I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2965 

To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish 

a grant program to provide amounts to eligible entities for costs associated with the establishment and operation of a safe parking program, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 4, 2021 

Mr. CARBAJAL (for himself and Mr. LAMALFA) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 

to establish a grant program to provide amounts to eligible entities for costs associated with the establishment 

and operation of a safe parking program, 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 ‘‘Naomi Schwartz Safe 

5 Parking Program Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. SAFE PARKING PROGRAM GRANTS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

3 date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of 

4 Housing and Urban Development shall establish a grant 

5 program to provide amounts to eligible entities for costs 

6 associated with the establishment and operation of new or 

7 existing safe parking program. 

8 (b) GRANT TERM.—If the Secretary awards a grant 

9 to an eligible entity under subsection (a), such grant shall 

10 be for a term of 5 years. 

11 (c) AMOUNT.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity awarded a 

13 grant under this section shall receive an equal 

14 amount of money in each of the 5 years of the term 

15 of the grant. 

16 (2) CAP.—No eligible entity may receive an 

17 amount under this section that exceeds $5,000,000. 

18 (d) APPLICATIONS.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 

20 grant under subsection (a), an eligible entity shall 

21 submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 

22 in such manner, and containing such information as 

23 the Secretary may require, including a description of 

24 how any amounts awarded to the eligible entity will 

25 be used. 


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1 (2) MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.—An eligible entity 

2 may, in such application, propose to establish or 

3 continue operating safe parking program as multiple 

4 locations. 

5 (3) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give pri6 ority to applications from eligible entities that serve 

7 homeless persons in underserved areas, as such term 

8 is defined in section 81.2 of title 24, Code of Federal 

9 Regulations. 

10 (e) USE OF FUNDS.—Except as provided by sub11 section (f), any eligible entity that is awarded an amount 

12 under this section shall use such amount for costs associ13 ated with— 

14 (1) establishing and operating a safe parking 

15 program; 

16 (2) providing permanent rehousing assistance to 

17 families using the safe parking program; 

18 (3) employing staff who maintain the safety 

19 and health of participants and monitor program or 

20 shelter compliance; 

21 (4) establishing and maintaining the operation 

22 of hygiene facilities and restrooms for homeless per23 sons; 

24 (5) maintaining the vehicles of homeless per25 sons using a safe parking program and providing 


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1 gas for such persons to use their vehicles to drive to 

2 places that will help them obtain or maintain hous3 ing, including to work, to schools, to medical ap4 pointments, and to search for home; or 

5 (6) entering data and information into the De6 partment of Housing and Urban Development’s 

7 Homeless Management Information System. 

8 (f) ALTERNATIVE USE OF FUNDS.—If a eligible enti9 ty determines that a safe parking program is no longer 

10 necessary, such eligible entity may, after approval from 

11 the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development use any 

12 amounts provided under this section for activities that are 

13 eligible for the use of emergency solutions grant program 

14 amounts under section 415 of the McKinney-Vento Home15 less Assistance Act. 

16 (g) REHOUSING AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERV17 ICES.—Any homeless person who makes use of a safe 

18 parking program established or operated using amounts 

19 awarded under this section is not required to accept case 

20 management or rehousing services offered as part of such 

21 program. 

22 (h) DEFINITIONS.— 

23 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti24 ty’’ means— 


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1 (A) a unit of general purpose local govern2 ment; 

3 (B) an Indian tribe or its tribally des4 ignated housing entity as such terms are de5 fined in section 4 of the Native American Hous6 ing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 

7 1996; 

8 (C) a non-profit organization that provides 

9 services to homeless persons; or 

10 (D) a collaborative applicant or other orga11 nization or entity funded under the Continuum 

12 of Care program under subtitle C of title IV of 

13 the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 

14 (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.). 

15 (2) ESSENTIAL SERVICE.—The term ‘‘essential 

16 service’’ as the meaning given the term in section 

17 567.102 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations. 

18 (3) HOMELESS PERSON.—The term ‘‘homeless 

19 person’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

20 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance 

21 Act. 

22 (4) SAFE PARKING PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘safe 

23 parking program’’ means a program that— 

24 (A) provides homeless persons living in ve25 hicles, including motor homes, with a safe place 


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1 to park their vehicles overnight to facilitate a 

2 transition to more stable housing; and 

3 (B) provides re-housing services and essen4 tial services. 

5 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

6 the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 

7 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 

8 the several States, the District of Columbia, the 

9 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, 

10 Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Is11 lands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and 

12 any other territory or possession of the United 

13 States. 

14 (i) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall, not 

15 later than 180 days after the end of the second fiscal year 

16 and after the end of the fifth fiscal year following the date 

17 of the enactment of this section, submit to the Congress 

18 a report on the impact of grants awarded under this sec19 tion, including, to the extent determinable, any data 

20 about— 

21 (1) the number of homeless persons living in ve22 hicles in the geographic region in which the eligible 

23 entity operates in each of the 7 previous years; 


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1 (2) the demographics and number of homeless 

2 persons who choose to participate in a safe parking 

3 program; and 

4 (3) the number of homeless persons who choose 

5 to participate in a safe parking program who exit 

6 into permanent housing. 

7 (j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

8 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 

9 $25,000,000 for each of the first 5 fiscal years beginning 

10 after the date of the enactment of this section. 

11 (k) TERMINATION OF GRANT PROGRAM.—The Sec12 retary may not award any grant under this section after 

13 the date that is final day of the fifth fiscal year beginning 

14 afer the date of the enactment of this section. 

Æ 


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