Emergency Homelessness Assistance Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.1706 | Sponsor: Rep. Pressley, Ayanna (D-MA)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Emergency Homelessness Assistance Act of 2021
This bill provides additional FY2021 funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOME Investment Partnerships Program. Funding is provided for tenant-based rental assistance, development and support of affordable housing, supportive housing services, and the acquisition of non-congregate shelter units. These units may remain non-congregate shelter units, be converted into permanent affordable housing, or be used as emergency shelter. Individuals qualifying for such assistance include at-risk veterans and individuals who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence or other dangerous situations.

To provide emergency homelessness assistance to respond to the COVID-19 
                   pandemic, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Emergency Homelessness Assistance 
Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. HOMELESSNESS ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PROGRAM.

    (a) Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise made 
available, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
there are appropriated for fiscal year 2021, $5,000,000,000, as 
authorized under title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable 
Housing Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 12721 et seq.), to remain available 
until September 30, 2025, except that amounts authorized under 
subsection (d)(3) shall remain available until September 30, 2029, for 
the following activities to primarily benefit qualifying individuals or 
families:
            (1) Tenant-based rental assistance.
            (2) The development and support of affordable housing 
        pursuant to section 212(a) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National 
        Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12742(a)) (``the Act'' 
        herein).
            (3) Supportive services to qualifying individuals or 
        families not already receiving such supportive services, 
        including--
                    (A) activities listed in section 401(29) of the 
                McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
                11360(29));
                    (B) housing counseling; and
                    (C) homeless prevention services.
            (4) The acquisition and development of non-congregate 
        shelter units, all or a portion of which may--
                    (A) be converted to permanent affordable housing;
                    (B) be used as emergency shelter under subtitle B 
                of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance 
                Act (42 U.S.C. 11371-11378);
                    (C) be converted to permanent housing under 
                subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
                Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381-11389); or
                    (D) remain as non-congregate shelter units.
    (b) Qualifying Individuals or Families Defined.--For the purposes 
of this section, qualifying individuals or families are those who are--
            (1) homeless, as defined in section 103(a) of the McKinney-
        Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302(a));
            (2) at-risk of homelessness, as defined in section 401(1) 
        of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
        11360(1));
            (3) fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, 
        dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human 
        trafficking;
            (4) in other populations where providing supportive 
        services or assistance under section 212(a) of the Act (42 
        U.S.C. 12742(a)) would prevent the family's homelessness or 
        would serve those with the greatest risk of housing 
        instability; or
            (5) veterans and families that include a veteran family 
        member that meet one of the preceding criteria.
    (c) Terms and Conditions.--
            (1) Funding restrictions.--The cost limits in section 
        212(e) (42 U.S.C. 12742(e)), the commitment requirements in 
        section 218(g) (42 U.S.C. 12749(g)), the matching requirements 
        in section 220 (42 U.S.C. 12750), and the set-aside for housing 
        developed, sponsored, or owned by community housing development 
        organizations required in section 231 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 
        12771) shall not apply for amounts made available in this 
        section.
            (2) Administrative costs.--Notwithstanding sections 212(c) 
        and (d)(1) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 12742(c) and (d)(1)), of the 
        funds made available in this section for carrying out 
        activities authorized in this section, a grantee may use up to 
        fifteen percent of its allocation for administrative and 
        planning costs.
            (3) Operating expenses.--Notwithstanding sections 212(a) 
        and (g) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 12742(a) and (g)), a grantee may 
        use up to an additional five percent of its allocation for the 
        payment of operating expenses of community housing development 
        organizations and nonprofit organizations carrying out 
        activities authorized under this section, but only if--
                    (A) such funds are used to develop the capacity of 
                the community housing development organization or 
                nonprofit organization in the jurisdiction or insular 
                area to carry out activities authorized under this 
                section; and
                    (B) the community housing development organization 
                or nonprofit organization complies with the limitation 
                on assistance in section 234(b) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 
                12774(b)).
    (d) Allocation.--
            (1) Formula assistance.--Except as provided in paragraphs 
        (2) and (3), amounts made available under this section shall be 
        allocated pursuant to section 217 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 12746) 
        to grantees that received allocations pursuant to that same 
        formula in fiscal year 2021, and such allocations shall be made 
        within 30 days of enactment of this Act.
            (2) Technical assistance.--Up to $25,000,000 of the amounts 
        made available under this section shall be used, without 
        competition, to make new awards or increase prior awards to 
        existing technical assistance providers to provide an immediate 
        increase in capacity building and technical assistance 
        available to any grantees implementing activities or projects 
        consistent with this section.
            (3) Other costs.--Up to $50,000,000 of the amounts made 
        available under this section shall be used for the 
        administrative costs to oversee and administer implementation 
        of this section and the HOME program generally, including 
        information technology, financial reporting, and other costs.
            (4) Waivers.--Any provision of any statute or regulation 
        used to administer the amounts made available under this 
        section (except for requirements related to fair housing, 
        nondiscrimination, labor standards, and the environment), may 
        be waived upon a finding that any such waivers or alternative 
        requirements are necessary to expedite or facilitate the use of 
        amounts made available in this section.
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