I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2378 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a financial assistance 
program to facilitate the provision of supportive services for very low- 
income veteran families in permanent housing, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 17, 2007 
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a finan-
cial assistance program to facilitate the provision of sup-
portive services for very low-income veteran families in 
permanent housing, 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. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR SUPPORTIVE 
SERVICES FOR VERY LOW-INCOME VETERAN 
FAMILIES IN PERMANENT HOUSING. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Services to Prevent Veterans Homelessness Act’’. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
18:50 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2378.IH
H2378
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to facili-
tate the provision of supportive services for very low-in-
come veteran families in permanent housing. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter V of chapter 20 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 2044. Financial assistance for supportive services 
for very low-income veteran families re-
siding in permanent housing 
‘‘(a) DISTRIBUTION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) The Secretary shall provide financial assistance to eli-
gible entities approved under this section to provide and 
coordinate the provision of the supportive services for very 
low-income veteran families residing in permanent hous-
ing. 
‘‘(2)(A) Financial assistance under this section shall 
consist of payments for each such family for which an ap-
proved eligible entity provides or coordinates the provision 
of supportive services. 
‘‘(B) The Secretary shall establish a formula for de-
termining the rate of payments provided to a very low- 
income veteran family receiving supportive services under 
this section. The rate shall be adjusted not less than once 
annually to reflect changes in the cost of living. In calcu-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
18:50 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2378.IH
H2378
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
lating the payment formula under this subparagraph, the 
Secretary may consider geographic cost of living variances, 
family size, and the cost of services provided. 
‘‘(3) In providing financial assistance under para-
graph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to an entity 
that provides or coordinates the provision of supportive 
services for very low-income veteran families who are 
transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. 
‘‘(4) The Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent 
practicable, financial assistance under this subsection is 
equitably distributed across geographic regions, including 
rural communities and tribal lands. 
‘‘(5) Each entity receiving financial assistance under 
this section to provide supportive services to a very low- 
income veteran family shall notify the family that such 
services are being paid for, in whole or in part, by the 
Department. 
‘‘(6) The Secretary may require an entity receiving 
financial assistance under this section to submit a report 
to the Secretary describing the supportive services pro-
vided with such financial assistance. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) An eligible entity seeking financial assistance under 
subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary an application 
in such form, in such manner, and containing such com-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
18:50 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2378.IH
H2378
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
mitments and information as the Secretary determines to 
be necessary. 
‘‘(2) An application submitted under paragraph (1) 
shall contain— 
‘‘(A) a description of the supportive services 
proposed to be provided by the eligible entity; 
‘‘(B) a description of the types of very low-in-
come veteran families proposed to be provided such 
services; 
‘‘(C) an estimate of the number of very low-in-
come veteran families proposed to be provided such 
services; 
‘‘(D) evidence of the experience of the eligible 
entity in providing supportive services to very low-in-
come veteran families; and 
‘‘(E) a description of the managerial capacity of 
the eligible entity to— 
‘‘(i) coordinate the provision of supportive 
services with the provision of permanent hous-
ing, by the eligible entity or by other organiza-
tions; 
‘‘(ii) continuously assess the needs of very 
low-income veteran families for supportive serv-
ices; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
18:50 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2378.IH
H2378
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
‘‘(iii) coordinate the provision of supportive 
services with the services of the Department; 
‘‘(iv) tailor supportive services to the needs 
of very low-income veteran families; and 
‘‘(v) continuously seek new sources of as-
sistance to ensure the long-term provision of 
supportive services to very low-income veteran 
families. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall establish criteria for the se-
lection of eligible entities to receive financial assistance 
under this section. 
‘‘(c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—(1) The Secretary 
shall provide training and technical assistance eligible en-
tities that receive financial assistance under this section 
with respect to the planning, development, and provision 
of supportive services to very low-income veteran families 
occupying permanent housing. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary may provide the training de-
scribed in paragraph (1) directly or through grants or con-
tracts with appropriate public or nonprofit private entities. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated, for each fiscal year, 
$25,000,000, to carry out this section, of which not more 
than $750,000 may be used to provide technical assistance 
under subsection (c). 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
18:50 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2378.IH
H2378
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘very low-income veteran family’ 
means a veteran family whose income does not ex-
ceed 50 percent of the median income for the area, 
as determined by the Secretary in accordance with 
this paragraph, except that— 
‘‘(A) the Secretary shall make appropriate 
adjustments to the income requirement under 
subparagraph (A) based on family size; and 
‘‘(B) the Secretary may establish an in-
come ceiling higher or lower than 50 percent of 
the median income for an area if the Secretary 
determines that such variations are necessary 
because the area has unusually high or low con-
struction costs, fair market rents (as deter-
mined under section 8 of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f)), or 
family incomes. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘veteran family’ includes a vet-
eran who is a single person and a family in which 
the head of household or the spouse of the head of 
household is a veteran. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘consumer cooperative’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 202 of the 
Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q). 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
18:50 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2378.IH
H2378
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS