I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 251 
To transfer the position of Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs in the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Office of the 
Secretary, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 9, 2015 
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas (for himself, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. 
LIPINSKI, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. HONDA, Mr. RUSH, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. 
HAHN, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. CARSON of Indi-
ana, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. MOORE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. 
MCDERMOTT, and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To transfer the position of Special Assistant for Veterans 
Affairs in the Department of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment to the Office of the Secretary, 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 Heroes Act 
of 2015’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:14 Jan 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H251.IH
H251
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR VETERANS AFFAIRS IN 
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN 
DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) TRANSFER OF POSITION TO OFFICE OF THE SEC-
RETARY.—Section 4 of the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3533) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(h) SPECIAL
ASSISTANT
FOR
VETERANS
AF-
FAIRS.— 
‘‘(1) POSITION.—There shall be in the Office of 
the Secretary a Special Assistant for Veterans Af-
fairs, who shall report directly to the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) APPOINTMENT.—The Special Assistant for 
Veterans Affairs shall be appointed based solely on 
merit and shall be covered under the provisions of 
title 5, United States Code, governing appointments 
in the competitive service. 
‘‘(3) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Special Assist-
ant for Veterans Affairs shall be responsible for— 
‘‘(A) ensuring veterans have fair access to 
housing and homeless assistance under each 
program of the Department providing either 
such assistance; 
‘‘(B) coordinating all programs and activi-
ties of the Department relating to veterans; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:14 Jan 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H251.IH
H251
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(C) serving as a liaison for the Depart-
ment with the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
including establishing and maintaining relation-
ships with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; 
‘‘(D) serving as a liaison for the Depart-
ment, and establishing and maintaining rela-
tionships with the United States Interagency 
Council on Homelessness and officials of State, 
local, regional, and nongovernmental organiza-
tions concerned with veterans; 
‘‘(E) providing information and advice re-
garding— 
‘‘(i) sponsoring housing projects for 
veterans assisted under programs adminis-
tered by the Department; or 
‘‘(ii) assisting veterans in obtaining 
housing or homeless assistance under pro-
grams administered by the Department; 
‘‘(F) coordinating with the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development and the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs in carrying out sec-
tion 3 of the Homes for Heroes Act of 2015; 
and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:14 Jan 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H251.IH
H251
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(G) carrying out such other duties as may 
be assigned to the Special Assistant by the Sec-
retary or by law.’’. 
(b) TRANSFER OF POSITION IN OFFICE OF DEPUTY 
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SPECIAL NEEDS.—On the 
date that the initial Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs 
is appointed pursuant to section 4(h)(2) of the Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban Development Act, as added 
by subsection (a) of this section, the position of Special 
Assistant for Veterans Programs in the Office of the Dep-
uty Assistant Secretary for Special Needs of the Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban Development shall be termi-
nated. 
SEC. 3. ANNUAL SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT ON VETERANS 
HOMELESSNESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development and the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs, in coordination with the United States Interagency 
Council on Homelessness, shall submit annually to the 
Committees of the Congress specified in subsection (b), 
together with the annual reports required by such Secre-
taries under section 203(c)(1) of the McKinney-Vento 
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11313(c)(1)), a sup-
plemental report that includes the following information 
with respect to the preceding year: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:14 Jan 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H251.IH
H251
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
(1) The same information, for such preceding 
year, that was included with respect to 2010 in the 
report by the Secretary of Housing and Urban De-
velopment and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs en-
titled ‘‘Veterans Homelessness: A Supplemental Re-
port to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Re-
port to Congress’’. 
(2) Information regarding the activities of the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development re-
lating to veterans during such preceding year, as fol-
lows: 
(A) The number of veterans provided as-
sistance under the housing choice voucher pro-
gram for Veterans Affairs supported housing 
(VASH) under section 8(o)(19) of the United 
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(o)(19)), the socioeconomic characteristics 
of such homeless veterans, and the number, 
types, and locations of entities contracted under 
such section to administer the vouchers. 
(B) A summary description of the special 
considerations made for veterans under public 
housing agency plans submitted pursuant to 
section 5A of the United States Housing Act of 
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437c–1) and under com-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:14 Jan 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H251.IH
H251
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
prehensive housing affordability strategies sub-
mitted pursuant to section 105 of the Cranston- 
Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 
U.S.C. 12705). 
(C) A description of the activities of the 
Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs of the 
Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment. 
(D) A description of the efforts of the De-
partment of Housing and Urban Development 
and the other members of the United States 
Interagency Council on Homelessness to coordi-
nate the delivery of housing and services to vet-
erans. 
(E) The cost to the Department of Hous-
ing and Urban Development of administering 
the programs and activities relating to veterans. 
(F) Any other information that the Sec-
retary of Housing and Urban Development and 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs consider rel-
evant in assessing the programs and activities 
of the Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment relating to veterans. 
(b) COMMITTEES.—The Committees of the Congress 
specified in this subsection are as follows: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:14 Jan 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H251.IH
H251
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
(1) The Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs of the Senate. 
(2) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
Senate. 
(3) The Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate. 
(4) The Committee on Financial Services of the 
House of Representatives. 
(5) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives. 
(6) The Committee on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:14 Jan 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H251.IH
H251
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS