Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Housing America’s Veterans and Ensuring they have Needed Services Act” or the “HAVENS Act”.
Housing America’s Veterans and Ensuring they have Needed Services Act
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a pilot program to build tiny homes for homeless veterans, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Pilot program on tiny homes for homeless veterans
Findings— Congress finds the following:
In 2009, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs announced a plan to end veteran homelessness by the end of fiscal year 2015.
While the Department of Veterans Affairs did not reach such goal, the Department continues to focus on reducing the number of veterans experiencing homelessness.
As of January 2020, the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated there to be 37,252 homeless veterans.
At the start of January 2020, 21 out of every 10,000 veterans in the United States were experiencing homelessness.
Veterans constitute about six percent of the population of the United States but eight percent of the country’s homeless population.
Factors related to homelessness among veterans include post-traumatic stress disorder, social isolation, unemployment, and substance abuse.
Individual housing units improve personal safety for veterans and reduce risks associated with close quarters living in a shelter.
Pilot program—
Establishment— Subchapter VII of chapter 20 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
“2068. Pilot program on tiny homes for homeless veterans.
“(a) Establishment—The Secretary shall carry out a pilot program (in this section referred to as the “Program”) to make grants to facilitate the creation of five villages of tiny homes—
“(1) across the United States with associated supportive services to allow veterans to live in the homes, maintain social connections with each other, learn skills, and receive critical counseling; and
“(2) in a manner that ensures the homes are energy efficient with low carbon footprints.
“(b) Eligible entities
“(1) The Secretary may award a grant under the Program to any entity eligible for grants under section 2011 of this title, including—
“(A) a non-profit organization described in section 501(c)(3) or section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
“(B) a State or local government.
“(2) To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an entity specified in paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such form, and containing such information as the Secretary determines appropriate.
“(c) Eligible uses—A recipient of a grant awarded under the Program shall use grant funds for the following:
“(1) Construction of the village.
“(2) Supportive job skills services.
“(3) Supportive counseling services, located in the village or in the local community with transportation to the community provided to the veterans, including—
“(A) case management services (pursuant to section 2022 of this title);
“(B) financial management;
“(C) counseling for addiction issues;
“(D) educational opportunities;
“(E) anger management; and
“(F) career and employment resources.
“(4) Any other use the Secretary determines appropriate.
“(d) Notice—The Secretary shall publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity on the internet website Grants.gov, or such successor website, for the Program.
“(e) Preference—In awarding grants under the Program, the Secretary shall give preference to an entity described in subsection (b)(1) that proposes to carry out the project facilitated with grant funds to create LEED-certified units, including by using mass timber.
“(f) Reporting
“(1) During each year beginning in the second year after being awarded a grant, each grantee shall submit to the Department a report on the activities of the grantee under the Program during the calendar year preceding the report, including the following:
“(A) The degree to which the grantee made progress toward meeting the long-term goals and objectives described in the application of the grantee and the performance by the grantee of the covered benchmarks described in the application.
“(B) The demographic data of veterans participating in the Program.
“(C) The details regarding the progress of such veterans toward achieving the ability to maintain housing and live independently, increasing skill levels and income, and obtaining greater self-determination.
“(D) Any other matter the Secretary determines appropriate.
“(2) During the fourth year of the Program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations and Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report comparing the outcomes of grantees under the Program to the outcomes of grantees under other grant programs that do not contain individual homes and a community center with supportive services, including the following:
“(A) The average amount of time a veteran stayed in a tiny home.
“(B) The percentage of veterans who exit the village to permanent housing.
“(C) The percentage of veterans who exit the village with competitive employment.
“(D) The percentage of veterans who have a negative exit from the village.
“(E) Any other matter the Secretary determinates appropriate.
“(g) Authorization of appropriations—Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for grants under section 2011 of this title for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2028, $20,000,000 may be used to carry out the program.
“(h) Sunset—The Secretary may not award a grant under the Program after the day that is six years after the date of the enactment of the HAVENS Act.
“(i) Definitions—In this section:
“(1) The term community center means a building of approximately 2,000 square feet where the veterans can gather for socialization and to receive supportive services.
“(2) The term mass timber means any of the following:
“(A) Cross-laminated timber.
“(B) Nail-laminated timber.
“(C) Glue-laminated timber.
“(D) Laminated strand lumber.
“(E) Laminated veneer lumber.
“(3) The term negative exit, with respect to a veteran participating in the Program, means an instance under which a veteran leaves the Program because such veteran violated the rules of the Program (excluding exits because of threatened or actual violence to self or others), failed to comply with the requirements of the Program, or left the Program without consulting staff.
“(4) The term State means each State of the United States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, territory or possession of the United States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe.
“(5) The term tiny home means an individual housing unit for one person of approximately 240 square feet or an individual housing unit for a family of approximately 340 square feet.
“(6) The term village means the community of tiny homes and the community center.”
Clerical amendment— The table of contents at the beginning of chapter 20 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 2067 the following new item:
Implementation— The Secretary shall carry out section 2068 of such title, as added by subsection (b), not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section.