I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2399 
To provide for greater transparency in the HUD–VASH supported housing 
program for homeless veterans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 30, 2019 
Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. KATKO, Mr. LEVIN of California, Mr. HECK, 
Mr. CASE, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Ms. NORTON, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. 
ROUDA, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. CISNEROS, and Mr. CARBAJAL) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, 
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 provide for greater transparency in the HUD–VASH 
supported housing program for homeless veterans, and 
for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Homes for Our Heroes 
Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Departments of Housing and Urban 
Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) 
jointly support veterans experiencing homelessness 
by providing permanent supportive housing. 
(2) The HUD–VA Supportive Housing voucher 
program (HUD–VASH) has successfully decreased 
the number of homeless veterans. 
(3) Since the establishment of the HUD–VASH 
voucher program in 2008, more than 97,000 vouch-
ers have been awarded to public housing agencies 
and more than 170,000 homeless veterans have been 
provided with vouchers. 
(4) The number of veterans experiencing home-
lessness has declined by over 30,000 since 2009, ac-
cording to data from the annual Point-in-Time 
Homeless Count organized by HUD. 
(5) Under the HUD–VASH program, veterans 
benefit from affordable housing and matching sup-
portive services, such as mental health treatment, 
substance use counseling, and employment training. 
(6) In the past year, some regions of the Nation 
have seen an increase in the numbers of veterans ex-
periencing homelessness, particularly in high-cost 
housing markets where housing is becoming less af-
fordable. 
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(7) HUD and VA allocate vouchers under the 
HUD–VASH program based on need, but do not 
disclose the formula that determines the allocation 
of vouchers. 
SEC. 3. REPORTS. 
(a) HUD.— 
(1) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Paragraph (19) of sec-
tion 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
(42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 
‘‘(i) INFORMATION
REQUIRED.—Not 
later than the expiration of the 12-month 
period beginning on the date of the enact-
ment of this subparagraph and not less 
often than annually thereafter, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Congress, as 
provided in clause (ii), and make publicly 
available, information identifying for the 
preceding year— 
‘‘(I) the public housing agencies, 
in partnership with the medical cen-
ters of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, for which vouchers for rental 
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assistance under this paragraph were 
allocated; and 
‘‘(II) the number of such vouch-
ers allocated, disaggregated by the 
tenant-based vouchers and project- 
based vouchers, as awarded by the 
Department of Housing and Urban 
Development. 
‘‘(ii) JOINT
REPORT.—The informa-
tion required under clause (I) shall be sub-
mitted— 
‘‘(I) in a joint report by the Sec-
retary and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, together with the information 
for such year required to be submitted 
under section 2003(c) of title 38, 
United States Code; and 
‘‘(II) to the Committees on Fi-
nancial Services and Veterans’ Affairs 
of the House of Representatives and 
the Committees on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs and Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate.’’. 
(2) REPORT ON HISTORICAL DATA.— 
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(A) INFORMATION REQUIRED.—Not later 
than the expiration of the 90-day period begin-
ning on the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment shall submit to the Congress, as provided 
in subparagraph (B), and make publicly avail-
able, for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2019 
to the greatest extent possible the information 
described in subclauses (I) and (II) of section 
8(o)(19)(D)(i) of the United States Housing 
Act of 1937, as added by the amendment made 
by paragraph (1) of this subsection. 
(B) JOINT REPORT.—The information re-
quired under subparagraph (A) shall be sub-
mitted— 
(i) in a joint report by the Secretary 
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to-
gether with the information required to be 
submitted under subsection (b)(2) of this 
section; and 
(ii) to the Committees on Financial 
Services and Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and the Commit-
tees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Af-
fairs and Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate. 
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(b) VA.— 
(1) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Section 2003 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) ANNUAL REPORTS
ON CASE MANAGEMENT 
FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) INFORMATION REQUIRED.—Not later than 
the expiration of the 6-month period beginning on 
the date of the enactment of this subsection and not 
less often than annually thereafter, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Congress, as provided in para-
graph (2), and make publicly available, information 
identifying for the preceding year— 
‘‘(A) the medical centers of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs to which funds were 
provided pursuant to subsection (b) of this sec-
tion for providing case managers under the sup-
ported housing program carried out by the Sec-
retary, in conjunction with the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, pursuant to 
section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing 
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)); 
‘‘(B) the eligible entities with which the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs contracted to pro-
vide case management services under such sup-
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ported housing program pursuant to section 
304 of the Honoring America’s Veterans and 
Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 
(38 U.S.C. 2041 note); 
‘‘(C) for each such medical center and eli-
gible entity, the number of full-time positions 
provided by such funding; 
‘‘(D) for caseworkers providing such case 
management services, the average number of 
veterans on the caseload for a caseworker; 
‘‘(E) the number of individuals who return 
to the supported housing program after leaving 
it; 
‘‘(F) the number of recipients of housing 
assistance vouchers under the supported hous-
ing program by gender; and 
‘‘(G) the number of such voucher recipi-
ents by service era. 
‘‘(2) JOINT REPORT.—The information required 
under paragraph (1) shall be submitted— 
‘‘(A) in a joint report by the Secretary and 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment, together with the information for such 
year required to be submitted under section 
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8(o)(19)(D) of the United States Housing Act 
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)(D)); and 
‘‘(B) to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs and Financial Services of the House of 
Representatives and the Committees on Vet-
erans’ Affairs and Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs of the Senate’’. 
(2) REPORT ON HISTORICAL DATA.— 
(A) INFORMATION REQUIRED.—Not later 
than the expiration of the 6-month period be-
ginning on the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
submit to the Congress, as provided in subpara-
graph (B), and make publicly available, for 
each of fiscal years 2014 through 2019 to the 
greatest extent possible the information de-
scribed in subparagraphs (A) through (G) of 
section 2003(c)(1) of title 38, United States 
Code, as added by the amendment made by 
paragraph (1) of this subsection. 
(B) JOINT REPORT.—The information re-
quired under subparagraph (A) shall be sub-
mitted— 
(i) in a joint report by the Secretary 
and the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
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Development, together with the informa-
tion required to be submitted under sub-
section (a)(2) of this section; and 
(ii) to the Committees on Financial 
Services and Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and the Commit-
tees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Af-
fairs and Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate. 
SEC. 4. STUDY OF BARRIERS TO ADMINISTRATION IN HIGH 
HOUSING COST AREAS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretaries of Housing and Urban 
Development and Veterans Affairs, in consultation with 
the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, 
shall jointly conduct a study to identify barriers to car-
rying out the HUD–VASH supported housing program 
under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act 
of 1937 in areas having high housing costs. Such study 
shall— 
(1) be carried out with respect to not less than 
15 housing market areas used for purposes of fair 
market rents established under the rental assistance 
program under section 8 of the United States Hous-
ing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f), as selected by 
such Secretaries, that— 
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(A) have high rates of veterans experi-
encing homelessness, as identified by the Sec-
retary of Housing and Urban Development; 
(B) have high housing costs, as identified 
by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment; 
(C) have at least one public housing agen-
cy and one medical center of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs located within the area; and 
(D) include housing market areas for 
which fair market rents are calculated using the 
Small Area Fair Market Rents and include 
housing areas that are not calculated using 
such rents; 
(2) for each housing market area covered by the 
study, collect data with respect to only one public 
housing agency and one medical center of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs located in the area; 
and 
(3) identify for such high housing cost areas— 
(A) the average amount of time elapsed be-
tween a veteran receiving a voucher for rental 
assistance under the program and signing a 
lease for a residence to be assisted using such 
voucher; 
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(B) administrative burdens to the use of 
project-based voucher assistance under such 
program, including any State and local regula-
tions that make project-based vouchers more 
difficult to use; 
(C) ways in which public housing agencies 
leverage private resources with public funds 
under such program and difficulties developers 
may experience under such program in the use 
of project-based vouchers; 
(D) how public housing agencies and med-
ical centers of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs define the term ‘‘unused vouchers’’; 
(E) the process for reallocation of any such 
unused vouchers; and 
(F) any best practices for administration 
of vouchers under the program in such high 
housing cost areas. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than the expiration of the 
12-month period beginning on the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly 
submit to the Congress a report setting forth the findings 
of the study under subsection (a) and any recommenda-
tions resulting from such study. 
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SEC. 5. APPEARANCES BEFORE CONGRESS. 
Not later than the expiration of the 90-day period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall each appear before the 
Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Senate to provide information regard-
ing— 
(1) the formula used to allocate vouchers for 
rental assistance under the HUD–VASH supported 
housing program under section 8(o)(19) of the 
United States Housing Act of 1937 among medical 
centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
(2) how such Secretaries use existing data, in-
cluding requests from medical facilities of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs and partnering public 
housing agencies and voucher utilization rates, to 
make allocation determinations; and 
(3) which functions and calculations are made 
by the Department of Veterans Affairs and which 
are made by Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment, in making such allocations. 
Æ 
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