Preserving Our Commitment to Homeless Veterans Act

To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the supported housing program of the Department of Veterans Affairs has not fewer than one program manager for every 35 rental assistance cases under such program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Preserving Our Commitment to Homeless Veterans Act 2. Staffing of program managers for supported housing program of Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Staffing Section 2003(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) by inserting (1) The Secretary (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (2) The Secretary shall provide case management support whenever requested by a local housing authority under the program described in paragraph (1). (3) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall ensure that in each fiscal year no case manager is concurrently assigned to more than 35 veterans under this subsection. (B) The Secretary may waive the requirement of subparagraph (A) for a particular case manager in a particular fiscal year as the Secretary considers appropriate. (C) Not less frequently than once each fiscal year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the waivers made by the Secretary under subparagraph (B) in the previous fiscal year. Each report shall include a description of the circumstances under which each waiver was made. (4) The Secretary shall ensure that each veteran to whom a case manager is assigned under this subsection is located within such distance of the case manager as the Secretary considers reasonable. (5) (A) In any case in which a position within the Veterans Health Administration for a case manager described in paragraph (1) is vacant for a period of 180 days or more, the Secretary shall seek to enter into a contract with a local service provider with knowledge and expertise applicable to a case manager in such position to furnish the case management services that would otherwise be provided by a case manager in such position. (B) The requirement in subparagraph (A) to seek to enter into a contract shall cease to apply if the Secretary fills the vacancy referred to in such subparagraph. . (b) Limitation on conversion of funds The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not convert any of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available in a fiscal year to carry out section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 ( 42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)

Summary: Preserving Our Commitment to Homeless Veterans Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide case management support to local housing authorities under the VA-supported housing program. The program assists veterans who are homeless and their families in finding and sustaining permanent housing. The VA must ensure that no case manager is concurrently assigned to more than 35 veterans in each fiscal year, but may waive the requirement for a particular case manager in a particular fiscal year if it determines such a waiver is appropriate. The VA must also ensure that each veteran to whom a case manager is assigned is located within a reasonable distance of the case manager. If a case manager position within the Veterans Health Administration is vacant for a period of 180 days or more, the VA must seek to enter a contract with a qualified local service provider to furnish case management services until the position is filled.