Title: Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act
This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration to award grants to state, local, and tribal government entities for the planning and implementation of programs to address homelessness.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 923 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 923

   To fight homelessness in the United States by authorizing a grant 
  program within the Health Resources and Services Administration for 
 housing programs that offer comprehensive services and intensive case 
           management for homeless individuals and families.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 28, 2019

   Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. 
  Klobuchar, Mr. Bennet, Ms. Smith, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. 
 Harris, and Ms. Rosen) introduced the following bill; which was read 
 twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                                Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To fight homelessness in the United States by authorizing a grant 
  program within the Health Resources and Services Administration for 
 housing programs that offer comprehensive services and intensive case 
           management for homeless individuals and families.

    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 ``Fighting Homelessness Through 
Services and Housing Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Health Resources and 
Services Administration (referred to in this section as the 
``Administrator''), in consultation with the working group established 
under subsection (b), shall establish a grant program to award 
competitive grants to eligible entities for the planning and 
implementation of programs to address homelessness.
    (b) Working Group.--The Administrator shall establish an 
interagency working group to provide advice to the Administrator in 
carrying out the program under subsection (a). The working group shall 
include representatives from the United States Interagency Council on 
Homelessness, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human 
Services, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of 
Labor, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, 
Department of Agriculture, Department of the Treasury, Department of 
Justice, and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
    (c) Types of Grants.--
            (1) Implementation grants.--
                    (A) In general.--Under the program under subsection 
                (a), the Administrator shall award 5-year 
                implementation grants to eligible entities to assist 
                such entities in carrying out activities, and paying 
                capital building costs, associated with the provision 
                of housing and services to homeless individuals and 
                families, including homeless children and youths (as 
                defined by section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
                Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)), or those at risk of 
                becoming homeless.
                    (B) Amount.--The amount awarded to an entity under 
                a grant under this paragraph shall not exceed 
                $25,000,000.
                    (C) Matching requirement.--With respect to the 
                costs of the activities to be carried out by an entity 
                under a grant under this paragraph, the entity shall 
                make available (directly or through donations from 
                public or private entities) non-Federal contributions 
                toward such costs in an amount that equals 25 percent 
                of the amount of the grant.
            (2) Planning grants.--
                    (A) In general.--Under the program under subsection 
                (a), the Administrator shall award 1-year planning 
                grants to eligible entities to assist such entities in 
                developing comprehensive plans to address homelessness 
                in the communities and regions served by such entities 
                or to enhance the effectiveness of existing programs 
                that serve homeless individuals and families, including 
                homeless children and youths (as defined by section 725 
                of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 
                U.S.C. 11434a)), or those at risk of becoming homeless.
                    (B) Amount.--The amount awarded to an entity under 
                a grant under this paragraph shall not exceed $100,000, 
                and such amount shall not be subject to any matching 
                requirement.
    (d) Eligibility.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        the program under subsection (a), an entity shall--
                    (A) be a governmental entity (at the county, city, 
                regional, or locality level), Indian tribe, or tribal 
                organization;
                    (B) demonstrate that the capacity of the entity for 
                providing services under the grant includes the ability 
                to address mental health, substance use disorder and 
                recovery services, disabling or other chronic health 
                conditions, educational and job training or employment 
                outcomes, and life skills needs (including financial 
                literacy); and
                    (C) submit to the Administrator an application that 
                includes an assurance that, in carrying out activities 
                under the grant, the entity will--
                            (i) ensure stable housing, intensive case 
                        management, and comprehensive services that 
                        include, at minimum, mental health, substance 
                        use disorder treatment and recovery services, 
                        education and job training, age-appropriate 
                        services for children, and life skills training 
                        (such as financial literacy training);
                            (ii) coordinate with the population to be 
                        served by the entity to ensure that supportive 
                        services are tailored to meet the specific and 
                        actual needs of the individuals and families 
                        served;
                            (iii) coordinate with local law 
                        enforcement, courts (including specialized 
                        courts), probation, and other public services 
                        agencies to conduct outreach and better 
                        identify at-risk or homeless populations that 
                        would benefit from services offered by the 
                        entity;
                            (iv) follow trauma-informed best practices 
                        to address the needs of the populations to be 
                        served;
                            (v) provide services under the grant on-
                        site or in-home as appropriate;
                            (vi) provide assistance in addressing the 
                        transportation needs of individuals for 
                        services provided under the grant off-site; and
                            (vii) comply with additional requirements, 
                        if the entity intends to serve families with 
                        children under the grant, to ensure--
                                    (I) that services include 
                                children's behavioral and mental health 
                                services, early childhood education, 
                                regular and age-appropriate children's 
                                programming and activities, child 
                                health, development, and nutrition 
                                screening (including coordination of 
                                medical and well-child services), and 
                                parenting classes and support programs;
                                    (II) in conditions where family 
                                housing is provided in a central 
                                facility and not in mixed units in a 
                                commercial building, that a safe space 
                                for play and age-appropriate activities 
                                is available on-site and has regular 
                                hours of operation; and
                                    (III) that the entity has in place 
                                protocol for staff training and best 
                                practices to identify and prevent child 
                                trafficking, abuse, and neglect.
            (2) Case management.--An entity receiving a grant under 
        this section shall ensure that case management provided by the 
        entity under the grant does not exceed a ratio of 1 caseworker 
        to 20 cases.
            (3) Partnerships.--An entity may enter into a partnership 
        with more than one provider that may include a local health 
        agency, non-profit service providers, medical and mental health 
        providers, housing providers, and other service providers as 
        necessary.
    (e) Oversight Requirements.--
            (1) Annual reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
        on which a grant is received by an entity under subsection (a), 
        and annually thereafter for the term of the grant, such entity 
        shall submit to the Administrator a report on the activities 
        carried out under the grant. Such report shall include, with 
        respect to activities carried out under the grant in the 
        community served, measures of outcomes relating to--
                    (A) whether individuals and families who are served 
                continued to have housing and did not experience 
                intermittent periods of homelessness;
                    (B) whether individuals and families who are served 
                see improvements in their physical and mental health, 
                have access to a specific primary care provider, 
                promptly receive any needed health care, and have a 
                health care plan that meets their individual needs 
                (including access to mental health and substance use 
                treatment as applicable, and family-based treatment 
                models);
                    (C) whether children who are served are enrolled in 
                school, attend regularly, and are receiving services to 
                meet their educational needs;
                    (D) whether children who are served have access to 
                trauma-informed mental health care and screening for 
                any mental and behavioral health needs, as well as 
                other services to meet their needs, as appropriate;
                    (E) how grant funds are used; and
                    (F) other matters determined appropriate by the 
                Administrator.
            (2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection shall 
        be construed to condition the receipt of future housing and 
        other services by individuals under the grant on the outcomes 
        detailed in the reports submitted under paragraph (1).
    (f) Definition.--In this section, the terms ``Indian tribe'' and 
``tribal organization'' have the meanings given such terms in section 4 
of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
U.S.C. 5304) and shall include tribally designated housing entities (as 
defined in section 4(22) of the Native American Housing Assistance and 
Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103(22))) and entities that 
serve Native Hawaiians (as defined in section 338K(c) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254s(c))).
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $750,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2020 through 2025, of which--
            (1) not less than 5 percent of such funds shall be awarded 
        to Indian tribes and tribal organizations;
            (2) $5,000,000 shall be made available for planning grants 
        under subsection (c)(2); and
            (3) the remainder shall be made available for 
        implementation grants under subsection (c)(1).
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