Emergency Housing Voucher Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.1724 | Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine (D-CA)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Emergency Housing Voucher Act of 2021
This bill provides additional FY2021 funding for emergency rental assistance vouchers through the Department of Housing and Urban Development for families and individuals who are (1) experiencing homelessness; (2) at risk of homelessness; (3) fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence and other dangerous situations; or (4) recently homeless.

To provide emergency rental assistance vouchers 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 Housing Voucher Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE VOUCHER PROGRAM.

    (a) Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise made 
available, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
there is appropriated for an additional amount to the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development (in this section referred to as the 
``Secretary''), $5,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, to remain 
available through fiscal year 2030, for--
            (1) incremental emergency vouchers under subsection (b);
            (2) renewals of the vouchers under subsection (b);
            (3) fees for the costs of administering vouchers under 
        subsection (b) and other eligible expenses defined by notice to 
        prevent, prepare, and respond to coronavirus to facilitate the 
        leasing of the emergency vouchers, such as security deposit 
        assistance and other costs related to retention and support of 
        participating owners; and;
            (4) adjustments in the calendar year 2021 section 8 renewal 
        funding allocation, including mainstream vouchers, for public 
        housing agencies that experience a significant increase in 
        voucher per-unit costs due to extraordinary circumstances or 
        that, despite taking reasonable cost savings measures, would 
        otherwise be required to terminate rental assistance for 
        families as a result of insufficient funding.
    (b) Emergency Vouchers.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide emergency 
        rental assistance vouchers under subsection (a), which shall be 
        tenant-based rental assistance under section 8(o) of the United 
        States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)).
            (2) Qualifying individuals or families defined.--For the 
        purposes of this section, qualifying individuals or families 
        are those who are--
                    (A) homeless (as such term is defined in section 
                103(a) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 
                (42 U.S.C. 11302(a));
                    (B) at risk of homelessness (as such term is 
                defined in section 401(1) of the McKinney-Vento 
                Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360(1)));
                    (C) fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic 
                violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or 
                human trafficking; or
                    (D) recently homeless, as determined by the 
                Secretary, and for whom providing rental assistance 
                will prevent the family's homelessness or having high 
                risk of housing instability.
            (3) Allocation.--Public housing agencies shall be notified 
        of the number of emergency vouchers allocated to the agency not 
        later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
        in accordance with a formula that includes public housing 
        agency capacity and ensures geographic diversity, including 
        with respect to rural areas, among public housing agencies 
        administering the Housing Choice Voucher program.
            (4) Terms and conditions.--
                    (A) Election to administer.--The Secretary shall 
                establish a procedure for public housing agencies to 
                accept or decline the emergency vouchers allocated to 
                the agency in accordance with the formula under 
                subparagraph (3).
                    (B) Failure to use vouchers promptly.--If a public 
                housing agency fails to lease its authorized vouchers 
                under subsection (b) on behalf of eligible families 
                within a reasonable period of time, the Secretary may 
                revoke and redistribute any unleased vouchers and 
                associated funds, including administrative fees and 
                costs referred to in subsection (a)(3), to other public 
                housing agencies according to the formula under 
                paragraph (3).
            (5) Waivers and alternative requirements.--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), shall 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.
            (6) Termination of vouchers upon turnover.--After September 
        30, 2023, a public housing agency may not reissue any vouchers 
        made available under this section when assistance for the 
        family assisted ends.
    (c) Technical Assistance and Other Costs.--The Secretary may use 
not more $20,000,000 of the amounts made available under this section 
for the costs to the Secretary of administering and overseeing the 
implementation of this section and the Housing Choice Voucher program 
generally, including information technology, financial reporting, and 
other costs. Of the amounts set aside under this subsection, the 
Secretary may use not more than $10,000,000, 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 to public housing agencies.
    (d) Implementation.--The provisions of this section may be 
implemented by notice.
                                 <all>