[House Report 111-449]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
111th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 111-449
======================================================================
END VETERAN HOMELESSNESS ACT OF 2010
_______
March 22, 2010.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Filner, from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 4810]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Veterans' Affairs, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 4810) to amend title 38, United States Code, to
make certain improvements in the services provided for homeless
veterans under the laws administered by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, having considered the same, report favorably
thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 2
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Hearings......................................................... 4
Subcommittee Consideration....................................... 5
Committee Consideration.......................................... 5
Committee Votes.................................................. 6
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 6
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 6
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures 6
Earmarks and Tax and Tariff Benefits............................. 6
Committee Cost Estimate.......................................... 6
Congressional Budget Office Estimate............................. 6
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 8
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 9
Constitutional Authority Statement............................... 9
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 9
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 9
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill as Reported............. 10
Purpose and Summary
H.R. 4810 was introduced by Representative Bob Filner of
California, Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, on
March 10, 2010. H.R. 4810 would seek to help homeless veterans
by making key improvements and expansions to existing programs
at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These improvements
include increasing the amount authorized to be appropriated for
the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program; placing an increased
emphasis on homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with
children for the homeless media campaign; extending and
increasing funding for a supportive services program to help
certain veterans in permanent housing; and making key
operational improvements to the GPD program and VA's
institutional ability to provide assistance to veterans
receiving services under the Department of Housing and Urban
Development-Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
(HUD-VASH) program.
Background and Need for Legislation
According to the VA, about one-third of the adult homeless
population has served their country in the Armed Forces.
Current population estimates suggest that over 130,000 veterans
are homeless on any given night and twice as many experience
homelessness at some point during the course of a year.
Homelessness is also a growing problem for our veterans
returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, especially as they face
higher rates of unemployment, post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). These staggering
statistics are the basis for H.R. 4810 which aims to help end
homelessness among the nation's veterans.
Section 2 of H.R. 4810 would increase the annual
authorization of appropriations for the VA Grant and Per Diem
(GPD) program for homeless veterans from $150 million to $200
million. This will help provide additional transitional housing
beds for homeless veterans, help fund special needs grants for
homeless women veterans and single parents with dependent
children, and provide for additional drop-in service centers in
areas with a large homeless veteran population.
The GPD program consists of a Grant Component and the Per
Diem Component. The Grant Component funds the construction,
renovation, or acquisition of a building for transitional
housing or service centers which offer such services as case
management, counseling, and crisis intervention. The Per Diem
Component funds the operational costs, including salaries of
personnel. The VA reports that the length of stay in the GPD
program for homeless veterans averages three to five months. In
addition, VA program data show that over half of the veterans
who participated in the GPD program obtained independent
housing and another quarter were in transitional housing
programs, halfway houses, hospitals, nursing homes, or similar
forms of secured housing.
The funding increase provided by section 2 of H.R. 4810
would help to address the issue highlighted by the September
27, 2007, Government Accountability Office (GAO) report
Homeless Veterans Program: Bed Capacity, Service and
Communication Gaps Challenge the Grant and Per Diem Program
(GAO-07-1265T). GAO found that in 2006, the VA estimated that
they needed 51,700 transitional beds; however, only 40,600 beds
were available through the GPD and other Federal, State, and
community programs. This left the VA with an estimated
shortfall of 11,100 additional beds, which were needed to meet
the excess demand. The increase in funding for the GPD program
helps to mitigate some of the excess demand for transitional
beds.
Section 3 of H.R. 4810 would make certain programmatic
improvements to the GPD program. First, it would change the
rate of payment from a daily cost of care to an annual cost of
furnishing services. With this authority, the VA would be
allowed to make payments to per diem grant recipients on a
quarterly basis, and would create a quarterly reconciliation
process where adjustments are made to increase or decrease
payments. This authority would allow grantees to draw down
funds in anticipation of allowable and contractual expenses, as
well as address the cash shortfall problem faced by grantees
where the organization must incur debt and then apply for
reimbursements from the VA.
This section would allow the VA to annually adjust the rate
of payment to reflect anticipated changes in the cost of
providing services, as well as geographic differences. Because
the per diem rate may be less than the actual daily cost of
care for homeless veterans, some organizations in high cost
service areas opt not to apply for GPD funding. Allowing the VA
to increase the payment rate to account for the changes in
service costs and geographic differences makes GPD more
attractive for potential grantees.
Finally, section 3 of H.R. 4810 would allow providers to
use the per diem grant funds to match other federal funding
sources. Providers are unable to use these funds to match other
federal funding sources. The current system penalizes GPD
providers that are successful in securing other sources of
income for services to homeless veterans by reducing their per
diem payment rate. Consequently, providers are discouraged from
developing partnerships with other Federal, State, local and
non-profit agencies and other private funding sources. The
proposed fix would encourage leveraging of VA funds to secure
additional financial resources from other entities.
Section 4 of H.R. 4810 would require the VA to provide for
housing specialists, including peer specialists who were
formerly homeless veterans, for the HUD-VASH program. These
specialists would conduct landlord outreach activities,
including encouraging and facilitating the landlord's
participation in the HUD-VASH program, mediating disputes
between the veterans and the landlords; and establishing and
maintaining a list of available rental units. As of August of
2009, VA data showed that they had only awarded about 5,500
HUD-VASH vouchers out of 20,000 available vouchers. This
provision would provide the VA with an important tool for
awarding the remaining housing vouchers.
Section 4 of H.R. 4810 would require the VA to work with
HUD to access HUD's Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-
Housing Program, which received $1.5 billion through the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This would help
homeless veterans access the rapid re-housing funds for
assistance with basic essentials, security deposits for rental
units, and for payments of the first month's rent. This
provision would help address the problem identified by a
December 2007 GAO report Rental Housing Information on Low-
Income Veterans' Housing Conditions and Participation in HUD's
Programs (GAO-08-324T) which found that low-income veteran
households were less likely to receive assistance from HUD than
other non-veteran low-income households.
Section 5 of H.R. 4810 would extend and increase funding
for a supportive services program for very low-income veteran
families in permanent housing. Section 604 of Public Law 110-
387 (122 Stat. 4110) created the supportive services program to
help veterans gain access to appropriate services so that they
are less likely to experience housing instability and are more
likely to maintain their self-sufficiency. Examples of
supportive services include help with personal financial
planning, income support services, and legal services to help
veterans with issues that interfere with their ability to
obtain or retain housing. The VA is in the process of
implementing section 604 and informs the Committee that the
regulations define supportive services to also include rental
arrears assistance. Section 5 of the bill would ensure that
this program does not expire at the end of fiscal year 2011 and
provides for sufficient resources a significant, phased-in
funding increase to $100 million per year.
Finally, section 6 of the bill would direct the VA to focus
its media outreach efforts on homeless women veterans and
homeless veterans with children. This provision aims to address
the problem of the over-representation of homeless women
veterans. Research shows that women veterans are four times as
likely to be homeless than their civilian counterparts.
Currently, there are about 7,000 homeless women but this number
is expected to increase as more women return from Iraq and
Afghanistan. By focusing the outreach efforts on homeless women
veterans, it will help to inform and refer this vulnerable
population to the appropriate and necessary programs and
services.
Hearings
On June 3, 2009, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
held an oversight hearing entitled ``A National Commitment to
End Veterans' Homelessness.'' The following witnesses
testified: Mr. John Driscoll, Vice President for Operations and
Programs, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans; Mr. Dwight
A. Radcliffe, Sr., Director, US VETS; Ms. Marcia Four,
Director, Mary E. Walker House; Chief Warrant Officer James S.
Fann, USA (Ret.), Director, Manna House, Johnson City,
Tennessee; Phil Landis, Chief Executive Officer, Veterans
Village; Carol Adams, Ph.D., Secretary, Illinois Department of
Human Services; Mr. Robert V. Hess, Commissioner, New York City
Department of Homeless Services; Carol L. Caton, Ph.D.,
Director, Center for Homeless Prevention Studies, Columbia
University; Dr. Brendan O'Flaherty, Ph.D., Professor of
Economics, Columbia University; Mr. George Basher, Chair,
Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs; and, Mr. Peter Dougherty, Director, Homeless
Veterans Programs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
accompanied by Mr. Paul E. Smits, Associate Chief Consultant,
Homeless and Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment Programs,
Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs; and, Mr. John M. McWilliam, Deputy Assistant
Secretary, Veterans' Employment and Training Service, U.S.
Department of Labor. Those submitting statements for the record
included: The Honorable Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South
Dakota; The Honorable Harry E. Mitchell of Arizona; The
Honorable Steve Buyer of Indiana; Mr. Mark Johnston, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Special Needs, U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development; Ms. Mary Cunningham, Senior
Research Association, Urban Institute; and, Mr. Cecil Byrd,
Executive Director, National Association of Concerned Veterans.
On October 1, 2009, the Subcommittee on Health held a
legislative hearing on several bills, including H.R. 2504, H.R.
2559, H.R. 2735, and Draft Discussions on Homelessness,
Graduate Psychology Education, and Psychiatric Service Dogs.
The following witnesses testified: The Honorable Bob Filner of
California; The Honorable Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South
Dakota; The Honorable Phil Hare of Illinois; The Honorable Ciro
Rodriguez of Texas; The Honorable Glenn Nye of Virginia; The
Honorable Michael Arcuri of New York; The Honorable Harry
Teague of New Mexico; Mr. Joseph L. Wilson, Deputy Director,
Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission, The American
Legion; Mr. Justin Brown, Legislative Associate, National
Legislative Service, Veterans of Foreign Wars; Mr. Richard F.
Weidman, Executive Director for Policy and Government Affairs,
Vietnam Veterans of America; Mr. Blake Ortner, Senior Associate
Legislative Director, Paralyzed Veterans of America; Mr. Peter
C. Dougherty, Director, Homeless Veterans Programs, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs who was accompanied by Mr. Paul
E. Smits, Associate Chief Consultant, Homeless Residential
Rehabilitation and Treatment Programs, U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs; and Ms. Jane Clare Joyner, Deputy Assistant
General Counsel, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Those
submitting for the record included: Mr. Rick A. McMichael,
President, American Chiropractic Association; the American
Physical Therapy Association; and, the American Tinnitus
Association.
Subcommittee Consideration
On October 22, 2009, the Subcommittee on Health met in open
markup session and ordered favorably forwarded to the full
Committee a committee print encompassing H.R. 2504, H.R. 2559,
H.R. 2735, H.R. 3885, and Draft Legislation on Supportive
Services for Certain Veteran Families in Permanent Housing.
During consideration of the bills the following amendments were
considered:
An amendment to H.R. 2559 by Mr. Michaud of Maine to
emphasize a homeless media campaign on homeless women
veterans and homeless veterans with children was agreed
to by voice vote.
An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R.
2735 by Mr. Rodriguez of Texas to eliminate the
transfer from the Grant Component of the GPD Program to
fund the salaries of Service Center personnel, and to
create a quarterly draw-down and reconciliation of the
Per Diem Component of the GPD funds was agreed to by
voice vote.
Committee Consideration
On March 10, 2010, the full Committee met in an open markup
session, a quorum being present, and ordered H.R. 4810 reported
favorably to the House of Representatives, by voice vote.
Committee Votes
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires the Committee to list the record votes
on the motion to report the legislation and amendments thereto.
There were no record votes taken on amendments or in connection
with ordering H.R. 4810 reported to the House. A motion by Mr.
Henry Brown of South Carolina to order reported favorably to
the House of Representatives was agreed to by voice vote.
Committee Oversight Findings
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause
(2)(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the Committee's oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the descriptive portions of
this report.
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
In accordance with clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee's performance
goals and objectives are reflected in the descriptive portions
of this report.
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures
In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee adopts as its
own the estimate of new budget authority, entitlement
authority, or tax expenditures or revenues contained in the
cost estimate prepared by the Director of the Congressional
Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974.
Earmarks and Tax and Tariff Benefits
H.R. 4810 does not contain any congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in
clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives.
Committee Cost Estimate
The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate on H.R.
4810 prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974.
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following is the cost estimate
for H.R. 4810 provided by the Congressional Budget Office
pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, March 15, 2010.
Hon. Bob Filner,
Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4810, the End
Veteran Homelessness Act of 2010.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sunita
D'Monte.
Sincerely,
Douglas W. Elmendorf,
Director.
Enclosure.
H.R. 4810--End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2010
Summary: H.R. 4810 would authorize several programs at the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for homeless veterans. CBO
estimates that implementing the bill would cost $612 million
over the 2010-2015 period, assuming appropriation of the
specified amounts.
Enacting this legislation would not affect direct spending
or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not
apply.
H.R. 4810 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA).
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary impact of H.R. 4810 is shown in the following table.
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 700
(veterans benefits and services).
Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes the
legislation will be enacted in fiscal year 2010, that the
authorized amounts will be provided in 2010 and near the start
of each subsequent fiscal year, and that outlays will follow
historical patterns for similar and existing programs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2010-2015
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Supportive Services for Low-Income
Families:
Authorization Level.................. 0 0 51 76 101 101 329
Estimated Outlays.................... 0 0 46 73 98 100 317
Grants and Per Diem Payments:
Authorization Level.................. 50 50 50 50 50 50 300
Estimated Outlays.................... 11 70 64 50 50 50 295
Promoting Programs for the Homeless:
Estimated Authorization Level........ * * * * * * *
Estimated Outlays.................... * * * * * * *
Total Costs:
Estimated Authorization Level.... 50 50 101 126 151 151 629
Estimated Outlays................ 11 70 110 123 148 150 612
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: * = less than $500,000.
Supportive Services for Low-Income Families
Section 5 would permanently extend an existing VA program
that provides grants to entities serving certain low-income
families and authorize the appropriation of $329 million over
the 2012-2015 period.
The program, which expires in 2011, provides grants to
entities that help low-income families that are homeless,
transitioning to permanent housing, or already in permanent
housing. Those entities provide a variety of services including
outreach, case management, and assistance accessing VA or other
public benefits. CBO estimates that implementing that provision
would cost $317 million over the 2012-2015 period, assuming
appropriation of the specified amounts.
Grants and Per Diem Payments
Section 2 would increase the annual amounts authorized for
the VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program (GPD)
from $150 million to $200 million. That program provides
capital grants for constructing, renovating, or acquiring
buildings and per diem payments to fund operating costs.
In addition, section 3 would make the following changes to
the GPD program:
Funding for operating costs would be based
on the entity's annual cost of care and payments would
be made each quarter, and
Payments could be adjusted for geographical
differences in the cost of care, capped by VA, and used
by the entity to match other payments or grants for
which they might be eligible.
CBO estimates that implementing those sections would cost
$295 million over the 2010-2015 period, assuming appropriation
of the specified amounts.
Promoting Programs for the Homeless
Section 6 would encourage VA to expand its promotion of
programs for homeless veterans to include programs for homeless
veterans that are female or have children. Assuming
availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that
implementing this section would cost less than $500,000 each
year and over the 2010-2015 period.
Pay-as-you-go considerations: None.
Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 4810
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA. State, local, and tribal governments that
provide assistance to veterans would benefit from grant and
program activities authorized in the bill.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Sunita D'Monte; Impact
on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Lisa Ramirez-Branum;
Impact on the Private Sector: Elizabeth Bass.
Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
Federal Mandates Statement
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates regarding H.R. 4810 prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
Advisory Committee Statement
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act would be created by H.R.
4810.
Constitutional Authority Statement
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee finds that the
Constitutional authority for H.R. 4810 is provided by Article
I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States.
Applicability to Legislative Branch
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation
Section 1. Short title
This section provides the short title of H.R. 4810 as the
``End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2010.''
Section 2. Increase in amount authorized to be appropriated for
comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans
This section would increase the annual authorization of
appropriations for the VA Grant and Per Diem program for
homeless veterans from $150 million to $200 million.
Section 3. Improvement of payments for providing services to homeless
veterans
This section would change the per diem payments from daily
cost of care to an annual cost of services, including annual
adjustments to the rate of per diem payments to reflect
anticipated changes in the cost of providing services and to
make geographic adjustments. This section would allow the VA to
make payments to per diem grant recipients on a quarterly
basis, and also would establish a quarterly reconciliation
process where adjustments are made to increase or decrease
payments. Finally, this section would allow grant recipients to
use per diem funds to match other federal funding sources to
encourage leveraging VA funds to secure additional financial
resources from other entities.
Section 4. Supported housing program outreach
This section would require each VA medical center that
provides treatment and services to veterans receiving services
under the HUD-VASH program to either employ or provide one or
more housing specialists to conduct landlord outreach. Housing
specialists may include peer specialists who were formerly
homeless veterans. Landlord outreach activities of the housing
specialists include encouraging and facilitating the landlord's
participation in the HUD-VASH program; mediating disputes
between the veterans and the landlords; and establishing and
maintaining a list of available rental units. This section also
ensures that the VA work with the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) to help homeless veterans access HUD's
Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program for
assistance with basic essentials, security deposits for rental
units, and for payments of the first month's rent.
Section 5. Authorization of appropriations for Department of Veterans
Affairs program to provide financial assistance for supportive
services for very low-income veteran families in permanent
housing
This section would extend the supportive services program
for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing and
provides for a phased-in increase in the authorization for
appropriations to $100 million per year after fiscal year 2013.
Section 6. Promotion of awareness of Department of Veterans Affairs
programs to assist homeless veterans among homeless women
veterans and homeless veterans with children
This section would ensure that the VA's existing authority
to advertise in national media for homeless veterans includes
new language directing the VA to focus on homeless women
veterans and homeless veterans with children.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE
* * * * * * *
PART I--GENERAL PROVISIONS
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 5--AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER II--SPECIFIED FUNCTIONS
* * * * * * *
Sec. 532. Authority to advertise in national media
The Secretary may purchase advertising in national media
outlets for the purpose of promoting awareness of benefits
under laws administered by the Secretary, including promoting
awareness of assistance provided by the Secretary, including
assistance for programs to assist homeless veterans (with a
special emphasis on promoting awareness of such assistance
among homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with
children), to promote veteran-owned small businesses, and to
provide opportunities for employment in the Department of
Veterans Affairs and for education, training, compensation,
pension, vocational rehabilitation, and healthcare benefits,
and mental healthcare (including the prevention of suicide
among veterans).
* * * * * * *
PART II--GENERAL BENEFITS
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 20--BENEFITS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS
SUBCHAPTER I--PURPOSE; DEFINITIONS; ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
Sec.
2001. Purpose.
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER II--COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS
* * * * * * *
[2012. Per diem payments.]
2012. Payments for furnishing services to homeless veterans.
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER III--TRAINING AND OUTREACH
* * * * * * *
2024. Supported housing program outreach.
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER II--COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS
* * * * * * *
[Sec. 2012. Per diem payments]
Sec. 2012. Payments for furnishing services to homeless veterans
(a) [Per Diem] Payments for Furnishing Services to Homeless
Veterans.--(1) Subject to the availability of appropriations
provided for such purpose, the Secretary, pursuant to such
criteria as the Secretary shall prescribe, shall provide to a
recipient of a grant under section 2011 of this title (or an
entity eligible to receive a grant under that section which
after November 10, 1992, establishes a program that the
Secretary determines carries out the purposes described in that
section) [per diem] payments for services furnished to any
homeless veteran--
(A) * * *
* * * * * * *
(2)(A) The rate for such [per diem] payments shall be the
[daily cost of care] annual cost of furnishing services
estimated by the grant recipient or eligible entity adjusted by
the Secretary under subparagraph (B). [In no case may the rate
determined under this paragraph exceed the rate authorized for
State homes for domiciliary care under subsection (a)(1)(A) of
section 1741 of this title, as the Secretary may increase from
time to time under subsection (c) of that section.]
[(B) The Secretary shall adjust the rate estimated by the
grant recipient or eligible entity under subparagraph (A) to
exclude other sources of income described in subparagraph (D)
that the grant recipient or eligible entity certifies to be
correct.]
(B) The Secretary shall annually adjust the rate of payment
under subparagraph (A) to reflect anticipated changes in the
cost of furnishing services and to take into account the cost
of providing services in a particular geographic area. The
Secretary may set a maximum amount payable to a grant recipient
under this section.
(C) Each grant recipient or eligible entity shall provide to
the Secretary such information with respect to [other sources
of income as the Secretary may require to make the adjustment
under subparagraph (B).] the cost of services provided by the
grant recipient as the Secretary may require to assist the
Secretary in making the determination under subparagraph (A)
[(D) The other sources of income referred to in subparagraphs
(B) and (C) are payments to the grant recipient or eligible
entity for furnishing services to homeless veterans under
programs other than under this subchapter, including payments
and grants from other departments and agencies of the United
States, from departments or agencies of State or local
government, and from private entities or organizations.]
(D) In making the determination under subparagraph (A), the
Secretary may consider the availability of other sources of
income, including payments to the grant recipient or eligible
entity for furnishing services to homeless veterans under
programs other than under this subchapter, payments or grants
from other departments or agencies of the United States, from
departments or agencies of State or local governments, or from
private entities or organizations.
(E) The Secretary shall authorize payments under this
subsection to each grant recipient on an annual basis but shall
make a payment to each grant recipient for each calendar
quarter in an amount equal to a portion of the annual amount
authorized for such recipient. Upon the expiration of a
calendar quarter, each grant recipient shall provide to the
Secretary a statement of the amount spent by the recipient
during that calendar quarter, and if the amount spent is less
than the amount provided for that calendar quarter, repay to
the Secretary the balance. If the amount spent by a grant
recipient for such purpose for a calendar quarter exceeds the
amount provided to the recipient for that quarter, the
Secretary shall make an additional payment to the recipient in
an amount equal to the amount by which the amount so spent
exceeded the amount so provided, as long as the total amount
provided to such recipient in a calendar year does not exceed
the amount of the annual payment for that recipient.
[(3) In a case in which the Secretary has authorized the
provision of services, payments under paragraph (1) may be paid
retroactively for services provided not more than three days
before the authorization was provided.]
(3) Payments under this subsection to a grant recipient or
eligible entity may be used to match, or in combination with,
other payments or grants for which the recipient or entity is
eligible.
(b) Inspections.--The Secretary may inspect any facility of a
grant recipient or entity eligible for payments under
subsection (a) at such times as the Secretary considers
necessary. No [per diem] payment may be provided to a grant
recipient or eligible entity under this section unless the
facilities of the grant recipient or eligible entity meet such
standards as the Secretary shall prescribe.
(c) Life Safety Code.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph
(2), a [per diem] payment may not be provided under this
section to a grant recipient or eligible entity unless the
facilities of the grant recipient or eligible entity, as the
case may be, meet applicable fire and safety requirements under
the Life Safety Code of the National Fire Protection
Association or such other comparable fire and safety
requirements as the Secretary may specify.
[(2) During the five-year period beginning on the date of the
enactment of this section, paragraph (1) shall not apply to an
entity that received a grant under section 3 of the Homeless
Veterans Comprehensive Service Programs Act of 1992 (Public Law
102-590; 38 U.S.C. 7721 note) before that date if the entity
meets fire and safety requirements established by the
Secretary.]
[(3)] (2) From amounts available for purposes of this
section, not less than $5,000,000 shall be used only for grants
to assist entities covered by paragraph (2) in meeting the Life
Safety Code of the National Fire Protection Association or such
other comparable fire and safety requirements as the Secretary
may specify.
Sec. 2013. Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
subchapter [$150,000,000] $200,000,000 for [fiscal year 2007]
fiscal year 2010 and each fiscal year thereafter.
SUBCHAPTER III--TRAINING AND OUTREACH
* * * * * * *
Sec. 2024. Supported housing program outreach
(a) Landlord Outreach.--(1) The Secretary shall ensure that
each medical center of the Department that provides treatment
and services under the supported housing program under section
8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437f(o)(19)) employs or provides (through coordination with a
public housing agency, homeless service provider, or other
appropriate organization) one or more specialists, which may
include peer specialists who were formerly homeless veterans,
for handling housing issues in conjunction with the program
under this subsection.
(2) Such specialists shall conduct outreach to landlords to
encourage and facilitate participation in the supportive
housing program, mediate disputes between veterans receiving
assistance under such program and landlords, establish and
maintain a list of dwelling units available for rental with
assistance under such program, and carry out other appropriate
activities.
(b) Homelessness Prevention and Rapid re-Housing
Assistance.--The Secretary shall coordinate with the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development to provide assistance to
homeless veterans in accessing the Homelessness Prevention and
Rapid Re-Housing Program administered by the Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development for assistance for basic
essentials, security deposits for rental dwelling units, and
advance payments of the first month's rent for such units.
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER V--HOUSING ASSISTANCE
* * * * * * *
Sec. 2044. Financial assistance for supportive services for very low-
income veteran families in permanent housing
(a) * * *
* * * * * * *
(e) Funding.--(1) From amounts appropriated to the Department
for Medical Services, there shall be available to carry out
subsection (a), (b), and (c) amounts as follows:
(A) * * *
* * * * * * *
(D) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.
(E) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.
(F) $100,000,000 for each subsequent fiscal year.
* * * * * * *
(3) There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for
[each of the fiscal year 2009 through 2011] each fiscal year to
carry out the provisions of subsection (d).
* * * * * * *