Title: Housing Our Heroes Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Housing Our Heroes Act
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to begin a three-year pilot grant program to assess the feasibility of awarding grants to eligible entities to purchase and renovate abandoned homes for homeless veterans.
Eligible entities are veterans service agencies and organizations, homeless organizations, and other nongovernmental organizations that demonstrate a record of financial stability and experience in developing housing for homeless veterans.
The VA shall give grant priority to entities that serve communities with the greatest need of homeless services and may give grant priority to achieve geographic grant distribution.
The bill establishes the Veterans Homelessness Grant Fund.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2733 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2733

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot grant 
 program to acquire and renovate abandoned homes for homeless veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 25, 2017

 Mr. Schneider (for himself, Mr. Thomas J. Rooney of Florida, Mr. Sean 
Patrick Maloney of New York, and Ms. Stefanik) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot grant 
 program to acquire and renovate abandoned homes for homeless veterans.

    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 ``Housing Our Heroes Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT GRANT PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS VETERANS.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall commence 
a pilot grant program to assess the feasibility and advisability of 
awarding grants to eligible entities to purchase and renovate abandoned 
homes for homeless veterans.
    (b) Grants.--
            (1) Award.--In carrying out the pilot program under 
        subsection (a), the Secretary shall award grants to eligible 
        entities to purchase and renovate abandoned homes for homeless 
        veterans.
            (2) Maximum amount.--The amount of a single grant awarded 
        under paragraph (1) shall not exceed $1,000,000.
            (3) Number.--The Secretary may award to an eligible entity 
        more than one grant under paragraph (1).
    (c) Eligible Entities.--The Secretary may award a grant under 
subsection (b)(1) to any of the following:
            (1) A veterans service agency.
            (2) A veterans service organization.
            (3) Homeless organizations.
            (4) Any other nongovernmental organization.
    (d) Selection of Grant Recipients.--
            (1) Application.--Any eligible entity seeking a grant under 
        subsection (b)(1) shall submit to the Secretary an application 
        therefore in such form and in such manner as the Secretary 
        considers appropriate.
            (2) Requirements.--The Secretary may only award grants 
        under subsection (b)(1) to an eligible entity that 
        demonstrates, as determined by the Secretary--
                    (A) a record of financial stability; and
                    (B) experience in developing housing for homeless 
                veterans.
            (3) Selection priority.--
                    (A) Communities with greatest need.--Subject to 
                subparagraph (B), in accordance with regulations the 
                Secretary shall prescribe, the Secretary shall give 
                priority in the awarding of grants under subsection 
                (b)(1) to eligible entities who serve communities that 
                the Secretary determines have the greatest need of 
                homeless services.
                    (B) Geographic distribution.--The Secretary may 
                give priority in the awarding of grants under 
                subsection (b)(1) to achieve a fair distribution, as 
                determined by the Secretary, among homeless veterans in 
                different geographical regions.
                    (C) Other agreements.--In awarding a grant under 
                subsection (b)(1) to an eligible entity in a location 
                determined pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B), the 
                Secretary shall give preference to eligible entities 
                that are entered into an agreement with the Secretary 
                under section 2041 of title 38, United States Code.
    (e) Use of Grant Funds.--
            (1) Purposes.--A grantee may use amounts of a grant awarded 
        to the grantee under subsection (b)(1) to purchase or renovate 
        abandoned homes, including homes that have been foreclosed.
            (2) Maximum purchase amount.--The Secretary shall establish 
        maximum amounts, based on geography, for grants awarded under 
        subsection (b)(1) that may be used for the purchase of a single 
        home.
            (3) Payment program.--
                    (A) The United States shall not have any ownership 
                interest in a home that is purchased by a grantee using 
                amounts of a grant awarded under subsection (b)(1).
                    (B) Each grantee shall ensure that, beginning one 
                year after the date on which a veteran begins to reside 
                in a home purchased or renovated by the grantee using a 
                grant awarded under subsection (b)(1), the veteran 
                makes monthly payments to the grantee in an amount 
                determined appropriate by the grantee that is not less 
                than 85 percent of the fair market rent for such home.
                    (C) Each grantee shall determine whether payments 
                made by a veteran under subparagraph (B) shall be 
                treated as rent or as a mortgage for the home for which 
                the veteran is making such payments. The Secretary, in 
                coordination with the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
                Development, shall determine the requirements for such 
                payments.
                    (D) Each grantee shall pay to the Secretary of 
                Veterans Affairs not less than 80 percent of each 
                payment received under subparagraph (B).
                    (E) The Secretary may conduct an audit of any 
                grantee to ensure that the grantee carries out this 
                paragraph.
            (4) Veterans homelessness grant fund.--
                    (A) There is established in the Treasury a fund to 
                be known as the ``Veterans Homelessness Grant Fund'' 
                (in this paragraph referred to as the ``Fund'').
                    (B) The Secretary shall deposit into the Fund the 
                payments collected by the Secretary under paragraph 
                (3)(D).
                    (C) Amounts deposited into the Fund pursuant to 
                subparagraph (B) shall be available to the Secretary to 
                carry out the pilot program under subsection (a) 
                without further appropriation. The Secretary may not 
                use such amounts from the Fund for any other purpose 
                unless pursuant to a specific provision of law.
    (f) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program 
under subsection (a) during the three-year period beginning on the date 
of the commencement of the pilot program.
    (g) Consultation.--The Secretary may consult with nongovernmental 
entities in developing the pilot program under subsection (a).
    (h) Annual Reports.--During each year in which the Secretary 
carries out the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report that details, with respect to the year 
covered by the report, the number of grants awarded, the amounts so 
awarded, the progress of home purchase and renovation made by eligible 
entities using such grants, and the number of tenants currently paying 
rent towards such homes.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary a total of $25,000,000 to carry out the 
pilot program under subsection (a).
    (j) Homeless Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term ``homeless 
veteran'' means any of the following veterans:
            (1) A veteran who is eligible to receive housing, clinical 
        services, and case management assistance under section 8(o)(19) 
        of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
        1437f(o)(19)).
            (2) A veteran who is receiving--
                    (A) assistance from, or is the beneficiary of a 
                service furnished by, a program that is in receipt of a 
                grant under section 2011 of title 38, United States 
                Code; or
                    (B) services for which per diem payment is received 
                under section 2012 of such title.
            (3) A veteran who is--
                    (A) a beneficiary of the outreach program carried 
                out under section 2022(e) of such title; or
                    (B) in receipt of referral or counseling services 
                from the program carried out under section 2023 of such 
                title.
            (4) A veteran who is receiving a service or assistance 
        under section 2031 of such title.
            (5) A veteran who is residing in therapeutic housing 
        operated under section 2032 of such title.
            (6) A veteran who is receiving domiciliary services under 
        section 2043 of such title or domiciliary care under section 
        1710(b) of such title.
            (7) A veteran who is receiving supportive services under 
        section 2044 of such title.
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