II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 411 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to enter into agreements with States and nonprofit organizations 

to collaborate in the provision of case management services associated 

with certain supported housing programs for veterans, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 17, 2011 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts, Mr. CORNYN, 

Mr. BEGICH, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. CASEY, and Mr. NELSON of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into agreements 

with States and nonprofit organizations to collaborate 

in the provision of case management services associated 

with certain supported housing programs for 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 ‘‘Helping Our Homeless 

5 Veterans Act of 2011’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COLLABORATION IN PROVISION OF CASE MANAGE2 MENT SERVICES TO VETERANS IN SUP3 PORTED HOUSING PROGRAM. 

4 (a) COLLABORATION AUTHORIZED.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter V of chapter 20 

6 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add7 ing at the end the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 2045. Collaboration in provision of case manage9 ment services to veterans in supported 

10 housing program 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may enter into 

12 agreements with eligible entities to collaborate in the pro13 vision of case management services as part of the sup14 ported housing program carried out under section 

15 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 

16 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) to expand and improve the provision 

17 of supported housing services and related outreach to vet18 erans, including veterans who live in rural areas or under19 served veterans who live in metropolitan areas or on In20 dian lands. 

21 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of this sec22 tion, an eligible entity is any entity that— 

23 ‘‘(1) is— 

24 ‘‘(A) a State or local government agency; 

25 ‘‘(B) a tribal organization (as such term is 

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1 mination and Education Assistance Act (25 

2 U.S.C. 450b)); or 

3 ‘‘(C) a nonprofit organization; 

4 ‘‘(2) has the capacity (as determined by the 

5 Secretary) to collaborate in the provision of case 

6 management services as described in subsection (a); 

7 and 

8 ‘‘(3) agrees— 

9 ‘‘(A) to ensure access to case management 

10 services to veterans described in subsection (a) 

11 on an as-needed basis; 

12 ‘‘(B) to maintain referral networks for 

13 homeless veterans for purposes of assisting such 

14 veterans in demonstrating eligibility for assist15 ance and additional services under entitlement 

16 and assistance programs available for such vet17 erans, and to otherwise aid such veterans in ob18 taining such assistance and services; 

19 ‘‘(C) to ensure the confidentiality of 

20 records maintained by the entity on veterans re21 ceiving services through the supported housing 

22 program described in subsection (a); 

23 ‘‘(D) to establish such procedures for fiscal 

24 control and fund accounting as the Secretary 

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1 bursement and accounting of funds under the 

2 agreement entered into by the entity under this 

3 section; 

4 ‘‘(E) to submit to the Secretary each year, 

5 in such form and such manner as the Secretary 

6 may require, a report on the collaboration un7 dertaken by the entity under this section, in8 cluding a description of— 

9 ‘‘(i) the services and assistance pro10 vided to veterans as part of such collabora11 tion; and 

12 ‘‘(ii) the specific goals set by the enti13 ty for the provision of such services and 

14 assistance and whether the entity achieved 

15 such goals; and 

16 ‘‘(F) to meet such other requirements as 

17 the Secretary considers appropriate for pur18 poses of this section. 

19 ‘‘(c) SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—(1) Not 

20 later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 

21 section, the Secretary shall establish a process for the re22 ceipt and consideration of proposals submitted under 

23 paragraph (2), including the appropriate form, manner, 

24 and time for submittal of such proposals. 


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1 ‘‘(2) An eligible entity seeking to enter into an agree2 ment under this section shall submit to the Secretary a 

3 proposal therefor in accordance with the process estab4 lished by the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (1). 

5 ‘‘(3) Each proposal submitted under paragraph (2) 

6 shall set forth a description of the collaboration proposed 

7 to be undertaken by the entity concerned, including the 

8 following: 

9 ‘‘(A) A description of the region in which the 

10 entity proposes to collaborate in the provision of case 

11 management services described in subsection (a), in12 cluding a description of resources and services al13 ready available to veterans described in such sub14 section in such region and a description of any gaps 

15 in such resources and services available to veterans 

16 in such region. 

17 ‘‘(B) A description of the veterans described in 

18 subsection (a) in the region described in subpara19 graph (A) and the needs of such veterans for sup20 ported housing services. 

21 ‘‘(C) A description of the capacity of the entity 

22 to provide services to veterans described in subpara23 graph (B) to meet their needs for the services de24 scribed in such subparagraph. 


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1 ‘‘(D) Plans, specifications, and a schedule for 

2 the provision of case management services under 

3 subsection (a). 

4 ‘‘(d) CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.—For purposes 

5 of this section, case management services include the fol6 lowing: 

7 ‘‘(1) Personal health and development assist8 ance, including such assistance relating to the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(A) Health care and referrals for health 

11 care. 

12 ‘‘(B) Mental health. 

13 ‘‘(C) Substance abuse. 

14 ‘‘(D) Counseling. 

15 ‘‘(E) Family support. 

16 ‘‘(F) Benefits and employment counseling. 

17 ‘‘(G) Job training and placement. 

18 ‘‘(H) Education on personal finance. 

19 ‘‘(I) Hygiene facilities. 

20 ‘‘(J) Meals. 

21 ‘‘(K) Transportation. 

22 ‘‘(2) Housing assistance for veterans, including: 

23 ‘‘(A) Assistance locating affordable hous24 ing, assistance with scheduling appointments to 

25 view available housing, accompanying veterans 


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1 when viewing available housing, assistance with 

2 negotiating leases, and assistance with review3 ing tenant leases. 

4 ‘‘(B) Rental and rent subsidies. 

5 ‘‘(C) Assistance in working with public 

6 housing agencies. 

7 ‘‘(D) Assistance in understanding lease 

8 terms and landlord and tenant laws. 

9 ‘‘(E) Assistance in understanding fair 

10 housing laws. 

11 ‘‘(F) Assistance in the resolution or pre12 vention of mortgage delinquency, including as13 sistance with matters relating to default, fore14 closure, loss mitigation, budgeting, and credit. 

15 ‘‘(G) Assistance with home maintenance 

16 and financial management. 

17 ‘‘(H) Such other assistance in connection 

18 with locating housing and maintaining housing 

19 stability as the Secretary considers appropriate. 

20 ‘‘(3) Such other case management services, out21 reach, and other services as the Secretary considers 

22 appropriate.’’. 

23 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec24 tions at the beginning of chapter 20 of such title is 


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1 amended by inserting after the item relating to sec2 tion 2044 the following new item: 

‘‘2045. Collaboration in provision of case management services to veterans in 

supported housing program.’’. 

3 (b) REPORT.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years 

5 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec6 retary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress 

7 a report on the collaboration of the Secretary in the 

8 provision of case management services under section 

9 2045 of title 38, United States Code (as added by 

10 subsection (a)). 

11 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report under paragraph 

12 (1) shall include the following: 

13 (A) The number of eligible entities with 

14 whom the Secretary has entered into an agree15 ment under section 2045 of title 38, United 

16 States Code (as so added). 

17 (B) A description of the geographic regions 

18 in which such eligible entities provide services 

19 under such section. 

20 (C) The number of veterans who received 

21 case management services from eligible entities 

22 under such section, disaggregated by— 

23 (i) underserved veterans in metropoli24 tan areas; 


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1 (ii) underserved veterans who live on 

2 Indian lands; and 

3 (iii) veterans in rural areas. 

4 (D) An assessment of the feasibility and 

5 advisability of entering into agreements with el6 igible entities under such section. 

7 (E) Such recommendations for legislative 

8 or administrative action as the Secretary con9 siders appropriate for the improvement of the 

10 authorities on collaboration in the provision of 

11 case management services under such section. 

12 SEC. 3. DISTRIBUTION OF RENTAL VOUCHERS TO VET13 ERANS IN RURAL AREAS AND UNDERSERVED 

14 VETERANS IN METROPOLITAN AREAS. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter V of chapter 20 of 

16 title 38, United States Code, as amended by section 

17 2(a)(1), is further amended by adding at the end the fol18 lowing new section: 

19 ‘‘§ 2046. Distribution of rental vouchers to veterans in 

20 rural areas and underserved veterans in 

21 metropolitan areas 

22 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, in consulta23 tion with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop24 ment, ensure that the distribution of vouchers to veterans 

25 under the supported housing program carried out under 


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

2 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) meets the needs of veterans in 

3 rural areas and underserved veterans in metropolitan 

4 areas or on Indian lands in each region of the United 

5 States by using— 

6 ‘‘(1) statistical data and analysis; 

7 ‘‘(2) recommendations from any recipients of 

8 grants under the Continuum of Care Program set 

9 forth under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney10 Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et 

11 seq.); or 

12 ‘‘(3) such other means as Secretary considers 

13 appropriate. 

14 ‘‘(b) AGREEMENTS WITH NONPROFIT AND STATE

15 AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.—The Secretary 

16 shall consider how agreements under section 2045(a) of 

17 this title can be used to ensure the distribution of vouchers 

18 as described in subsection (a) of this section.’’. 

19 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

20 at the beginning of chapter 20 of such title is amended 

21 by inserting after the item relating to section 2045, as 

22 added by section 2(a)(2), the following new item: 

‘‘2046. Distribution of rental vouchers to veterans in rural areas and underserved veterans in metropolitan areas.’’. 

Æ 


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