I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1714 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Housing 
and Urban Development to establish a grant pilot program to provide 
housing to elderly homeless veterans. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 24, 2013 
Mr. PETERS of California (for himself, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. 
CA´RDENAS, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. 
MENG, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. RANGEL, Mrs. DAVIS of Cali-
fornia, Mr. CONYERS, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, and Ms. SINEMA) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Serv-
ices, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development to establish a grant 
pilot program to provide housing to elderly homeless 
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 ‘‘Shelter Our 
Servicemembers Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ELDERLY HOMELESS VETERANS HOUSING GRANT 
PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment shall jointly establish a pilot program to award 
grants to nonprofit organizations to provide elderly home-
less veterans with non-transitional housing. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATION.— 
(1) NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION.—The Secre-
taries may award two grants under this section to 
nonprofit organizations that provide housing to 
homeless veterans or assist homeless veterans to find 
housing. 
(2) LOCATIONS.—In selecting the nonprofit or-
ganizations under paragraph (1), the Secretaries 
shall ensure that such organizations operate in sepa-
rate geographical locations. 
(3) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant 
under this section, a nonprofit organization shall 
submit to the Secretaries an application at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion as the Secretaries may require. 
(c) NUMBER AND AMOUNT OF GRANT.— 
(1) NUMBER.—The Secretaries— 
(A) may award two grants under this sec-
tion; and 
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(B) may not award more than one grant to 
a single nonprofit organization. 
(2) AMOUNT.—A grant awarded under this sec-
tion may not exceed $25,000,000. 
(d) USE OF GRANT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—A nonprofit organization 
may use a grant awarded under this section to— 
(A) purchase real property within a single 
geographical area to be used to provide up to 
200 eligible homeless veterans with non-transi-
tional housing; and 
(B) refurbish or renovate such property. 
(2) ELIGIBLE HOMELESS VETERANS.—A home-
less veteran is eligible for housing provided pursuant 
to this section if the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
determines that the homeless veteran— 
(A) has attained the age of 55; 
(B) has— 
(i) been continuously homeless for a 
year or more; or 
(ii) during the last three years, had at 
least four separate, distinct, and sustained 
periods during which the veteran lived or 
resided on the streets, in an emergency 
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shelter for homeless persons, or a combina-
tion of both; and 
(C) has a condition that limits the vet-
eran’s ability to work or perform activities of 
daily living, including conditions related to— 
(i) a diagnosable substance abuse dis-
order; 
(ii) a serious mental illness; 
(iii) a developmental disability; or 
(iv) a chronic physical illness or dis-
ability. 
(e) CASE MANAGEMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall provide case management for elderly 
homeless veterans who receive housing assistance 
pursuant to this section. The Secretary shall main-
tain a sufficient number of caseworkers to ensure 
that the ratio of such homeless veterans to case-
workers does not exceed 25 to 1. 
(2) PROVISION.—In carrying out paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall allow the non-profit organi-
zation awarded a grant under this section to provide 
the case management under paragraph (1) if the 
non-profit organization elects to provide such case 
management. 
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(f) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
on which the pilot grant program terminates pursuant to 
subsection (i), the Secretaries shall submit to the Commit-
tees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Rep-
resentatives a report on the pilot grant program that in-
cludes— 
(1) the number of veterans served under the 
program; 
(2) the types of services offered under the pro-
gram to such veterans; 
(3) the amount of money spent under the pro-
gram on each such veteran; 
(4) a recommendation as to the feasibility and 
advisability of continuing the program; and 
(5) any other information the Secretaries con-
sider appropriate. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretaries to carry 
out this section $50,000,000. 
(h) HOMELESS VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘homeless veteran’’ means a veteran who— 
(1) has attained the age of 55; and 
(2) is homeless (as that term is defined in sec-
tion 103(a) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302(a))). 
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(i) TERMINATION.—The pilot grant program estab-
lished under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date 
that is two years after the date on which the Secretaries 
award a grant under such subsection. 
Æ 
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