‘‘(i) the length of time individuals and 
families remain homeless; 
‘‘(ii) the extent to which individuals 
and families who leave homelessness expe-
rience additional spells of homelessness; 
‘‘(iii) the thoroughness of grantees in 
the geographic area in reaching homeless 
individuals and families; 
‘‘(iv) overall reduction in the number 
of homeless individuals and families; 
‘‘(v) jobs and income growth for 
homeless individuals and families; 
‘‘(vi) success at reducing the number 
of individuals and families who become 
homeless; 
‘‘(vii) other accomplishments by the 
recipient related to reducing homelessness; 
and 
‘‘(viii) for collaborative applicants that 
have exercised the authority under section 
422(j) to serve families with children and 
youth defined as homeless under other 
Federal statutes, success in achieving the 
goals and outcomes identified in section 
427(b)(1)(F);
‘‘(B) the plan of the recipient, which shall 
describe— 
‘‘(i) how the number of individuals 
and families who become homeless will be 
reduced in the community; 
‘‘(ii) how the length of time that indi-
viduals and families remain homeless will 
be reduced; 
‘‘(iii) how the recipient will collaborate 
with local education authorities to assist in 
the identification of individuals and fami-
lies who become or remain homeless and 
are informed of their eligibility for services 
under subtitle B of title VII of this Act 
(42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.); 
‘‘(iv) the extent to which the recipient 
will— 
‘‘(I) address the needs of all rel-
evant subpopulations; 
‘‘(II) incorporate comprehensive 
strategies for reducing homelessness, 
including the interventions referred to 
in section 428(d); 
‘‘(III) set quantifiable perform-
ance measures;
‘‘(IV) set timelines for completion 
of specific tasks; 
‘‘(V) identify specific funding 
sources for planned activities; and 
‘‘(VI) identify an individual or 
body responsible for overseeing imple-
mentation of specific strategies; and 
‘‘(v) whether the recipient proposes to 
exercise authority to use funds under sec-
tion 422(j), and if so, how the recipient 
will achieve the goals and outcomes identi-
fied in section 427(b)(1)(F); 
‘‘(C) the methodology of the recipient used 
to determine the priority for funding local 
projects under section 422(c)(1), including the 
extent to which the priority-setting process— 
‘‘(i) uses periodically collected infor-
mation and analysis to determine the ex-
tent to which each project has resulted in 
rapid return to permanent housing for 
those served by the project, taking into ac-
count the severity of barriers faced by the 
people the project serves; 
‘‘(ii) considers the full range of opin-
ions from individuals or entities with
knowledge of homelessness in the geo-
graphic area or an interest in preventing 
or ending homelessness in the geographic 
area; 
‘‘(iii) is based on objective criteria 
that have been publicly announced by the 
recipient; and 
‘‘(iv) is open to proposals from enti-
ties that have not previously received funds 
under this subtitle; 
‘‘(D) the extent to which the amount of as-
sistance to be provided under this subtitle to 
the recipient will be supplemented with re-
sources from other public and private sources, 
including mainstream programs identified by 
the Government Accountability Office in the 
two reports described in section 203(a)(7); 
‘‘(E) demonstrated coordination by the re-
cipient with the other Federal, State, local, pri-
vate, and other entities serving individuals and 
families experiencing homelessness and at risk 
of homelessness in the planning and operation 
of projects; 
‘‘(F) for collaborative applicants exercising 
the authority under section 422(j) to serve
homeless families with children and youth de-
fined as homeless under other Federal statutes, 
program goals and outcomes, which shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(i) preventing homelessness among 
the subset of such families with children 
and youth who are at highest risk of be-
coming homeless, as such term is defined 
for purposes of this title; or 
‘‘(ii) achieving independent living in 
permanent housing among such families 
with children and youth, especially those 
who have a history of doubled-up and other 
temporary housing situations or are living 
in a temporary housing situation due to 
lack of available and appropriate emer-
gency shelter, through the provision of eli-
gible assistance that directly contributes to 
achieving such results including assistance 
to address chronic disabilities, chronic 
physical health or mental health condi-
tions, substance addiction, histories of do-
mestic violence or childhood abuse, or mul-
tiple barriers to employment; and
‘‘(G) such other factors as the Secretary 
determines to be appropriate to carry out this 
subtitle in an effective and efficient manner. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL
CRITERIA.—In addition to 
the criteria required under paragraph (1), the cri-
teria established under paragraph (1) shall also in-
clude the need within the geographic area for home-
less services, determined as follows and under the 
following conditions: 
‘‘(A) NOTICE.—The Secretary shall inform 
each collaborative applicant, at a time concur-
rent with the release of the notice of funding 
availability for the grants, of the pro rata esti-
mated grant amount under this subtitle for the 
geographic area represented by the collaborative 
applicant. 
‘‘(B) AMOUNT.— 
‘‘(i) 
FORMULA.—Such 
estimated 
grant amounts shall be determined by a 
formula, which shall be developed by the 
Secretary, by regulation, not later than the 
expiration of the 2-year period beginning 
upon the date of the enactment of the 
Homeless 
Emergency 
Assistance 
and 
Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2008,
‘‘(c) ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary may adjust the 
formula described in subsection (b)(2) as necessary— 
‘‘(1) to ensure that each collaborative applicant 
has sufficient funding to renew all qualified projects 
for at least one year; and 
‘‘(2) to ensure that collaborative applicants are 
not discouraged from replacing renewal projects with 
new projects that the collaborative applicant deter-
mines will better be able to meet the purposes of this 
Act. 
‘‘SEC. 428. ALLOCATION OF AMOUNTS AND INCENTIVES 
FOR SPECIFIC ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. 
‘‘(a) MINIMUM ALLOCATION FOR PERMANENT HOUS-
ING FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WITH 
DISABILITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From the amounts made 
available to carry out this subtitle for a fiscal year, 
a portion equal to not less than 30 percent of the 
sums made available to carry out subtitle B and this 
subtitle, shall be used for permanent housing for 
homeless individuals with disabilities and homeless 
families that include such an individual who is an 
adult or a minor head of household if no adult is 
present in the household.
‘‘(2) CALCULATION.—In calculating the portion 
of the amount described in paragraph (1) that is 
used for activities that are described in paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall not count funds made avail-
able to renew contracts for existing projects under 
section 429. 
‘‘(3) ADJUSTMENT.—The 30-percent figure in 
paragraph (1) shall be reduced proportionately based 
on need under section 427(b)(2) in geographic areas 
for which subsection (e) applies in regard to sub-
section (d)(2)(A). 
‘‘(4) SUSPENSION.—The requirement estab-
lished in paragraph (1) shall be suspended for any 
year in which available funding for grants under this 
subtitle would not be sufficient to renew for 1-year 
existing grants that would otherwise be funded 
under this subtitle. 
‘‘(5) TERMINATION.—The requirement estab-
lished in paragraph (1) shall terminate upon a find-
ing by the Secretary that since the beginning of 
2001 at least 150,000 new units of permanent hous-
ing for homeless individuals and families with dis-
abilities have been funded under this subtitle. 
‘‘(b) SET-ASIDE
FOR PERMANENT HOUSING
FOR 
HOMELESS
FAMILIES
WITH
CHILDREN.—From the
amounts made available to carry out this subtitle for a 
fiscal year, a portion equal to not less than 10 percent 
of the sums made available to carry out subtitle B and 
this subtitle for that fiscal year shall be used to provide 
or secure permanent housing for homeless families with 
children. 
‘‘(c) TREATMENT OF AMOUNTS FOR PERMANENT OR 
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.—Nothing in this Act may be 
construed to establish a limit on the amount of funding 
that an applicant may request under this subtitle for ac-
quisition, construction, or rehabilitation activities for the 
development of permanent housing or transitional hous-
ing. 
‘‘(d) INCENTIVES FOR PROVEN STRATEGIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 
bonuses or other incentives to geographic areas for 
using funding under this subtitle for activities that 
have been proven to be effective at reducing home-
lessness generally, reducing homelessness for a spe-
cific subpopulation, or achieving homeless prevention 
and independent living goals as set forth in section 
427(b)(1)(F). 
‘‘(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—For purposes 
of this subsection, activities that have been proven to 
be effective at reducing homelessness generally or re-
ducing homelessness for a specific subpopulation in-
cludes— 
‘‘(A) permanent supportive housing for 
chronically homeless individuals and families; 
‘‘(B) for homeless families, rapid rehousing 
services, short-term flexible subsidies to over-
come barriers to rehousing, support services 
concentrating on improving incomes to pay 
rent, coupled with performance measures em-
phasizing rapid and permanent rehousing and 
with leveraging funding from mainstream fam-
ily service systems such as Temporary Assist-
ance for Needy Families and Child Welfare 
services; and 
‘‘(C) any other activity determined by the 
Secretary, based on research and after notice 
and comment to the public, to have been proven 
effective at reducing homelessness generally, re-
ducing homelessness for a specific subpopula-
tion, or achieving homeless prevention and inde-
pendent living goals as set forth in section 
427(b)(1)(F). 
‘‘(3) BALANCE
OF
INCENTIVES
FOR
PROVEN 
STRATEGIES.—To the extent practicable, in pro-
viding bonuses or incentives for proven strategies,
the Secretary shall seek to maintain a balance 
among strategies targeting homeless individuals, 
families, and other subpopulations. The Secretary 
shall not implement bonuses or incentives that spe-
cifically discourage collaborative applicants from ex-
ercising their flexibility to serve families with chil-
dren and youth defined as homeless under other 
Federal statutes. 
‘‘(e) INCENTIVES FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTA-
TION OF PROVEN STRATEGIES.—If any geographic area 
demonstrates that it has fully implemented any of the ac-
tivities described in subsection (d) for all homeless individ-
uals and families or for all members of subpopulations for 
whom such activities are targeted, that geographic area 
shall receive the bonus or incentive provided under sub-
section (d), but may use such bonus or incentive for any 
eligible activity under either section 423 or paragraphs (4) 
and (5) of section 415(a) for homeless people generally 
or for the relevant subpopulation. 
‘‘SEC. 429. RENEWAL FUNDING AND TERMS OF ASSISTANCE 
FOR PERMANENT HOUSING. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Of the total amount available in 
the account or accounts designated for appropriations for 
use in connection with section 8 of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f), the Secretary
shall use such sums as may be necessary for the purpose 
of renewing expiring contracts for leasing, rental assist-
ance, or operating costs for permanent housing. 
‘‘(b) RENEWALS.—The sums made available under 
subsection (a) shall be available for the renewal of con-
tracts in the case of tenant-based assistance, successive 
1-year terms, and in the case of project-based assistance, 
successive terms of up to 15 years at the discretion of the 
applicant or project sponsor and subject to the availability 
of annual appropriations, for rental assistance and hous-
ing operation costs associated with permanent housing 
projects funded under this subtitle, or under subtitle C 
or F (as in effect on the day before the effective date of 
the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition 
to Housing Act of 2008). The Secretary shall determine 
whether to renew a contract for such a permanent housing 
project on the basis of certification by the collaborative 
applicant for the geographic area that— 
‘‘(1) there is a demonstrated need for the 
project; and 
‘‘(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 
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 
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.’’; 
(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: 
‘‘(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; 
‘‘(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 
(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 
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); 
‘‘(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 
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 
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)— 
(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 
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.’’.
assistance programs, and recommendations for re-
moving such barriers. 
(5) A comparison of the rate of homelessness 
among individuals and families in and from rural 
areas and rural communities compared to the rate of 
homelessness among individuals and families in and 
from non-rural areas and non-rural communities. 
(6) A general description of homeless assistance 
for individuals and families in rural areas and rural 
communities of the United States. 
(7) A description of barriers that homeless as-
sistance providers serving rural areas and rural com-
munities encounter when seeking to access Federal 
homeless assistance programs, and recommendations 
for removing such barriers. 
(8) An assessment of the type and amount of 
Federal homeless assistance funds awarded to orga-
nizations serving rural areas and rural communities 
and a determination as to whether such amount is 
proportional to the distribution of homeless individ-
uals and families in and from rural areas and rural 
communities compared to homeless individuals and 
families in non-rural areas and non-rural commu-
nities.
100 
(9) An assessment of the current roles of the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
the Department of Agriculture, and other Federal 
departments and agencies in administering homeless 
assistance programs in rural areas and rural com-
munities and recommendations for distributing Fed-
eral responsibilities, including homeless assistance 
program administration and grantmaking, among 
the departments and agencies so that service organi-
zations in rural areas and rural communities are 
most effectively reached and supported. 
(b) ACQUISITION OF SUPPORTING INFORMATION.— 
In carrying out the study under this section, the Comp-
troller General shall seek to obtain views from the fol-
lowing persons: 
(1) The Secretary of Agriculture. 
(2) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment. 
(3) The Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices. 
(4) The Secretary of Education. 
(5) The Secretary of Labor. 
(6) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
(7) The Executive Director of the United States 
Interagency Council on Homelessness.
101 
(8) Project sponsors and recipients of homeless 
assistance grants serving rural areas and rural com-
munities. 
(9) Individuals and families in or from rural 
areas and rural communities who have sought or are 
seeking Federal homeless assistance services. 
(10) National advocacy organizations concerned 
with homelessness, rural housing, and rural commu-
nity development. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 
on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
TITLE V—REPEALS AND 
CONFORMING AMENDMENTS 
SEC. 501. REPEALS. 
Subtitles D, E, and F of title IV of the McKinney- 
Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11391 et seq., 
11401 et seq., and 11403 et seq.) are hereby repealed. 
SEC. 502. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) CONSOLIDATED PLAN.—Section 403(1) of the 
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (as so redesig-
nated by section 101(2) of this Act), is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘current housing affordability 
strategy’’ and inserting ‘‘consolidated plan’’; and
102 
(2) by inserting before the comma the following: 
‘‘(referred to in such section as a ‘comprehensive 
housing affordability strategy’)’’. 
(b) PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.—Sec-
tion 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 11302), as amended by the preceding provi-
sions of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection: 
‘‘(e) PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.— 
Any references in this Act to homeless individuals (includ-
ing homeless persons) or homeless groups (including 
homeless persons) shall be considered to include, and to 
refer to, individuals experiencing homelessness or groups 
experiencing homelessness, respectively.’’. 
(c) RURAL HOUSING STABILITY ASSISTANCE.—Title 
IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is 
amended by redesignating subtitle G (42 U.S.C. 11408 
et seq.), as amended by the preceding provisions of this 
Act, as subtitle D. 
SEC. 503. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
Except as specifically provided otherwise in this Act, 
this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take 
effect on, and shall apply beginning on— 
(1) the expiration of the 18-month period begin-
ning on the date of the enactment of this Act, or
103 
(2) the expiration of the 3-month period begin-
ning upon publication by the Secretary of Housing 
and Urban Development of final regulations pursu-
ant to section 504, 
whichever occurs first. 
SEC. 504. REGULATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development shall promulgate regula-
tions governing the operation of the programs that are 
created or modified by this Act. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 
on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 505. AMENDMENT TO TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents in section 101(b) of the McKin-
ney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11301 
note) is amended by striking the item relating to the head-
ing for title IV and all that follows through the item relat-
ing to section 492 and inserting the following new items: 
‘‘TITLE IV—HOUSING ASSISTANCE 
‘‘Subtitle A—General Provisions 
‘‘Sec. 401. Definitions. 
‘‘Sec. 402. Collaborative applicants. 
‘‘Sec. 403. Housing affordability strategy. 
‘‘Sec. 404. Preventing involuntary family separation 
‘‘Sec. 405. Technical assistance. 
‘‘Sec. 406. Discharge coordination policy. 
‘‘Sec. 407. Protection of personally identifying information by victim service 
providers. 
‘‘Sec. 408. Authorization of appropriations.
104 
‘‘Subtitle B—Emergency Solutions Grants Program 
‘‘Sec. 411. Definitions. 
‘‘Sec. 412. Grant assistance. 
‘‘Sec. 413. Amount and allocation of assistance. 
‘‘Sec. 414. Allocation and distribution of assistance. 
‘‘Sec. 415. Eligible activities. 
‘‘Sec. 416. Responsibilities of recipients. 
‘‘Sec. 417. Administrative provisions. 
‘‘Sec. 418. Administrative costs. 
‘‘Subtitle C—Continuum of Care Program 
‘‘Sec. 421. Purposes. 
‘‘Sec. 422. Continuum of care applications and grants. 
‘‘Sec. 423. Eligible activities. 
‘‘Sec. 424. Incentives for high-performing communities. 
‘‘Sec. 425. Supportive services. 
‘‘Sec. 426. Program requirements. 
‘‘Sec. 427. Selection criteria. 
‘‘Sec. 428. Allocation of amounts and incentives for specific eligible activities. 
‘‘Sec. 429. Renewal funding and terms of assistance for permanent housing. 
‘‘Sec. 430. Matching funding. 
‘‘Sec. 431. Appeal procedure. 
‘‘Sec. 432. Regulations. 
‘‘Sec. 433. Reports to Congress. 
‘‘Subtitle D—Rural Housing Stability Assistance Program 
‘‘Sec. 491. Rural housing stability assistance. 
‘‘Sec. 492. Use of FHMA inventory for transitional housing for homeless per-
sons and for turnkey housing.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives October 2, 
2008. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7221 
AN ACT 
To amend the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assist-
ance Act to reauthorize the Act, and for other 
purposes.