H.R. 5735 — what changed

Section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

changed “(21) Rental Voucher Demonstration Program for supportive and transitional housing for individuals recovering from opioid use disorders or other substance use disorders

changed “(A) Establishment—The Secretary shall establish a demonstration program under which the Secretary shall set aside, allocate, and distribute directly to eligible entities, from amounts made available for rental assistance under this subsection, the amounts specified in subparagraph (B) for an eligible entity to provide a voucher for such assistance to a covered individual through a supportive and transitional housing program that provides treatment for opioid use disorders or other substance use disorders (as applicable), job skills training, coordination with workforce development providers, and such assistance for a period of 12 to 24 months.assistance, as determined by the entity.

changed “(B) Amount—The amount specified in this subparagraph is, for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, year 2019, the amount necessary to provide the lesser of—

changed “(i) 0.5 percent of the total number of vouchers allocated renewed under this subsection during the fiscal year ending immediately before the date of the enactment of this paragraph; or

“(ii) 10,000 vouchers.

changed “(C) Criteria for eligible entities—An eligible entity shall provide an evidence-shall—

changed “(C) Criteria “(i) provide an evidence-based treatment program and demonstrate the ability to coordinate with workforce development providers for eligible entities—And eligible entity shall—individuals recovering from an opioid use disorder or other substance use disorder, as applicable, that meet standards established by the Secretary; and

changed “(i) provide an evidence-based treatment program and “(ii) demonstrate prior experience administering rental assistance vouchers, demonstrate prior experience administering supportive housing programs under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act, or demonstrate a job skills training partnership with a public housing agency or a housing program for individuals recovering from an opioid use disorder of a State, unit of local government, or other substance use disorder, as applicable, that meet standards established by Indian tribe (as such term is defined in section 4 of the Secretary.; andNative American Housing and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103)) that ensures effective administration of rental assistance vouchers.

removed “(ii) demonstrate prior experience administering rental assistance vouchers, demonstrate prior experience administering transitional housing programs under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act, or demonstrate a partnership with a public housing agency or a housing program of a State, unit of local government, or Indian tribe (as such term is defined in section 4 of the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103)) that ensures effective administration of rental assistance vouchers.

“(D) Application—To receive a rental assistance voucher under this paragraph, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary that shall include—

added “(i) a description of the terms of treatment program, coordination with workforce development providers, and rental assistance to be provided to a covered individual, and assurances that such description shall be communicated to covered individuals that receive vouchers pursuant to the demonstration program established under this paragraph;

changed “(i) “(ii) a description of transitional plan that begins on the terms of treatment program, job skills training, and rental assistance to be provided to date on which a covered individual, and assurances individual completes the treatment program of the eligible entity that such description shall be communicated includes information on additional treatment, coordination with workforce development opportunities, and housing resources and services available to such covered individuals that receive vouchers pursuant to the demonstration program established under this paragraph; individual; and

changed “(ii) a transitional plan “(iii) evidence sufficient to demonstrate that begins on the date on which a covered individual completes local government having jurisdiction over the treatment program location of any supportive housing facility to be used by the eligible entity that includes information on additional treatment, job skills training, and housing resources and services available to in connection with the demonstration program under this paragraph permits such covered individual.facilities in such location.

“(E) Selection—In selecting eligible entities to receive rental assistance vouchers under this paragraph, the Secretary shall—

“(i) ensure that such eligible entities—

“(I) are diverse;

changed “(II) represent an appropriate balance of eligible entities located in urban and rural areas; andareas, including tribal communities;

changed “(III) provide supportive and transitional housing programs in diverse geographic regions with high rates of mortality due to opioid use disorders or other substance use disorders, as applicable, based on data of the Centers have adequate resources for Disease Control treatment, recovery, and Prevention; andsupportive services;

changed “(ii) consider—“(IV) fully comply with the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.);

changed “(I) the success of each recipient eligible entity at helping individuals complete the treatment program of “(V) appropriately reflect the eligible entity and refrain from opioid or other substance usage, as applicable;impact that opioids are having in tribal communities; and

changed “(II) the type “(VI) provide supportive and transitional housing programs in diverse geographic regions with high rates of job skills training program provided by mortality due to opioid use disorders or other substance use disorders, as applicable, based on data of the eligible entity;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and

changed “(III) the percentage of participants “(ii) consider, in consultation with the job skills training program that gain Secretary of Health and maintain employment;Human Services and the Secretary of Labor—

changed “(IV) “(I) the percentage success of participants in each recipient eligible entity at helping individuals complete the treatment program of the eligible entity that—and refrain from illicit opioid or other substance usage, as applicable;

changed “(aa) do not relapse into opioid or other substance usage, as applicable; and“(II) the coordination with workforce development providers by the eligible entity;

changed “(bb) do not receive Federal assistance for treatment “(III) the percentage of an opioid use disorder or other substance use disorder, as applicable, participants in unsubsidized employment during the second and fourth calendar quarter after completion of exit from the program.program; and

changed “(F) Transfer of voucher—Upon termination “(IV) the percentage of participants in the provision treatment program of rental assistance through a voucher to a covered individual, the eligible entity that initially offered such voucher may use such voucher to provide rental assistance to another covered individual.do not relapse into opioid or other substance usage, as applicable.

added “(F) Reissuance of voucher—Upon termination of the provision of rental assistance through a voucher to a covered individual, the eligible entity that initially offered such voucher may use such voucher to provide rental assistance to another covered individual.

“(G) Duration—The Secretary shall not make rental assistance available under this paragraph after the expiration of the 5-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this paragraph.

added “(H) Waivers—The Secretary may, through publication of a notice in the Federal Register, waive or specify alternative requirements for any provision of statue or regulation governing the use of vouchers under this subsection (except for requirements relating to fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, or the environment) upon a finding by the Secretary that such waiver or alternative requirement is necessary for the purposes of this paragraph.

added “(I) Reports

removed “(H) Reports

“(i) By the eligible entity—An eligible entity that receives a rental assistance voucher under this paragraph shall submit to the Secretary—

“(I) annually, the transitional plan described in subparagraph (D)(ii) and information on each covered individual’s housing upon termination of the provision of rental assistance through a voucher to such covered individual in a manner that protects the privacy of such covered individual; and

“(II) not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, a plan describing the treatment and housing options for any covered individual assisted by such voucher who will not have completed the program before the day that is 5 years after such date of enactment.

“(ii) By the Secretary—The Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that analyzes the impact of rental assistance provided under this paragraph—

“(I) not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this paragraph; and

removed “(II) not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, that includes recommendations for the continuation or expansion of the program established under this paragraph and improving the process for providing such assistance.

removed “(I) Definitions—In this paragraph:

changed “(i) Eligible entity—The term eligible entity means a nonprofit organization that meets “(II) not later than 4 years after the criteria described under subparagraph (C).date of the enactment of this paragraph.

added “(J) Definitions—In this paragraph:

added “(i) Eligible entity—The term eligible entity means a tribally designated housing entity (as such term is defined in section 4 of the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (24 U.S.C. 4103)), or a nonprofit organization, that meets the criteria described under subparagraph (C).

“(ii) Covered individual—The term covered individual means an individual recovering from an opioid use disorder or other substance use disorder.”

changed An eligible entity that provided vouchers for rental assistance under paragraph (21) of section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)), as added by this Act, shall return any such vouchers to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on not later than the day that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.Act for use only for renewals of expiring contracts for such assistance.