Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2021
Bill: S.1991 | Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris (D-MD)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2021
This bill establishes a voucher program through which public housing agencies shall offer support services to help unstably housed or at-risk families with children move to areas with access to high-performing schools and high-quality childcare and early education.

To authorize a new type of housing choice voucher to help achieve the 
 goals of ending homelessness among families with children, increasing 
  housing opportunities, and improving life outcomes of poor children.

    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 ``Family Stability and Opportunity 
Vouchers Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FAMILY STABILITY AND OPPORTUNITY VOUCHERS.

    Section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(o)), as amended by section 101(b)(2)(B) of division Q of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260), is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
            ``(22) Family stability and opportunity vouchers.--
                    ``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
                            ``(i) The term `area of concentrated 
                        poverty' means a census tract in which the 
                        poverty rate is not less than 30 percent, as 
                        most recently determined by the Bureau of the 
                        Census.
                            ``(ii) The term `at risk of homelessness' 
                        has the meaning given the term in section 401 
                        of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 
                        (42 U.S.C. 11360).
                            ``(iii) The term `eligible family' means a 
                        family that--
                                    ``(I) includes a pregnant woman or 
                                a child under the age of 6;
                                    ``(II) meets all applicable 
                                eligibility requirements under this 
                                subsection; and
                                    ``(III) is--
                                            ``(aa) homeless;
                                            ``(bb) unstably housed;
                                            ``(cc) living in an area of 
                                        concentrated poverty; or
                                            ``(dd) at risk of 
                                        displacement from--

                                                    ``(AA) an 
                                                opportunity area for 
                                                children; or

                                                    ``(BB) an area 
                                                rapidly transitioning 
                                                to become an 
                                                opportunity area for 
                                                children.

                            ``(iv) The term `high-performing school' 
                        shall have the meaning given the term by the 
                        Secretary, using the best available evidence.
                            ``(v) The term `homeless' has the meaning 
                        given the term in section 103 of the McKinney-
                        Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
                        11302).
                            ``(vi) The term `opportunity area for 
                        children' shall have the meaning given the term 
                        by the Secretary, using the best available 
                        evidence.
                            ``(vii) The term `unstably housed', with 
                        respect to a family, means a family who--
                                    ``(I) is at risk of homelessness;
                                    ``(II) has moved not less than 
                                twice during the 12-month period ending 
                                on the date on which a public housing 
                                agency selects the family from a 
                                waiting list to receive assistance 
                                under this paragraph;
                                    ``(III) is living in a unit not 
                                accessible to a disabled family member;
                                    ``(IV) is fleeing, or attempting to 
                                flee, domestic violence, dating 
                                violence, sexual assault, or stalking; 
                                or
                                    ``(V) is living in housing 
                                conditions that are dangerous or life-
                                threatening.
                    ``(B) Competitive award.--
                            ``(i) In general.--In each fiscal year for 
                        which amounts are authorized to be appropriated 
                        under subparagraph (F), the Secretary shall 
                        provide assistance to public housing agencies 
                        on a competitive basis to be used for--
                                    ``(I) incremental vouchers for 
                                eligible families; and
                                    ``(II) additional fees for the cost 
                                to the public housing agencies of 
                                providing mobility-related services to 
                                eligible families.
                            ``(ii) Selection.--For the second fiscal 
                        year in which the Secretary provides assistance 
                        under this paragraph, and each fiscal year 
                        thereafter, in selecting public housing 
                        agencies to receive assistance under this 
                        paragraph, the Secretary shall--
                                    ``(I) consider the performance of 
                                public housing agencies in implementing 
                                this paragraph; and
                                    ``(II) give preference to public 
                                housing agencies that partner with 
                                organizations that provide home 
                                visiting services, such as the services 
                                authorized under section 511 of the 
                                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 711) or 
                                locally funded initiatives, if those 
                                services are available in the service 
                                area of the public housing agency.
                    ``(C) Services required to be offered to families 
                receiving vouchers.--
                            ``(i) In general.--A public housing agency 
                        that receives assistance under this paragraph--
                                    ``(I) shall offer, to each eligible 
                                family that the agency selects to 
                                receive a voucher, mobility-related 
                                services to help the family move to an 
                                opportunity area for children with 
                                access to--
                                            ``(aa) a high-performing 
                                        school; or
                                            ``(bb) high-quality 
                                        childcare and early education;
                                    ``(II) may not require an eligible 
                                family to participate in the mobility-
                                related services described in subclause 
                                (I) as a condition of receipt of a 
                                voucher; and
                                    ``(III) shall adopt mobility-
                                related policies, to be specified by 
                                the Secretary.
                            ``(ii) Minimum assortment of services and 
                        policies.--The Secretary shall establish a 
                        minimum assortment of types of mobility-related 
                        services that a public housing agency shall 
                        offer, and mobility-related policies that a 
                        public housing agency shall adopt, under clause 
                        (i) based on promising practices and evidence 
                        of the effectiveness of the services and 
                        policies.
                            ``(iii) Specific services.--The types of 
                        mobility-related services required to be 
                        offered under clause (i)--
                                    ``(I) shall include a customized 
                                approach to enable a successful 
                                transition to opportunity areas for 
                                children; and
                                    ``(II) may include counseling and 
                                continued supportive services for 
                                families.
                            ``(iv) Opportunity areas for children; 
                        high-performing schools; high-quality child 
                        care and early education.--The Secretary shall 
                        establish criteria for areas, schools, and 
                        child care and early education to qualify as 
                        opportunity areas for children, high-performing 
                        schools, and high-quality child care and early 
                        education, respectively.
                            ``(v) Manner of providing services.--A 
                        public housing agency may provide mobility-
                        related services as required under clause (i) 
                        directly or through a local partnership or 
                        contract.
                    ``(D) Other requirements.--
                            ``(i) Turnover.--Upon turnover of a voucher 
                        issued by a public housing agency using 
                        assistance received under this paragraph, the 
                        public housing agency shall issue the voucher 
                        to another eligible family under this 
                        paragraph.
                            ``(ii) Recapture and reallocation by 
                        secretary.--If a public housing agency that 
                        receives assistance to be used for vouchers 
                        under this paragraph determines that it no 
                        longer has an identified need for the 
                        assistance, the public housing agency shall 
                        notify the Secretary, who may recapture the 
                        assistance and reallocate the assistance in 
                        accordance with this paragraph.
                            ``(iii) Relation to other laws.--
                        Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
                        with respect to a voucher authorized under this 
                        paragraph--
                                    ``(I) the Secretary may not waive 
                                any provision of this paragraph or 
                                subsection (r); and
                                    ``(II) subsection (b) of section 16 
                                shall apply, except as provided under 
                                subsection (d) of that section.
                    ``(E) Implementation.--
                            ``(i) Definitions.--Not later than 180 days 
                        after the date of enactment of this paragraph, 
                        the Secretary shall publish a notice for public 
                        comment in the Federal Register that includes 
                        any definitions or other specifications 
                        required or authorized under this paragraph.
                            ``(ii) Allocation of funding.--
                                    ``(I) Initial year.--For the first 
                                fiscal year for which amounts are 
                                appropriated to be provided to public 
                                housing agencies for incremental 
                                vouchers under this paragraph, the 
                                Secretary shall allocate the amounts to 
                                public housing agencies not later than 
                                2 years after the date on which the 
                                amounts are appropriated.
                                    ``(II) Subsequent years.--For any 
                                fiscal year after the fiscal year 
                                described in subclause (I), the 
                                Secretary shall allocate amounts to 
                                public housing agencies for incremental 
                                vouchers under this paragraph not later 
                                than 180 days after the date on which 
                                the amounts are appropriated.
                    ``(F) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
                authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for each 
                of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 such sums as may be 
                necessary to provide assistance to public housing 
                agencies under this paragraph to be used for--
                            ``(i) not more than 100,000 incremental 
                        vouchers each fiscal year, as described in 
                        subparagraph (B)(i)(I);
                            ``(ii) fees for the cost of administering 
                        the incremental vouchers described in 
                        subparagraph (B)(i)(I); and
                            ``(iii) additional fees for mobility-
                        related services, as described in subparagraph 
                        (B)(i)(II).''.
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