I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1978 
To fight homelessness in the United States by authorizing a grant program 
within the Health Resources and Services Administration for housing 
programs that offer comprehensive services and intensive case manage-
ment for homeless individuals and families. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 28, 2019 
Mr. TED LIEU of California (for himself, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. PETERS, Mr. 
CORREA, Mr. HARDER of California, Mr. YOUNG, and Mr. COSTA) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Finan-
cial Services 
A BILL 
To fight homelessness in the United States by authorizing 
a grant program within the Health Resources and Serv-
ices Administration for housing programs that offer com-
prehensive services and intensive case management for 
homeless individuals and families. 
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 ‘‘Fighting Homelessness 
Through Services and Housing Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Health 
Resources and Services Administration (referred to in this 
section as the ‘‘Administrator’’), in consultation with the 
working group established under subsection (b), shall es-
tablish a grant program to award competitive grants to 
eligible entities for the planning and implementation of 
programs to address homelessness. 
(b) WORKING GROUP.—The Administrator shall es-
tablish an interagency working group to provide advice to 
the Administrator in carrying out the program under sub-
section (a). The working group shall include representa-
tives from the United States Interagency Council on 
Homelessness, Department of Education, Department of 
Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, Department of Labor, Department 
of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, De-
partment of Agriculture, Department of the Treasury, De-
partment of Justice, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. 
(c) TYPES OF GRANTS.— 
(1) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Under the program 
under subsection (a), the Administrator shall 
award 5-year implementation grants to eligible 
entities to assist such entities in carrying out 
activities, and paying capital building costs, as-
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sociated with the provision of housing and serv-
ices to homeless individuals and families, in-
cluding homeless children and youths (as de-
fined by section 725 of the McKinney-Vento 
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)), 
or those at risk of becoming homeless. 
(B) AMOUNT.—The amount awarded to an 
entity under a grant under this paragraph shall 
not exceed $25,000,000. 
(C) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—With re-
spect to the costs of the activities to be carried 
out by an entity under a grant under this para-
graph, the entity shall make available (directly 
or through donations from public or private en-
tities) non-Federal contributions toward such 
costs in an amount that equals 25 percent of 
the amount of the grant. 
(2) PLANNING GRANTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Under the program 
under subsection (a), the Administrator shall 
award 1-year planning grants to eligible entities 
to assist such entities in developing comprehen-
sive plans to address homelessness in the com-
munities and regions served by such entities or 
to enhance the effectiveness of existing pro-
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grams that serve homeless individuals and fami-
lies, including homeless children and youths (as 
defined by section 725 of the McKinney-Vento 
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)), 
or those at risk of becoming homeless. 
(B) AMOUNT.—The amount awarded to an 
entity under a grant under this paragraph shall 
not exceed $100,000, and such amount shall 
not be subject to any matching requirement. 
(d) ELIGIBILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under the program under subsection (a), an 
entity shall— 
(A) be a governmental entity (at the coun-
ty, city, regional, or locality level), Indian tribe, 
or tribal organization; 
(B) demonstrate that the capacity of the 
entity for providing services under the grant in-
cludes the ability to address mental health, sub-
stance use disorder and recovery services, dis-
abling or other chronic health conditions, edu-
cational and job training or employment out-
comes, and life skills needs (including financial 
literacy); and 
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(C) submit to the Administrator an appli-
cation that includes an assurance that, in car-
rying out activities under the grant, the entity 
will— 
(i) ensure stable housing, intensive 
case management, and comprehensive serv-
ices that include, at minimum, mental 
health, substance use disorder treatment 
and recovery services, education and job 
training, age-appropriate services for chil-
dren, and life skills training (such as fi-
nancial literacy training); 
(ii) coordinate with the population to 
be served by the entity to ensure that sup-
portive services are tailored to meet the 
specific and actual needs of the individuals 
and families served; 
(iii) coordinate with local law enforce-
ment, courts (including specialized courts), 
probation, and other public services agen-
cies to conduct outreach and better iden-
tify at-risk or homeless populations that 
would benefit from services offered by the 
entity; 
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(iv) follow trauma-informed best prac-
tices to address the needs of the popu-
lations to be served; 
(v) provide services under the grant 
on-site or in-home as appropriate; 
(vi) provide assistance in addressing 
the transportation needs of individuals for 
services provided under the grant off-site; 
and 
(vii) comply with additional require-
ments, if the entity intends to serve fami-
lies with children under the grant, to en-
sure— 
(I) that services include chil-
dren’s behavioral and mental health 
services, early childhood education, 
regular and age-appropriate children’s 
programming and activities, child 
health, development, and nutrition 
screening (including coordination of 
medical and well-child services), and 
parenting classes and support pro-
grams; 
(II) in conditions where family 
housing is provided in a central facil-
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ity and not in mixed units in a com-
mercial building, that a safe space for 
play and age-appropriate activities is 
available on-site and has regular 
hours of operation; and 
(III) that the entity has in place 
protocol for staff training and best 
practices to identify and prevent child 
trafficking, abuse, and neglect. 
(2) CASE MANAGEMENT.—An entity receiving a 
grant under this section shall ensure that case man-
agement provided by the entity under the grant does 
not exceed a ratio of 1 caseworker to 20 cases. 
(3) PARTNERSHIPS.—An entity may enter into 
a partnership with more than one provider that may 
include a local health agency, non-profit service pro-
viders, medical and mental health providers, housing 
providers, and other service providers as necessary. 
(e) OVERSIGHT REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date on which a grant is received by an en-
tity under subsection (a), and annually thereafter 
for the term of the grant, such entity shall submit 
to the Administrator a report on the activities car-
ried out under the grant. Such report shall include, 
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with respect to activities carried out under the grant 
in the community served, measures of outcomes re-
lating to— 
(A) whether individuals and families who 
are served continued to have housing and did 
not experience intermittent periods of homeless-
ness; 
(B) whether individuals and families who 
are served see improvements in their physical 
and mental health, have access to a specific pri-
mary care provider, promptly receive any need-
ed health care, and have a health care plan that 
meets their individual needs (including access to 
mental health and substance use treatment as 
applicable, and family-based treatment models); 
(C) whether children who are served are 
enrolled in school, attend regularly, and are re-
ceiving services to meet their educational needs; 
(D) whether children who are served have 
access to trauma-informed mental health care 
and screening for any mental and behavioral 
health needs, as well as other services to meet 
their needs, as appropriate; 
(E) how grant funds are used; and 
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(F) other matters determined appropriate 
by the Administrator. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
subsection shall be construed to condition the receipt 
of future housing and other services by individuals 
under the grant on the outcomes detailed in the re-
ports submitted under paragraph (1). 
(f) DEFINITION.—In this section, the terms ‘‘Indian 
tribe’’ and ‘‘tribal organization’’ have the meanings given 
such terms in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304) and shall 
include tribally designated housing entities (as defined in 
section 4(22) of the Native American Housing Assistance 
and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103(22)) 
and entities that serve Native Hawaiians (as defined in 
section 338K(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 254s(c)). 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, 
$750,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2025, 
of which— 
(1) not less than 5 percent of such funds shall 
be awarded to Indian tribes and tribal organizations; 
(2) $5,000,000 shall be made available for plan-
ning grants under subsection (c)(2); and 
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