I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2076 
To provide a path to end homelessness in the United States, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 6, 2017 
Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California (for herself, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Ms. 
MOORE, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. 
SLAUGHTER, Mrs. TORRES, Mr. ELLISON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. 
VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. LYNCH, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Il-
linois, and Ms. LEE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee 
on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide a path to end homelessness in the United States, 
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 ‘‘Ending Homelessness 
Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that— 
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(1) although the United States has experienced 
a reduction in veteran homelessness after a surge of 
new Federal funding targeted to homeless veterans 
starting in fiscal year 2008, major progress towards 
the national goals for ending homelessness in our 
Nation has virtually stalled in the absence of in-
creased funding; 
(2) according to the Department of Housing 
and Urban Development’s 2016 point-in-time count, 
there were 549,928 people experiencing homeless-
ness in the United States on any given night, includ-
ing over 120,000 children; 
(3) homelessness in many communities has 
reached crisis proportions and some cities have de-
clared that homelessness has reached a state of 
emergency; and 
(4) the Federal Government must renew its 
commitment to the national goals to end homeless-
ness. 
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING. 
Title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 11360 et seq) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 491 (42 U.S.C. 
11408; relating to rural housing stability grant pro-
gram) as section 441; 
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(2) by redesignating section 592 (42 U.S.C. 
11408a; relating to use of FMHA inventory for 
transitional housing for homeless persons and for 
turnkey housing) as section 442; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
title: 
‘‘Subtitle E—5-Year Path To End 
Homelessness 
‘‘SEC. 451. EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING. 
‘‘(a) DIRECT APPROPRIATIONS.—There is appro-
priated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022, 
$1,000,000,000, to remain available until expended, for 
emergency relief grants under this section to address the 
unmet needs of homeless populations in jurisdictions with 
the highest need. 
‘‘(b) FORMULA GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) 
ALLOCATION.—Amounts 
appropriated 
under subsection (a) for a fiscal year shall be allo-
cated among collaborative applicants that comply 
with section 402, in accordance with the funding for-
mula established under paragraph (2) of this sub-
section. 
‘‘(2) FORMULA.—The Secretary shall, in con-
sultation with the United States Interagency Council 
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on Homeless, establish a formula for allocating 
grant amounts under this section to address the 
unmet needs of homeless populations in jurisdictions 
with the highest need, using the best currently avail-
able data that targets need based on key structural 
determinants of homelessness in the geographic area 
represented by a collaborative applicant, which shall 
include data providing accurate counts of— 
‘‘(A) the poverty rate in the geographic 
area represented by the collaborative applicant; 
‘‘(B) shortages of affordable housing for 
low-, very low-, and extremely low-income 
households in the geographic area represented 
by the collaborative applicant; 
‘‘(C) the number of overcrowded housing 
units in the geographic area represented by the 
collaborative applicant; 
‘‘(D) the number of unsheltered homeless 
individuals and the number of chronically home-
less individuals; and 
‘‘(E) any other factors that the Secretary 
considers appropriate. 
‘‘(3) GRANTS.—For each fiscal year for which 
amounts are made available under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall make a grant to each collabo-
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rative applicant for which an amount is allocated 
pursuant to application of the formula established 
pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection in an 
amount that is equal to the formula amount deter-
mined for such collaborative applicant. 
‘‘(4) TIMING.— 
‘‘(A) FORMULA
TO
BE
DEVISED
SWIFT-
LY.—The funding formula required under para-
graph (2) shall be established not later than 60 
days after the date of enactment of this section. 
‘‘(B) 
DISTRIBUTION.—Amounts 
appro-
priated or otherwise made available under this 
section shall be distributed according to the 
funding formula established pursuant to para-
graph (2) not later than 30 days after the es-
tablishment of such formula. 
‘‘(c) USE OF GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) 
through (4), a collaborative applicant that receives a 
grant under this section may use such grant 
amounts only for eligible activities under section 
415, 423, or 441(b). 
‘‘(2) PERMANENT
SUPPORTIVE
HOUSING
RE-
QUIREMENT.— 
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‘‘(A) REQUIREMENT.—Except as provided 
in subparagraph (B), each collaborative appli-
cant that receives a grant under this section 
shall use not less than 75 percent of such grant 
amount for permanent supportive housing, in-
cluding capital costs, rental subsidies, and serv-
ices. 
‘‘(B) EXEMPTION.—The Secretary shall 
exempt a collaborative applicant from the appli-
cability of the requirement under subparagraph 
(A) if the applicant demonstrates, in accordance 
with such standards and procedures as the Sec-
retary shall establish, that— 
‘‘(i) chronic homelessness has been 
functionally eliminated in the geographic 
area served by the applicant; or 
‘‘(ii) the permanent supportive hous-
ing under development in the geographic 
area served by the applicant is sufficient to 
functionally eliminate chronic homelessness 
once such units are available for occu-
pancy. 
The Secretary shall consider and make a deter-
mination regarding each request for an exemp-
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tion under this subparagraph not later than 60 
days after receipt of such request. 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION ON USE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE 
EXPENSES.—Not more than 5 percent of the total 
amount of any grant under this section to a collabo-
rative applicant may be used for costs of administra-
tion. 
‘‘(4) HOUSING FIRST REQUIREMENT.—The Sec-
retary shall ensure that each collaborative applicant 
that receives a grant under this section is imple-
menting, to the extent possible, and will use such 
grant amounts in accordance with, a Housing First 
model for assistance for homeless persons. 
‘‘(d) RENEWAL FUNDING.—Expiring contracts for 
leasing, rental assistance, or permanent housing shall be 
treated, for purposes of section 429, as expiring contracts 
referred to in subsection (a) of such section. 
‘‘(e) REPORTING TO CONGRESS.— 
‘‘(1) INITIAL
REPORT.—Not later than Sep-
tember 1, 2017, the Secretary and the United States 
Interagency Council on Homelessness shall submit a 
report to the Committees on Financial Services and 
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and 
the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs and Appropriations of the Senate describing 
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the design and implementation of the grant program 
under this section, which shall include the formula 
required by subsection (b)(2). 
‘‘(2) SEMIANNUAL STATUS REPORTS.— 
‘‘(A) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Sec-
retary and the United States Interagency Coun-
cil on Homelessness shall submit reports to the 
Committees specified in paragraph (1) semi-
annually describing the operation of the grant 
program under this section during the pre-
ceding 6 months, including identification of the 
grants made and a description of the activities 
funded with grant amounts. 
‘‘(B) COLLECTION
OF
INFORMATION
BY 
SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall require each 
collaborative applicant that receives a grant 
under this section to submit such information 
to the Secretary as may be necessary for the 
Secretary to comply with the reporting require-
ment under subparagraph (A). 
‘‘SEC. 452. SPECIAL PURPOSE VOUCHERS. 
‘‘(a) DIRECT
APPROPRIATION.—There is appro-
priated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022, 
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$500,000,000, to remain available until expended, which 
shall be used as follows: 
‘‘(1) RENTAL ASSISTANCE.—Except as provided 
in paragraph (2), such amount shall be used for in-
cremental assistance for rental assistance under sec-
tion 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
(42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) for persons and households 
who are homeless (as such term is defined in section 
103 (42 U.S.C. 11302)), which assistance shall be in 
addition to such assistance provided pursuant to re-
newal of expiring contracts for such assistance. 
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
FEES.—The Secretary 
may use not more than 10 percent of such amounts 
provided for each fiscal year for administrative fees 
under 8(q) of the United States Housing Act of 
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(q)). The Secretary shall es-
tablish policies and procedures to provide such fees 
to the extent necessary to assist homeless persons 
and families on whose behalf rental assistance is 
provided to find and maintain suitable housing. 
‘‘(b) ALLOCATION.—The Secretary shall make assist-
ance provided under this section available to public hous-
ing agencies based on geographical need for such assist-
ance by homeless persons and households, as identified by 
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the Secretary, public housing agency administrative per-
formance, and other factors as specified by the Secretary. 
‘‘(c) 
AVAILABILITY.—Assistance 
made 
available 
under this section shall continue to remain available only 
for homeless persons and households upon turn-over. 
‘‘(d) RENEWAL FUNDING.—Renewal of expiring con-
tracts for rental assistance provided under subsection (a) 
and for administrative fees under such subsection shall, 
to the extent provided in appropriation Acts, be funded 
under the section 8 tenant-based rental assistance ac-
count. 
‘‘(e) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—Upon a finding by the 
Secretary that a waiver or alternative requirement pursu-
ant to this subsection is necessary to ensure that homeless 
persons and households can obtain housing using rental 
assistance made available under this section, the Secretary 
may waive, or specify alternative requirements for, any 
provision of any statute or regulation that the Secretary 
administers in connection with the use of funds made 
available under this section (except for requirements re-
lated to fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, 
and the environment) that relates to screening of appli-
cants for assistance, admission of applicants, and selection 
of tenants. The Secretary shall require public housing 
agencies receiving rental assistance funding made avail-
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able under this section to take all reasonable actions to 
help assisted persons and families avoid subsequent home-
lessness. 
‘‘SEC. 453. OUTREACH FUNDING. 
‘‘(a) DIRECT
APPROPRIATION.—There is appro-
priated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022, 
$100,000,000, to remain available until expended, to the 
Secretary for grants under this section to provide outreach 
and coordinate services for persons and households who 
are homeless or formerly homeless. 
‘‘(b) GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 
grants under this section on a competitive basis only 
to collaborative applicants who comply with section 
402. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—The competition for grants 
under this section shall provide priority to collabo-
rative applicants who submit plans to make innova-
tive and effective use of staff funded with grant 
amounts pursuant to subsection (c). 
‘‘(c) USE
OF GRANTS.—A collaborative applicant 
that receives a grant under this section may use such 
grant amounts only for providing case managers, social 
workers, or other staff who conduct outreach and coordi-
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nate services for persons and households who are homeless 
or formerly homeless. 
‘‘(d) TIMING.— 
‘‘(1) CRITERIA
TO
BE
ESTABLISHED
SWIFT-
LY.—The Secretary shall establish the criteria for 
the competition for grants under this section re-
quired under subsection (b) not later than 60 days 
after the date of enactment of this section. 
‘‘(2) DISTRIBUTION.—Amounts appropriated or 
otherwise made available under this section shall be 
distributed according to the competition established 
by the Secretary pursuant to subsection (b) not later 
than 30 days after the establishment of such cri-
teria.’’. 
SEC. 4. HOUSING TRUST FUND. 
(a) FUNDING.— 
(1) ANNUAL FUNDING.—There is appropriated, 
out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise ap-
propriated, for fiscal year 2018 and each fiscal year 
thereafter, $1,000,000,000, to remain available until 
expended, which shall be credited to the Housing 
Trust Fund established pursuant to section 1338 of 
the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety 
and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4568) for 
use under such section. 
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(2) RENTAL
ASSISTANCE.—There is appro-
priated, out of any money in the Treasury not other-
wise appropriated, for fiscal year 2018 and each fis-
cal year thereafter, $50,000,000, to remain available 
until expended, for incremental project-based vouch-
er assistance or project-based rental assistance, to 
be allocated to States pursuant to the formula estab-
lished under section 1338 of the Federal Housing 
Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 
1992 (12 U.S.C. 4568), to be used solely in conjunc-
tion with grant funds awarded under such section 
1338. 
(3) PRIORITY FOR HOUSING THE HOMELESS.— 
(A) PRIORITY.—During the first 5 fiscal 
years that amounts are made available under 
this subsection, the Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development shall ensure that priority 
for occupancy in dwelling units described in 
subparagraph (B) that become available for oc-
cupancy shall be given to persons and house-
holds who are homeless (as such term is defined 
in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302)). 
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(B) COVERED DWELLING UNITS.—A dwell-
ing unit described in this subparagraph is any 
dwelling unit that— 
(i) is located in housing that was at 
any time provided assistance with any 
amounts from the Housing Trust Fund re-
ferred to paragraph (1) that were credited 
to such Trust Fund by such paragraph; or 
(ii) is receiving assistance described in 
paragraph (2) with amounts made avail-
able under such paragraph. 
(b) TENANT RENT CONTRIBUTION.— 
(1) LIMITATION.—Subparagraph (A) of section 
1338(c)(7) of the Federal Housing Enterprises Fi-
nancial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 
U.S.C. 4568(c)(7)(A)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘except that not less than 
75 percent’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘except 
that— 
‘‘(i) not less than 75 percent’’; 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(ii) notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, all rental housing dwelling 
units shall be subject to legally binding 
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