I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3970 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot grant program 
to acquire and renovate abandoned homes for homeless veterans. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 5, 2015 
Mr. ISRAEL (for himself and Mr. ROONEY of Florida) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a 
pilot grant program to acquire and renovate abandoned 
homes for homeless veterans. 
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 ‘‘Housing Our Heroes 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT GRANT PROGRAM FOR 
HOMELESS VETERANS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall commence a pilot grant program 
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to assess the feasibility and advisability of awarding 
grants to eligible entities to purchase and renovate aban-
doned homes for homeless veterans. 
(b) GRANTS.— 
(1) AWARD.—In carrying out the pilot program 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall award 
grants to eligible entities to purchase and renovate 
abandoned homes for homeless veterans. 
(2) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of a sin-
gle grant awarded under paragraph (1) shall not ex-
ceed $1,000,000. 
(3) NUMBER.—The Secretary may award to an 
eligible entity more than one grant under paragraph 
(1). 
(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The Secretary may award 
a grant under subsection (b)(1) to any of the following: 
(1) A veterans service agency. 
(2) A veterans service organization. 
(3) Homeless organizations. 
(4) Any other nongovernmental organization. 
(d) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.— 
(1) APPLICATION.—Any eligible entity seeking 
a grant under subsection (b)(1) shall submit to the 
Secretary an application therefore in such form and 
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in such manner as the Secretary considers appro-
priate. 
(2) SELECTION PRIORITY.— 
(A) 
COMMUNITIES
WITH
GREATEST 
NEED.—Subject to subparagraph (B), in ac-
cordance with regulations the Secretary shall 
prescribe, the Secretary shall give priority in 
the awarding of grants under subsection (b)(1) 
to eligible entities who serve communities that 
the Secretary determines have the greatest need 
of homeless services. 
(B) 
GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—The 
Secretary may give priority in the awarding of 
grants under subsection (b)(1) to achieve a fair 
distribution, as determined by the Secretary, 
among homeless veterans in different geo-
graphical regions. 
(C) OTHER AGREEMENTS.—In awarding a 
grant under subsection (b)(1) to an eligible en-
tity in a location determined pursuant to sub-
paragraphs (A) and (B), the Secretary shall 
give preference to eligible entities that are en-
tered into an agreement with the Secretary 
under section 2041 of title 38, United States 
Code. 
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(e) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.— 
(1) PURPOSES.—A grantee may use amounts of 
a grant awarded to the grantee under subsection 
(b)(1) to purchase or renovate abandoned homes, in-
cluding homes that have been foreclosed. 
(2) MAXIMUM PURCHASE AMOUNT.—Not more 
than $300,000 of the amount of a grant awarded 
under subsection (b)(1) may be used for the pur-
chase of a single home. 
(3) PAYMENT PROGRAM.— 
(A) The United States shall not have any 
ownership interest in a home that is purchased 
by a grantee using amounts of a grant awarded 
under subsection (b)(1). 
(B) Each grantee shall ensure that, begin-
ning one year after the date on which a veteran 
begins to reside in a home purchased or ren-
ovated by the grantee using a grant awarded 
under subsection (b)(1), the veteran makes 
monthly payments to the grantee in an amount 
determined appropriate by the grantee that is 
not less than 85 percent of the fair market rent 
for such home. 
(C) Each grantee shall determine whether 
payments made by a veteran under subpara-
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graph (B) shall be treated as rent or as a mort-
gage for the home for which the veteran is mak-
ing such payments. The Secretary, in coordina-
tion with the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development, shall determine the requirements 
for such payments. 
(D) Each grantee shall pay to the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs not less than 80 per-
cent of each payment received under subpara-
graph (B). 
(E) The Secretary may conduct an audit of 
any grantee to ensure that the grantee carries 
out this paragraph. 
(4) VETERANS HOMELESSNESS GRANT FUND.— 
(A) There is established in the Treasury a 
fund to be known as the ‘‘Veterans Homeless-
ness Grant Fund’’ (in this paragraph referred 
to as the ‘‘Fund’’). 
(B) The Secretary shall deposit into the 
Fund the payments collected by the Secretary 
under paragraph (3)(D). 
(C) Amounts deposited into the Fund pur-
suant to subparagraph (B) shall be available to 
the Secretary to carry out the pilot program 
under subsection (a) without further appropria-
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tion. The Secretary may not use such amounts 
from the Fund for any other purpose unless 
pursuant to a specific provision of law. 
(f) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out the 
pilot program under subsection (a) during the three-year 
period beginning on the date of the commencement of the 
pilot program. 
(g) ANNUAL REPORTS.—During each year in which 
the Secretary carries out the pilot program under sub-
section (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a re-
port that details, with respect to the year covered by the 
report, the number of grants awarded, the amounts so 
awarded, the progress of home purchase and renovation 
made by eligible entities using such grants, and the num-
ber of tenants currently paying rent towards such homes. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary a total of 
$25,000,000 to carry out the pilot program under sub-
section (a). 
(i) HOMELESS VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘homeless veteran’’ means any of the following 
veterans: 
(1) A veteran who is eligible to receive housing, 
clinical services, and case management assistance 
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under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing 
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)). 
(2) A veteran who is receiving— 
(A) assistance from, or is the beneficiary 
of a service furnished by, a program that is in 
receipt of a grant under section 2011 of title 
38, United States Code; or 
(B) services for which per diem payment is 
received under section 2012 of such title. 
(3) A veteran who is— 
(A) a beneficiary of the outreach program 
carried out under section 2022(e) of such title; 
or 
(B) in receipt of referral or counseling 
services from the program carried out under 
section 2023 of such title. 
(4) A veteran who is receiving a service or as-
sistance under section 2031 of such title. 
(5) A veteran who is residing in therapeutic 
housing operated under section 2032 of such title. 
(6) A veteran who is receiving domiciliary serv-
ices under section 2043 of such title or domiciliary 
care under section 1710(b) of such title. 
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(7) A veteran who is receiving supportive serv-
ices under 2044 of such title. 
Æ 
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