‘‘(2) the project complies with program require-
ments and appropriate standards of housing quality 
and habitability, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(c) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall 
be construed as prohibiting the Secretary from renewing 
contracts under this subtitle in accordance with criteria 
set forth in a provision of this subtitle other than this sec-
tion. 
‘‘SEC. 430. MATCHING FUNDING. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A collaborative applicant in a ge-
ographic area in which funds are awarded under this sub-
title shall specify contributions from any source other than 
a grant awarded under this subtitle, including renewal 
funding of projects assisted under subtitles C, D, and F 
of this title as in effect before the effective date under 
section 503 of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and 
Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2008, that shall be 
made available in the geographic area in an amount equal 
to not less than 25 percent of the funds provided to recipi-
ents in the geographic area, except that grants for leasing 
shall not be subject to any match requirement. 
‘‘(b) LIMITATIONS ON IN-KIND MATCH.—The cash 
value of services provided to the residents or clients of a 
project sponsor by an entity other than the project sponsor 
may count toward the contributions in subsection (a) only 
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when documented by a memorandum of understanding be-
tween the project sponsor and the other entity that such 
services will be provided. 
‘‘(c) COUNTABLE ACTIVITIES.—The contributions re-
quired under subsection (a) may consist of— 
‘‘(1) funding for any eligible activity described 
under section 423; and 
‘‘(2) subject to subsection (b), in-kind provision 
of services of any eligible activity described under 
section 423. 
‘‘SEC. 431. APPEAL PROCEDURE. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—With respect to funding under 
this subtitle, if certification of consistency with the consoli-
dated plan pursuant to section 403 is withheld from an 
applicant who has submitted an application for that cer-
tification, such applicant may appeal such decision to the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(b) PROCEDURE.—The Secretary shall establish a 
procedure to process the appeals described in subsection 
(a). 
‘‘(c) DETERMINATION.—Not later than 45 days after 
the date of receipt of an appeal described in subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall determine if certification was un-
reasonably withheld. If such certification was unreason-
ably withheld, the Secretary shall review such application 
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and determine if such applicant shall receive funding 
under this subtitle.’’. 
SEC. 306. RESEARCH. 
There is authorized to be appropriated $8,000,000, 
for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010, for research into 
the efficacy of interventions for homeless families, to be 
expended by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment over the 2 years at three different sites to provide 
services for homeless families and evaluate the effective-
ness of such services. 
TITLE IV—RURAL HOUSING STA-
BILITY 
ASSISTANCE 
PRO-
GRAM 
SEC. 401. RURAL HOUSING STABILITY ASSISTANCE. 
Subtitle G of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Home-
less Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11408 et seq.) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by striking the subtitle heading and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘Subtitle G—Rural Housing 
Stability Assistance Program’’; and 
(2) in section 491— 
(A) by striking the section heading and in-
serting 
‘‘RURAL
HOUSING
STABILITY 
GRANT PROGRAM.’’; 
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(B) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘rural homelessness 
grant program’’ and inserting ‘‘rural hous-
ing stability grant program’’; 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘in lieu of grants 
under subtitle C’’ after ‘‘eligible organiza-
tions’’; and 
(iii) by striking paragraphs (1), (2), 
and (3), and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) rehousing or improving the housing situa-
tions of individuals and families who are homeless or 
in the worst housing situations in the geographic 
area; 
‘‘(2) stabilizing the housing of individuals and 
families who are in imminent danger of losing hous-
ing; and 
‘‘(3) improving the ability of the lowest-income 
residents of the community to afford stable hous-
ing.’’; 
(C) in subsection (b)(1)— 
(i) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(E), (F), and (G) as subparagraphs (I), 
(J), and (K), respectively; and 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (D) and 
inserting the following: 
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‘‘(D) construction of new housing units to 
provide transitional or permanent housing to 
homeless individuals and families and individ-
uals and families at risk of homelessness; 
‘‘(E) acquisition or rehabilitation of a 
structure to provide supportive services or to 
provide transitional or permanent housing, 
other than emergency shelter, to homeless indi-
viduals and families and individuals and fami-
lies at risk of homelessness; 
‘‘(F) leasing of property, or portions of 
property, not owned by the recipient or project 
sponsor involved, for use in providing transi-
tional or permanent housing to homeless indi-
viduals and families and individuals and fami-
lies at risk of homelessness, or providing sup-
portive services to such homeless and at-risk in-
dividuals and families; 
‘‘(G) provision of rental assistance to pro-
vide transitional or permanent housing to home-
less individuals and families and individuals and 
families at risk of homelessness, such rental as-
sistance may include tenant-based or project- 
based rental assistance; 
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‘‘(H) payment of operating costs for hous-
ing units assisted under this title;’’; 
(D) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘ap-
propriated’’ and inserting ‘‘transferred’’; 
(E) in subsection (c)— 
(i) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking 
‘‘appropriated’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘trans-
ferred’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘ap-
propriated’’ and inserting ‘‘transferred’’; 
(F) in subsection (d)— 
(i) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘; 
and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(ii) in paragraph (6)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘an agreement’’ 
and all that follows through ‘‘fami-
lies’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘a 
description of how individuals and 
families who are homeless or who have 
the lowest incomes in the community 
will be involved by the organization’’; 
and 
(II) by striking the period at the 
end, and inserting a semicolon; and 
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(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(7) a description of consultations that took 
place within the community to ascertain the most 
important uses for funding under this section, in-
cluding the involvement of potential beneficiaries of 
the project; and 
‘‘(8) a description of the extent and nature of 
homelessness and of the worst housing situations in 
the community.’’; 
(G) by striking subsections (f) and (g) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(f) MATCHING FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An organization eligible to 
receive a grant under subsection (a) shall specify 
matching contributions from any source other than 
a grant awarded under this subtitle, that shall be 
made available in the geographic area in an amount 
equal to not less than 25 percent of the funds pro-
vided for the project or activity, except that grants 
for leasing shall not be subject to any match require-
ment. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS
ON
IN-KIND
MATCH.—The 
cash value of services provided to the beneficiaries or 
clients of an eligible organization by an entity other 
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than the organization may count toward the con-
tributions in paragraph (1) only when documented 
by a memorandum of understanding between the or-
ganization and the other entity that such services 
will be provided. 
‘‘(3) COUNTABLE
ACTIVITIES.—The contribu-
tions required under paragraph (1) may consist of— 
‘‘(A) funding for any eligible activity de-
scribed under subsection (b); and 
‘‘(B) subject to paragraph (2), in-kind pro-
vision of services of any eligible activity de-
scribed under subsection (b). 
‘‘(g) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish criteria for selecting recipients of grants under 
subsection (a), including— 
‘‘(1) the participation of potential beneficiaries 
of the project in assessing the need for, and impor-
tance of, the project in the community; 
‘‘(2) the degree to which the project addresses 
the most harmful housing situations present in the 
community; 
‘‘(3) the degree of collaboration with others in 
the community to meet the goals described in sub-
section (a); 
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‘‘(4) the performance of the organization in im-
proving housing situations, taking account of the se-
verity of barriers of individuals and families served 
by the organization; 
‘‘(5) for organizations that have previously re-
ceived funding under this section, the extent of im-
provement in homelessness and the worst housing 
situations in the community since such funding 
began; 
‘‘(6) the need for such funds, as determined by 
the formula established under section 427(b)(2); and 
‘‘(7) any other relevant criteria as determined 
by the Secretary.’’; 
(H) in subsection (h)— 
(i) in paragraph (1)(A)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘The’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Not later than 18 months after 
funding is first made available pursu-
ant to the amendments made by title 
IV of the Homeless Emergency As-
sistance and Rapid Transition to 
Housing Act of 2008, the’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘providing hous-
ing and other assistance to homeless 
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persons’’ and inserting ‘‘meeting the 
goals described in subsection (a)’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking 
‘‘address homelessness in rural areas’’ and 
inserting ‘‘meet the goals described in sub-
section (a) in rural areas’’; and 
(iii) in paragraph (2)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘The’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Not later than 24 months after 
funding is first made available pursu-
ant to the amendment made by title 
IV of the Homeless Emergency As-
sistance and Rapid Transition to 
Housing Act of 2008, the’’; 
(II) by striking ‘‘, not later than 
18 months after the date on which the 
Secretary first makes grants under 
the program,’’; and 
(III) by striking ‘‘prevent and re-
spond to homelessness’’ and inserting 
‘‘meet the goals described in sub-
section (a)’’; 
(I) in subsection (k)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘rural homelessness grant program’’ and 
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inserting ‘‘rural housing stability grant 
program’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (2)— 
(I) in subparagraph (A), by strik-
ing ‘‘; or’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(II) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by 
striking ‘‘rural census tract.’’ and in-
serting ‘‘county where at least 75 per-
cent of the population is rural; or’’; 
and 
(III) by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(C) any area or community, respectively, 
located in a State that has population density 
of less than 30 persons per square mile (as re-
ported in the most recent decennial census), 
and of which at least 1.25 percent of the total 
acreage of such State is under Federal jurisdic-
tion, provided that no metropolitan city (as 
such term is defined in section 102 of the 
Housing and Community Development Act of 
1974) in such State is the sole beneficiary of 
the grant amounts awarded under this sec-
tion.’’; 
(J) in subsection (l)— 
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(i) by striking the subsection heading 
and inserting ‘‘PROGRAM FUNDING.—’’; 
and 
(ii) by striking paragraph (1) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall deter-
mine the total amount of funding attributable under 
section 427(b)(2) to meet the needs of any geo-
graphic area in the Nation that applies for funding 
under this section. The Secretary shall transfer any 
amounts determined under this subsection from the 
Community Homeless Assistance Program and con-
solidate such transferred amounts for grants under 
this section, except that the Secretary shall transfer 
an amount not less than 5 percent of the amount 
available under this subtitle for grants under this 
section.’’; and 
(K) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(m) DIVISION OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) 
AGREEMENT
AMONG
GEOGRAPHIC 
AREAS.—If the Secretary receives an application or 
applications to provide services in a geographic area 
under this subtitle, and also under subtitle C, the 
Secretary shall consult with all applicants from the 
geographic area to determine whether all agree to 
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100 
proceed under either this subtitle or under subtitle 
C. 
‘‘(2) DEFAULT
IF
NO
AGREEMENT.—If no 
agreement is reached under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall proceed under this subtitle or under sub-
title C, depending on which results in the largest 
total grant funding to the geographic area.’’. 
SEC. 402. GAO STUDY OF HOMELESSNESS AND HOMELESS 
ASSISTANCE IN RURAL AREAS. 
(a) STUDY AND REPORT.—Not later than the expira-
tion of the 12-month period beginning on the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a study to examine homeless-
ness and homeless assistance in rural areas and rural com-
munities and submit a report to the Congress on the find-
ings and conclusion of the study. The report shall contain 
the following matters: 
(1) A general description of homelessness, in-
cluding the range of living situations among home-
less individuals and homeless families, in rural areas 
and rural communities of the United States, includ-
ing tribal lands and colonias. 
(2) An estimate of the incidence and prevalence 
of homelessness among individuals and families in 
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