, types, and locations of en8 tities contracted under such section to administer 

9 the vouchers. 

10 (2) The number of homeless veterans provided 

11 assistance under the Tribal HUD–VA Supportive 

12 Housing Program (HUD–VASH) authorized by the 

13 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropria14 tions Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113–235; 128 Stat. 2733) 

15 the socioeconomic characteristics and racial charac16 teristics of such homeless veterans, and the number, 

17 types, and locations of entities contracted under 

18 such section to administer the vouchers. 

19 (3) A summary description of the special con20 siderations made for veterans under public housing 

21 agency plans submitted pursuant to section 5A of 

22 the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 

23 1437c–1) and under comprehensive housing afford24 ability strategies submitted pursuant to section 105 


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1 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Hous2 ing Act (42 U.S.C. 12705). 

3 (4) A description of the activities of the Special 

4 Assistant for Veterans Affairs. 

5 (5) A description of the efforts of the Depart6 ment of Housing and Urban Development to coordi7 nate the delivery of housing and services to veterans 

8 with other Federal departments and agencies, in9 cluding the Department of Defense, Department of 

10 Justice, Department of Labor, Department of 

11 Health and Human Services, Department of Vet12 erans Affairs, Interagency Council on Homelessness, 

13 and the Social Security Administration. 

14 (6) The cost to the Department of Housing and 

15 Urban Development of administering the programs 

16 and activities relating to veterans. 

17 (7) Any other information that the Secretary 

18 considers relevant in assessing the programs and ac19 tivities of the Department of Housing and Urban 

20 Development relating to veterans. 

21 (c) ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING NEEDS OF VERY LOW22 INCOME VETERAN FAMILIES.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—For the first report sub24 mitted pursuant to subsection (a) and every fifth reVerDate Sep 11 2014 17:51 Jan 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H165.IH H165

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1 port thereafter, the Secretary of Housing and Urban 

2 Development shall— 

3 (A) conduct an assessment of the housing 

4 needs of very low-income veteran families (as 

5 such term is defined in paragraph 5); and 

6 (B) shall include in each such report find7 ings regarding such assessment. 

8 (2) CONTENT.—Each assessment under this 

9 subsection shall include— 

10 (A) conducting a survey of, and direct 

11 interviews with, a representative sample of very 

12 low-income veteran families (as such term is de13 fined in paragraph 5) to determine past and 

14 current— 

15 (i) socioeconomic characteristics of 

16 such veteran families; 

17 (ii) barriers to such veteran families 

18 obtaining safe, quality, and affordable 

19 housing; 

20 (iii) levels of homelessness among 

21 such veteran families; and 

22 (iv) levels and circumstances of, and 

23 barriers to, receipt by such veteran families 

24 of rental housing and homeownership as25 sistance; and 


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1 (B) such other information that the Sec2 retary determines, in consultation with the Sec3 retary of Veterans Affairs and national non4 governmental organizations concerned with vet5 erans, homelessness, and very low-income hous6 ing, may be useful to the assessment. 

7 (3) CONDUCT.—If the Secretary contracts with 

8 an entity other than the Department of Housing and 

9 Urban Development to conduct the assessment 

10 under this subsection, such entity shall be a non11 governmental organization determined by the Sec12 retary to have appropriate expertise in quantitative 

13 and qualitative social science research. 

14 (4) FUNDING.—Of any amounts made available 

15 pursuant to section 501 of the Housing and Urban 

16 Development Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 1701z–1) for 

17 programs of research, studies, testing, or demonstra18 tion relating to the mission or programs of the De19 partment of Housing and Urban Development for 

20 any fiscal year in which an assessment under this 

21 subsection is required pursuant to paragraph (1) of 

22 this subsection, $1,000,000 shall be available until 

23 expended for costs of the assessment under this sub24 section. 


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1 (5) VERY LOW-INCOME VETERAN FAMILY.—The 

2 term ‘‘very low-income veteran family’’ means a vet3 eran family whose income does not exceed 50 per4 cent of the median income for the area, as deter5 mined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller 

6 and larger families, except that the Secretary may 

7 establish an income ceiling higher or lower than 50 

8 percent of the median for the area on the basis of 

9 the Secretary’s findings that such variations are nec10 essary because of prevailing levels of construction 

11 costs or fair market rents (as determined under sec12 tion 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 

13 U.S.C. 1437f)). 

Æ 


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