Tiny Homes for Homeless Veterans Act
Bill: H.R.6307 | Sponsor: Rep. Kilmer, Derek (D-WA)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Tiny Homes for Homeless Veterans Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement a six-year pilot program to provide grants for the creation of five villages of tiny homes for homeless veterans. Under the bill, the villages must have associated supportive services to allow veterans to build and live in energy efficient homes, maintain social connections with each other, learn skills, and receive critical counseling.
Under the bill, a tiny home is an individual housing unit that is approximately 240 square feet for one person or approximately 340 square feet if the home is for a family.

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a pilot program to 
    build tiny homes for homeless veterans, 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 ``Tiny Homes for Homeless Veterans 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON TINY HOMES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) In 2009, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs announced a 
        plan to end veteran homelessness by the end of fiscal year 
        2015.
            (2) While the Department of Veterans Affairs did not reach 
        such goal, the Department continues to focus on reducing the 
        number of veterans experiencing homelessness.
            (3) As of January 2020, the Department of Housing and Urban 
        Development estimated there to be 37,252 homeless veterans.
            (4) At the start of January 2020, 21 out of every 10,000 
        veterans in the United States were experiencing homelessness.
            (5) Veterans constitute about six percent of the population 
        of the United States but eight percent of the country's 
        homeless population.
            (6) The leading causes of homelessness among veterans are 
        post-traumatic stress disorder, social isolation, unemployment, 
        and substance abuse.
            (7) Individual transitional housing units improve personal 
        safety for veterans and reduce risks associated with close 
        quarters living in a shelter.
    (b) Pilot Program.--
            (1) Establishment.--Subchapter VII of chapter 20 of title 
        38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new section:
``Sec. 2068. Pilot program on tiny homes for homeless veterans.
    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall carry out a pilot program 
(in this section referred to as the `Program') to make grants to 
facilitate the creation of five villages of tiny homes--
            ``(1) across the United States with associated supportive 
        services to allow veterans to build and live in the homes, 
        maintain social connections with each other, learn skills, and 
        receive critical counseling; and
            ``(2) to build the homes such that the homes are energy 
        efficient with low carbon footprints.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--(1) The Secretary may award a grant under 
the Program to any entity eligible for grants and per diem payments 
under sections 2011 and 2012 of this title, including--
            ``(A) a non-profit organization described in section 
        501(c)(3) or section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
        1986; and
            ``(B) a State or local government.
    ``(2) To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an entity 
specified in paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary an application 
at such time, in such form, and containing such information as the 
Secretary determines appropriate, including the following:
            ``(A) A description of the long-term goals and objectives 
        for the proposed project.
            ``(B) A description of the village that the entity intends 
        to build under the grant.
            ``(C) A list of all supportive services that the entity 
        intends to provide under the grant.
            ``(D) The number of veterans that the village will be 
        capable of housing at any given time.
            ``(E) A description of factors that an entity will use to 
        screen veterans who will build and reside in the housing.
            ``(F) A description of how the entity will evaluate the 
        performance of such entity under the grant.
    ``(c) Eligible Uses.--A recipient of a grant awarded under the 
Program shall use grant funds for the following:
            ``(1) Construction of the village.
            ``(2) Supportive job skills services, including--
                    ``(A) reading and comprehending blueprints;
                    ``(B) preparing foundation, framing, and exterior 
                siding;
                    ``(C) learning general tiny home design concepts;
                    ``(D) installing finish woods, windows, doors, 
                trim, baseboards, and stairs;
                    ``(E) creating custom multifunctional furniture 
                specifically designed for tiny home living; and
                    ``(F) cooking skills.
            ``(3) Supportive counseling services, located in the 
        village or in the local community with transportation to the 
        community provided to the veterans, including--
                    ``(A) case management services (pursuant to section 
                2022 of this title);
                    ``(B) financial management;
                    ``(C) counseling for addiction issues;
                    ``(D) educational opportunities;
                    ``(E) anger management; and
                    ``(F) career and employment resources.
            ``(4) Any other use the Secretary determines appropriate.
    ``(d) Notice.--The Secretary shall publish a Notice of Funding 
Opportunity on the internet website Grants.gov, or such successor 
website, for the Program.
    ``(e) Priority.--In awarding grants under the Program, the 
Secretary shall give priority to an entity specified in subsection (c) 
that proposes to carry out the project facilitated with grant funds to 
create LEED-certified units.
    ``(f) Reporting.--(1) During each year beginning in the second year 
after being awarded a grant, each grantee shall submit to the 
Department a report on the activities of the grantee under the Program 
during the calendar year preceding the report, including the following:
            ``(A) The degree to which the grantee made progress toward 
        meeting the long-term goals and objectives described in the 
        application of the grantee and the performance by the grantee 
        of the covered benchmarks described in the application.
            ``(B) The demographic data of veterans participating in the 
        Program.
            ``(C) The details regarding the progress of such veterans 
        toward achieving the ability to maintain housing and live 
        independently, increasing skill levels and income, and 
        obtaining greater self-determination.
            ``(D) Any other matter the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    ``(2) During the fourth year of the Program, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Appropriations and Veterans' Affairs of the 
Senate and House of Representatives a report comparing the outcomes of 
grantees under the Program to the outcomes of grantees under other 
grant and per diem payment programs that do not contain individual 
homes and a community center with supportive services, including the 
following:
            ``(A) The average amount of time a veteran stayed in a tiny 
        home.
            ``(B) The percentage of veterans who exit the village to 
        permanent housing.
            ``(C) The percentage of veterans who exit the village with 
        competitive employment.
            ``(D) The percentage of veterans who have a negative exit 
        from the village.
            ``(E) Any other matter the Secretary determinates 
        appropriate.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amounts authorized 
to be appropriated to the Secretary for grant and per diem payments for 
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2027, $10,000,000 may be used to 
carry out the program.
    ``(h) Sunset.--The Secretary may not award a grant under the 
Program after the day that is six years after the date of the enactment 
of the Tiny Homes for Homeless Veterans Act.
    ``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `community center' means a building of 
        approximately 2,000 square feet where the veterans can gather 
        for socialization and to receive supportive services.
            ``(2) The term `cross-laminated timber' means a thermally 
        modified wood product that is mildew-, rot-, and bug-resistant.
            ``(3) The term `negative exit', with respect to a veteran 
        participating in the Program, means an instance under which a 
        veteran leaves the Program because such veteran violated the 
        rules of the Program (excluding exits because of threatened or 
        actual violence to self or others), failed to comply with the 
        requirements of the Program, or left the Program without 
        consulting staff.
            ``(4) The term `State' means each State of the United 
        States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, territory 
        or possession of the United States, and each federally 
        recognized Indian Tribe.
            ``(5) The term `tiny home' means an individual housing unit 
        for one person of approximately 240 square feet or an 
        individual housing unit for a family of approximately 340 
        square feet.
            ``(6) The term `village' means the community of tiny homes 
        and the community center.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents at the 
        beginning of chapter 20 of such title is amended by inserting 
        after the item relating to section 2067 the following new item:

``Sec. 2068. Pilot program on tiny homes for homeless veterans.''.
    (c) Implementation.--The Secretary shall carry out section 2068 of 
such title, as added by subsection (b), not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this section.
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