Trafficking Survivors Housing Act of 2021
Bill: S.2049 | Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod (D-OH)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Trafficking Survivors Housing Act of 2021
This bill requires the Interagency Council on Homelessness to study and report on the availability of housing and related services for human trafficking victims and individuals vulnerable to becoming human trafficking victims.
Specifically, the study must assess the availability and accessibility of housing and services for such individuals who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability and must identify best practices in meeting the housing and service needs of those individuals.

To require a study and report on the housing and service needs of 
   survivors of trafficking and individuals at risk for trafficking.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Trafficking Survivors Housing Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. STUDY AND REPORT ON HOUSING AND SERVICE NEEDS OF SURVIVORS OF 
              TRAFFICKING AND INDIVIDUALS AT RISK FOR TRAFFICKING.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Survivor of a severe form of trafficking.--The term 
        ``survivor of a severe form of trafficking'' has the meaning 
        given the term ``victim of a severe form of trafficking'' in 
        section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 
        (22 U.S.C. 7102).
            (2) Survivor of trafficking.--The term ``survivor of 
        trafficking'' has the meaning given the term ``victim of 
        trafficking'' in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims 
        Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).
    (b) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The United States Interagency Council on 
        Homelessness shall conduct a study assessing the availability 
        and accessibility of housing and services for individuals 
        experiencing homelessness or housing instability who are--
                    (A) survivors of trafficking, including survivors 
                of severe forms of trafficking; or
                    (B) at risk of being trafficked.
            (2) Coordination and consultation.--In conducting the study 
        required under paragraph (1), the United States Interagency 
        Council on Homelessness shall--
                    (A) coordinate with--
                            (i) the Interagency Task Force to Monitor 
                        and Combat Trafficking established under 
                        section 105 of the Trafficking Victims 
                        Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7103);
                            (ii) the United States Advisory Council on 
                        Human Trafficking;
                            (iii) the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
                        Development;
                            (iv) the Secretary of Health and Human 
                        Services; and
                            (v) the Attorney General; and
                    (B) consult with--
                            (i) the National Advisory Committee on the 
                        Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the 
                        United States;
                            (ii) survivors of trafficking;
                            (iii) direct service providers, including--
                                    (I) organizations serving runaway 
                                and homeless youth;
                                    (II) organizations serving 
                                survivors of trafficking through 
                                community-based programs; and
                                    (III) organizations providing 
                                housing services to survivors of 
                                trafficking; and
                            (iv) housing and homelessness assistance 
                        providers, including recipients of grants 
                        under--
                                    (I) the continuum of care program 
                                authorized under subtitle C of title IV 
                                of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
                                Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et 
                                seq.); and
                                    (II) the Emergency Solutions Grants 
                                Program authorized under subtitle B of 
                                title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
                                Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11371 et 
                                seq.).
            (3) Contents.--The study conducted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include--
                    (A) with respect to the individuals described in 
                that paragraph--
                            (i) an evaluation of formal assessments and 
                        outreach methods used to identify and assess 
                        the housing and service needs of those 
                        individuals, including outreach methods to--
                                    (I) ensure effective communication 
                                with individuals with disabilities; and
                                    (II) reach individuals with limited 
                                English proficiency;
                            (ii) a review of the availability and 
                        accessibility of homelessness or housing 
                        services for those individuals, including the 
                        family members of those individuals who are 
                        minors involved in foster care systems, that 
                        identifies the disability-related needs of 
                        those individuals, including the need for 
                        housing with accessibility features;
                            (iii) the effect of any policies and 
                        procedures of mainstream homelessness or 
                        housing services that facilitate or limit the 
                        availability of those services and 
                        accessibility for those individuals, including 
                        those individuals who are involved in the legal 
                        system, as those services are in effect as of 
                        the date on which the study is conducted;
                            (iv) an identification of best practices in 
                        meeting the housing and service needs of those 
                        individuals; and
                            (v) an assessment of housing discrimination 
                        against survivors of trafficking who are 
                        members of a protected class under the Fair 
                        Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.);
                    (B) an assessment of the ability of mainstream 
                homelessness or housing services to meet the 
                specialized needs of survivors of trafficking, 
                including trauma responsive approaches specific to 
                labor and sex trafficking survivors; and
                    (C) an evaluation of the effectiveness of, and 
                infrastructure considerations for, housing and service-
                delivery models that are specific to survivors of 
                trafficking, including survivors of severe forms of 
                trafficking, including emergency rental assistance 
                models.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness shall--
            (1) submit to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
        Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Services 
        of the House of Representatives a report containing the 
        information described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of 
        subsection (b)(3); and
            (2) make the report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly 
        available.
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