I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1708 
To address root causes of homelessness, meet the needs of community mem-
bers experiencing harms from homelessness, transition communities to-
wards providing housing for all, end penalization of homelessness, and 
ensure full democratic participation and inclusion of persons experiencing 
homelessness, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 22, 2023 
Ms. JAYAPAL (for herself, Ms. MENG, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. 
CHU, Mr. BOWMAN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. NORTON, 
Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. BUSH, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. TORRES of 
New York, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. 
BONAMICI, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, and Ms. CLARKE of New York) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Fi-
nancial Services, and in addition to the Committees on House Adminis-
tration, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, and Ways and 
Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To address root causes of homelessness, meet the needs 
of community members experiencing harms from home-
lessness, transition communities towards providing hous-
ing for all, end penalization of homelessness, and ensure 
full democratic participation and inclusion of persons 
experiencing homelessness, and for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Housing Is a Human Right Act of 2023’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—SUPPORTED ALTERNATIVES TO PENALIZATION OF 
PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS 
Sec. 101. Grant authorization. 
Sec. 102. Application. 
Sec. 103. Use of funds. 
Sec. 104. Authorization of appropriations. 
TITLE II—INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADDRESS BASIC 
HUMAN NEEDS 
Sec. 201. CDBG Plus program. 
Sec. 202. Library pilot grants. 
Sec. 203. Use of unutilized and underutilized public buildings and real property 
to assist the homeless. 
TITLE III—INVESTING IN COMMUNITY STABILITY AND WELL- 
BEING 
Sec. 301. Treatment of revenue generated. 
Sec. 302. Emergency solutions grant program. 
Sec. 303. Continuum of care grant program. 
Sec. 304. Federal Emergency Management Agency emergency food and shelter 
grant program. 
Sec. 305. Requirements. 
Sec. 306. GAO study of requirements regarding participation and involvement 
of homeless individuals. 
TITLE IV—ACCESS TO VOTING 
Sec. 401. Study of factors adversely affecting ability of homeless and housing- 
unstable individuals to vote. 
Sec. 402. Grants to facilitate voting by homeless and housing-unstable individ-
uals. 
TITLE V—UNITED STATES INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON 
HOMELESSNESS 
Sec. 501. Permanent authorization. 
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Sec. 502. Functions. 
Sec. 503. Advisory board. 
Sec. 504. Director. 
Sec. 505. Conforming amendment. 
TITLE VI—REVENUE RELATED TO HOUSING SPECULATION AND 
DISPLACEMENT 
Sec. 601. Amendments to the tax code. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act, the following definitions 
shall apply: 
(1) AT
RISK
OF
HOMELESSNESS.—The term 
‘‘at risk of homelessness’’ means, with respect to an 
individual or family, that the individual or family— 
(A) has an annual income that is less than 
30 percent of median family income for the 
area, as determined by the Secretary; 
(B) does not have sufficient resources or 
support networks, including family, friends, 
faith-based organizations, and other social net-
works, immediately available to prevent the in-
dividual or family from moving to an emergency 
shelter or other place described in paragraph 
(3)(A) of this subsection; and 
(C)(i) has moved because of economic 
hardship two or more times during the 60 days 
immediately preceding the application for home-
lessness prevention assistance under this Act; 
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(ii) is living in the home of another be-
cause of economic hardship; 
(iii) has been notified in writing that their 
right to occupy their current housing or living 
situation will be terminated within 21 days of 
the date of application for assistance under this 
Act; 
(iv) lives in a hotel or motel and the cost 
of the hotel or motel stay is not paid by chari-
table organizations or by Federal, State, or 
local government programs for low-income indi-
viduals; 
(v) lives in a single-room occupancy or effi-
ciency apartment unit in which there reside 
more than two persons, or lives in a larger 
housing unit in which there reside more than 
1.5 people per room, as defined by the United 
States Census Bureau; 
(vi) is exiting a publicly funded institution, 
or system of care, including health-care facili-
ties, mental health facilities, foster care and 
other youth facilities, and correction programs 
and institutions; or 
(vii) otherwise lives in housing that has 
characteristics associated with instability and 
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beings, including a car, park, abandoned build-
ing, bus or train station, airport, or camping 
ground; 
(C) an individual or family living in a su-
pervised publicly or privately operated shelter 
designated to provide temporary living arrange-
ments (including hotels and motels paid for by 
Federal, State, or local government programs 
for low-income individuals or by charitable or-
ganizations, congregate shelters, and transi-
tional housing); 
(D) an individual who resided in a shelter 
or place not meant for human habitation and 
who is exiting an institution where he or she 
temporarily resided; and 
(E) an individual or family who will immi-
nently lose their housing, including housing 
they own, rent, or live in without paying rent, 
are sharing with others, and rooms in hotels or 
motels not paid for by Federal, State, or local 
government programs for low-income individ-
uals or by charitable organizations. 
(5) HOUSING
FIRST.—The term ‘‘Housing 
First’’ means, with respect to addressing homeless-
ness, an approach to quickly and successfully con-
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nect individuals and families experiencing homeless-
ness to permanent and affordable housing opportuni-
ties and appropriate services without preconditions 
and low or no barriers to entry, including barriers 
relating to sobriety, treatment, work requirements, 
and service participation requirements. 
(6) HOUSING-UNSTABLE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘housing-un-
stable’’ means, with respect to an individual or 
family that the individual or family— 
(i) lacks a fixed, regular, and ade-
quate nighttime residence; 
(ii) shares housing with other persons 
due to loss of housing or economic hard-
ship; 
(iii) lives in hotels or motels, trailer 
parks, or campgrounds due to lack of al-
ternative arrangements; 
(iv) is awaiting foster care placement; 
(v) lives in substandard housing; 
(vi) is a child of migrant worker; 
(vii) has moved more than three times 
in the past year due to economic insta-
bility; 
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(viii) would be unable to pay for hous-
ing if their income decreased by $100 or 
more or if they experienced a financial 
hardship; 
(ix) is paying for housing or shelter 
with labor or sex; 
(x) has housing that is dependent on 
their employer; 
(xi) is exiting from incarceration (in-
cluding pre-trial and pre-conviction deten-
tion; immigration detention; and juvenile 
detention) or who will be exiting from in-
carceration (including conditional release 
on bail or parole) in the next six months, 
or, with respect to youth, who is or has 
been held in the custody of the Office of 
Refugee Resettlement of the Department 
of Health and Human Services; 
(xii) has an income that does not ex-
ceed 50 percent of median income for the 
area in which they reside; 
(xiii) has a primary income that is 
fixed and derived solely from Federal or 
State benefits; or 
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(xiv) is a survivor of domestic violence 
or trafficking residing with a perpetrator 
of domestic violence or trafficking. 
(B) INCLUDED POPULATIONS.—Such term 
includes an individual or family who is— 
(i) at risk of homelessness, as such 
term in defined in this subsection; 
(ii) not consistently or safely housed, 
including individuals and families at immi-
nent risk of eviction, who are couch-hop-
ping, have had to move into the dwelling 
unit of another individual or family; or 
(iii) homeless in a rural area. 
(7) JUSTICE
SYSTEM-INVOLVED.—The term 
‘‘justice system-involved’’ includes persons who are 
or have been incarcerated or held in municipal, 
State, or Federal jails, prisons, juvenile facilities, or 
other types of detention facilities, who have been 
held in pre-trial or post-conviction detention, who 
have an arrest or conviction regardless of whether 
they were detained or incarcerated, who have been 
held in immigration detention, or, with respect to 
youth, who are or have been held in the custody of 
the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services. 
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(8) PENALIZE HOMELESSNESS.—The term ‘‘pe-
nalize homelessness’’ means to impose, by a govern-
mental unit, criminal or civil penalties on persons 
who are homeless or housing unstable in a manner 
that is related to those persons’ engagement in nec-
essary human activities, including sleeping, resting, 
and eating. 
(9) PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.—The 
term ‘‘permanent supportive housing’’ means hous-
ing that provides— 
(A) indefinite leasing or rental assistance; 
and 
(B) non-mandatory, culturally competent 
supportive services to assist persons to achieve 
housing stability and maintain their health and 
well-being. 
(10) POPULATION AT HIGHER RISK OF HOME-
LESSNESS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘population 
at higher risk of homelessness’’ means a group 
of persons that is defined by a common char-
acteristic and that has been found to experience 
homelessness, housing instability, or to be cost- 
burdened at a rate higher than that of the gen-
eral public. 
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(B) HIGHER RATE.—Information that may 
be used in demonstrating such a higher rate in-
cludes data generated by the Federal Govern-
ment, by State or municipal governments, by 
peer-reviewed research, and by organizations 
having expertise in working with or advocating 
on behalf of homeless, housing unstable, or 
cost-burdened groups. 
(C) INCLUDED POPULATIONS.—Such term 
shall include populations for which such higher 
rate has already been demonstrated, including 
Asian, Black, Latino, Native American, Native 
Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and other commu-
nities of color; persons with disabilities, includ-
ing mental health disabilities, elderly persons, 
foster and former foster youth; LGBTQ per-
sons, gender non-binary and gender non-con-
forming persons, justice system-involved per-
sons, and veterans. 
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TITLE 
I—SUPPORTED 
ALTER-
NATIVES TO PENALIZATION 
OF PERSONS EXPERIENCING 
HOMELESSNESS 
SEC. 101. GRANT AUTHORIZATION. 
The Attorney General is authorized to make grants 
to States, units of local government, public and commu-
nity defender systems, and nonprofit organizations to cre-
ate or expand alternatives to penalizing homelessness. 
SEC. 102. APPLICATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—An entity seeking a grant under 
this title shall submit to the Attorney General an applica-
tion at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Attorney General may reasonably re-
quire, including an assurance described in subsection (b). 
(b) ASSURANCE
DESCRIBED.—An assurance de-
scribed in this subsection is an assurance that the entity 
has in place a policy protecting employees, persons, and 
communities served by the entity from discrimination 
under applicable civil rights laws, and that such policy in-
cludes protection from discrimination on the basis of gen-
der-related identity, appearance, mannerisms, or other 
gender-related characteristics of an individual, regardless 
of the individual’s designated sex at birth. 
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(c) NONPROFIT EXPERTISE.—In addition to the as-
surance described in subsection (b), a nonprofit organiza-
tion seeking a grant under this title shall demonstrate in 
its application that it has a proven history of— 
(1) successful engagement with populations ex-
periencing homelessness and housing instability, in-
cluding members of a population at higher risk of 
homelessness; or 
(2) assisting communities to engage in alter-
natives to penalizing homelessness. 
SEC. 103. USE OF FUNDS. 
An entity that receives a grant under this title may 
use funds received under this title for any of the following: 
(1) Creating or expanding a diversion program, 
including a law enforcement assisted diversion pro-
gram, which program includes— 
(A) a focus on reducing racial disparity in 
law enforcement and prosecution; 
(B) reliance on harm-reduction principles; 
(C) collaboration with community-based, 
trauma-informed organizations; 
(D) development of pre-arrest diversion 
programs that are designed in consultation per-
sons experiencing homelessness and housing in-
stability, populations at higher risk of homeless-
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ness, and community based health and service 
providers; and 
(E) a primary focus on providing diversion 
services to persons and communities that are 
homeless or at risk of homelessness. 
(2) Providing technical support to jurisdictions 
that are working to reduce the extent to which the 
laws or policies in that jurisdiction penalize home-
lessness, including— 
(A) assisting the jurisdiction in creating 
procedures, programs, and infrastructure to 
safeguard the personal property of persons ex-
periencing homelessness or housing instability, 
in consultation with persons and organizations 
representing such persons; 
(B) developing protocols for pre-booking 
diversion for offenses in cases where the inci-
dent is related to homelessness or housing in-
stability, a mental health condition, or addic-
tion; and 
(C) identifying statutes, regulations, and 
policies that penalize homeless and housing un-
stable persons, and identifying, pursuing, and 
implementing alternatives that promote Hous-
ing First, permanent supportive housing, and 
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the health, safety and self-determination of 
such persons. 
(3) Creating, supporting, expanding, or study-
ing mobile crisis intervention teams that are trained 
to provide stabilization services to persons with an 
urgent medical or psychological need, as an alter-
native to a law enforcement response, which teams 
may include healthcare professionals, mental health 
professionals, addiction counselors, housing referral 
specialists, groups serving or representing justice 
system-involved or housing unstable persons, and 
other related resource providers. 
SEC. 104. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this title $100,000,000 for the first fiscal year com-
mencing after the date of the enactment of this Act and 
for each of the next nine succeeding fiscal years thereafter. 
TITLE II—INVESTING IN INFRA-
STRUCTURE 
TO 
ADDRESS 
BASIC HUMAN NEEDS 
SEC. 201. CDBG PLUS PROGRAM. 
Title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 11360 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subtitle: 
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‘‘Subtitle E—Community Develop-
ment Block Grant Plus Program 
‘‘SEC. 496. CDBG PLUS PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development shall carry out a Community Develop-
ment Block Grant Plus Program under this section (in 
this section referred to as the ‘CDBG Plus Program’) to 
provide assistance to units of general local government 
and States for activities to benefit homeless, housing un-
stable, or cost-burdened households, as such terms are de-
fined in section 2 of the Housing Is a Human Right Act 
of 2023. 
‘‘(b) STRUCTURE.—The CDBG Plus Program shall 
be carried out in the same manner and subject to the same 
requirements and limitations applicable to the community 
development block grant program under title I of the 
Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 
U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), except to the extent otherwise pro-
vided— 
‘‘(1) by this section; or 
‘‘(2) by the Secretary, to account for differences 
between— 
‘‘(A) the primary objectives of such block 
grant program and the CDBG Plus Program 
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