I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3743 
To establish a pilot program to authorize the Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development to make grants to nonprofit organizations to reha-
bilitate and modify homes of disabled and low-income veterans. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 12, 2013 
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas (for himself, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. TUR-
NER, Mr. CLAY, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. LANGEVIN, and Mr. MICHAUD) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Finan-
cial Services 
A BILL 
To establish a pilot program to authorize the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development to make grants to non-
profit organizations to rehabilitate and modify homes 
of disabled and low-income veterans. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Housing Assistance 
for Veterans Act of 2013’’ or the ‘‘HAVEN Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO REHABILITATE AND MODIFY 
HOMES OF DISABLED AND LOW-INCOME VET-
ERANS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DISABLED.—The term ‘‘disabled’’ means an 
individual with a disability, as defined by section 
12102 of title 42, United States Code. 
(2) ELIGIBLE
VETERAN.—The term ‘‘eligible 
veteran’’ means a disabled or low-income veteran. 
(3) ENERGY EFFICIENT FEATURES OR EQUIP-
MENT.—The term ‘‘energy efficient features or 
equipment’’ means features of, or equipment in, a 
primary residence that help reduce the amount of 
electricity used to heat, cool, or ventilate such resi-
dence, including insulation, weatherstripping, air 
sealing, heating system repairs, duct sealing, or 
other measures. 
(4) LOW-INCOME VETERAN.—The term ‘‘low-in-
come veteran’’ means a veteran whose income does 
not exceed 80 percent of the median income for an 
area, as determined by the Secretary. 
(5) NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means an organization that 
is— 
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(A) described in section 501(c)(3) or 
501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986; and 
(B) exempt from tax under section 501(a) 
of such Code. 
(6) PRIMARY RESIDENCE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘primary res-
idence’’ means a single family house, a duplex, 
or a unit within a multiple-dwelling structure 
that is the principal dwelling of an eligible vet-
eran and is owned by such veteran or a family 
member of such veteran. 
(B) FAMILY MEMBER DEFINED.—For pur-
poses of this paragraph, the term ‘‘family mem-
ber’’ includes— 
(i) a spouse, child, grandchild, parent, 
or sibling; 
(ii) a spouse of such a child, grand-
child, parent, or sibling; or 
(iii) any individual related by blood or 
affinity whose close association with a vet-
eran is the equivalent of a family relation-
ship. 
(7) 
QUALIFIED
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term 
‘‘qualified organization’’ means a nonprofit organiza-
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tion that provides nationwide or statewide programs 
that primarily serve veterans or low-income individ-
uals. 
(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 
(9) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
(10) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ means any or-
ganization recognized by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs for the representation of veterans under sec-
tion 5902 of title 38, United States Code. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF A PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) GRANT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish a pilot program to award grants to 
qualified organizations to rehabilitate and mod-
ify the primary residence of eligible veterans. 
(B) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall 
work in conjunction with the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs to establish and oversee the pilot 
program and to ensure that such program 
meets the needs of eligible veterans. 
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(C) MAXIMUM
GRANT.—A grant award 
under the pilot program to any one qualified or-
ganization shall not exceed $1,000,000 in any 
one fiscal year, and such an award shall remain 
available until expended by such organization. 
(2) APPLICATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Each qualified organi-
zation that desires a grant under the pilot pro-
gram shall submit an application to the Sec-
retary at such time, in such manner, and, in 
addition to the information required under sub-
paragraph (B), accompanied by such informa-
tion as the Secretary may reasonably require. 
(B) CONTENTS.—Each application sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A) shall include— 
(i) a plan of action detailing outreach 
initiatives; 
(ii) the approximate number of vet-
erans the qualified organization intends to 
serve using grant funds; 
(iii) a description of the type of work 
that will be conducted, such as interior 
home modifications, energy efficiency im-
provements, and other similar categories of 
work; and 
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(iv) a plan for working with the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs and veterans 
service organizations to identify veterans 
who are not eligible for programs under 
chapter 21 of title 38, United States Code, 
and meet their needs. 
(C) PREFERENCES.—In awarding grants 
under the pilot program, the Secretary shall 
give preference to a qualified organization— 
(i) with experience in providing hous-
ing rehabilitation and modification services 
for disabled veterans; or 
(ii) that proposes to provide housing 
rehabilitation and modification services for 
eligible veterans who live in rural, includ-
ing tribal, areas (the Secretary, through 
regulations, shall define the term ‘‘rural 
areas’’). 
(3) CRITERIA.—In order to receive a grant 
award under the pilot program, a qualified organiza-
tion shall meet the following criteria: 
(A) Demonstrate expertise in providing 
housing rehabilitation and modification services 
for disabled or low-income individuals for the 
purpose of making the homes of such individ-
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uals accessible, functional, and safe for such in-
dividuals. 
(B) Have established outreach initiatives 
that— 
(i) would engage eligible veterans and 
veterans service organizations in projects 
utilizing grant funds under the pilot pro-
gram; 
(ii) ensure veterans who are disabled 
receive preference in selection for assist-
ance under this program; and 
(iii) identify eligible veterans and their 
families and enlist veterans involved in 
skilled trades, such as carpentry, roofing, 
plumbing, or HVAC work. 
(C) Have an established nationwide or 
statewide network of affiliates that are— 
(i) nonprofit organizations; and 
(ii) able to provide housing rehabilita-
tion and modification services for eligible 
veterans. 
(D) Have experience in successfully car-
rying out the accountability and reporting re-
quirements involved in the proper administra-
tion of grant funds, including funds provided by 
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private entities or Federal, State, or local gov-
ernment entities. 
(4) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant award under the 
pilot program shall be used— 
(A) to modify and rehabilitate the primary 
residence of an eligible veteran, and may in-
clude— 
(i) installing wheelchair ramps, wid-
ening 
exterior 
and 
interior 
doors, 
reconfigurating and re-equipping bath-
rooms (which includes installing new fix-
tures and grab bars), removing doorway 
thresholds, installing special lighting, add-
ing additional electrical outlets and elec-
trical service, and installing appropriate 
floor coverings to— 
(I) accommodate the functional 
limitations that result from having a 
disability; or 
(II) if such residence does not 
have modifications necessary to reduce 
the chances that an elderly, but not 
disabled person, will fall in their 
home, reduce the risks of such an el-
derly person from falling; 
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(ii) rehabilitating such residence that 
is in a state of interior or exterior dis-
repair; and 
(iii) installing energy efficient features 
or equipment if— 
(I) an eligible veteran’s monthly 
utility costs for such residence is more 
than 5 percent of such veteran’s 
monthly income; and 
(II) an energy audit of such resi-
dence indicates that the installation of 
energy efficient features or equipment 
will reduce such costs by 10 percent 
or more; and 
(B) in connection with modification and re-
habilitation services provided under the pilot 
program, to provide technical, administrative, 
and training support to an affiliate of a quali-
fied organization receiving a grant under such 
pilot program. 
(5) OVERSIGHT.—The Secretary shall direct the 
oversight of the grant funds for the pilot program so 
that such funds are used efficiently until expended 
to fulfill the purpose of addressing the adaptive 
housing needs of eligible veterans. 
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(6) MATCHING FUNDS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—A qualified organiza-
tion receiving a grant under the pilot program 
shall contribute towards the housing modifica-
tion and rehabilitation services provided to eligi-
ble veterans an amount equal to not less than 
50 percent of the grant award received by such 
organization. 
(B) IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS.—In order to 
meet the requirement under subparagraph (A), 
such organization may arrange for in-kind con-
tributions. 
(7) LIMITATION COST TO THE VETERANS.—A 
qualified organization receiving a grant under the 
pilot program shall modify or rehabilitate the pri-
mary residence of an eligible veteran at no cost to 
such veteran (including application fees) or at a cost 
such that such veteran pays no more than 30 per-
cent of his or her income in housing costs during 
any month. 
(8) REPORTS.— 
(A) ANNUAL
REPORT.—The Secretary 
shall submit to Congress, on an annual basis, a 
report that provides, with respect to the year 
for which such report is written— 
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(i) the number of eligible veterans 
provided assistance under the pilot pro-
gram; 
(ii) the socioeconomic characteristics 
of such veterans, including their gender, 
age, race, and ethnicity; 
(iii) the total number, types, and loca-
tions of entities contracted under such pro-
gram to administer the grant funding; 
(iv) the amount of matching funds 
and in-kind contributions raised with each 
grant; 
(v) a description of the housing reha-
bilitation and modification services pro-
vided, costs saved, and actions taken under 
such program; 
(vi) a description of the outreach ini-
tiatives implemented by the Secretary to 
educate the general public and eligible en-
tities about such program; 
(vii) a description of the outreach ini-
tiatives instituted by grant recipients to 
engage eligible veterans and veteran service 
organizations in projects utilizing grant 
funds under such program; 
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(viii) a description of the outreach ini-
tiatives instituted by grant recipients to 
identify eligible veterans and their families; 
and 
(ix) any other information that the 
Secretary considers relevant in assessing 
such program. 
(B) FINAL
REPORT.—Not later than 6 
months after the completion of the pilot pro-
gram, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report that provides such information that the 
Secretary considers relevant in assessing the 
pilot program. 
(C) INSPECTOR
GENERAL
REPORT.—Not 
later than March 31, 2019, the Inspector Gen-
eral of the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development shall submit to the Chairmen and 
Ranking Members of the Committee on Bank-
ing, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate 
and the Committee on Financial Services of the 
House of Representatives a report containing a 
review of— 
(i) the use of appropriated funds by 
the Secretary and by grantees under the 
pilot program; and 
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(ii) oversight and accountability of 
grantees under the pilot program. 
(9) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated for carrying 
out this section $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2015 through 2019. 
Æ 
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