Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs

. Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Libby Perl, Coordinator Specialist in Housing Policy Erin Bagalman Analyst in Health Policy Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara Specialist in Social Policy Garrine P. LaneyElayne J. Heisler Analyst in Social PolicyHealth Services Gail McCallion Specialist in Social Policy Francis X. McCarthy Analyst in Emergency Management Policy Barbara English Information Research Specialist May 14, 2010May 17, 2012 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL30442 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress c11173008 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Summary The causes of homelessness and determining how best to assist those who find themselves homeless homeless became particularly prominent, visible issues in the 1980s. The concept of homelessness may seem like a straightforward one, with individuals and families who have no place to live falling within the definition. However, the extent of homelessness in this country and how best to address it depend upon how one defines the condition of being homeless. There is no single federal definition of homelessness, although a number of programs, including those those overseen by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Labor (DOL) use the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition. Currently, the HUD definition of a homeless individual is one who lacks a fixed nighttime residence and whose primary (DOL) use the definition enacted as part of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77). The McKinney-Vento Act definition of a homeless individual was recently broadened as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-22). Previously, a homeless individual was defined as a person who lacks a fixed nighttime residence and whose primary nighttime residence is a supervised public or private shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations, a facility accommodating persons intended to be institutionalized, or a place not intended to be used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. However, the definition was recently broadened as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-22), which was signed by the President on May 20, 2009. The new definition will take effect approximately 18 months from the date the law was enacted beings. The new law expanded the definition to include those defined as homeless under other federal programs, in certain circumstances, as well as those who will imminently lose housing. In the 112th Congress, a bill that would further expand the McKinney-Vento Act definition, the Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2011 (H.R. 32), has been approved by the House Financial Services Committee, Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity. A number of federal programs in seven different agencies, many originally authorized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77) Act, serve homeless persons. These include the Education for Homeless Homeless Children and YouthsYouth program administered by the Department of Education (ED) and the Emergency Food and Shelter program, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program run by the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) administers multiple programs that serve homeless individuals, including Health Care for the Homeless, Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness, and the Runaway and Homeless Youth program. HUD administers the Homeless Assistance Grants, made up of four separategrant programs that provide housing and services for homeless individuals—the Supportive Housing Program, the Shelter Plus Care program, the Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation of Single-Room Occupancy Dwellings program, and the Emergency Shelter Grants program ranging from emergency shelter to permanent housing. The VA operates numerous programs that serve homeless veterans. These include Health Care for Homeless Veterans and the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program, as well as a collaborative program with HUD called HUD-VASH, through which homeless veterans receive Section 8 vouchers from HUD and supportive services through the VA. The Department of Labor also operates a program for homeless veterans, the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program. Attention has turned to homelessness in recent months due, at least in part, to the downturn in the economy. Some homeless service providers report that the numbers of individuals seeking assistance are increasing, the number of contacts that outreach workers made with homeless youth increased in 2008, and school districts in some communities report that they are serving more homeless students than they did the previous year. In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L. 111-5), Congress appropriated funds to serve homeless individuals through various programs, including the Emergency Food and Shelter program, the Education for Homeless Children and Youths program, and a new Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program. Congress also recently reauthorized the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants for the first time since FY1994. Additionally, active legislation in the 111th Congress includes the Homeless Veterans and Other Veterans Health Care Authorities Act (S. 1237), and the Homes for Heroes Act (H.R. 403, which has been passed by the House, and S. 1160, which has been introduced in the Senate). Congressional Research Service . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Contents Introduction also operates a program for homeless veterans, the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program. This report describes the federal programs that are targeted to assist those who are homeless; includes recent funding levels (see Table 1 and Table 2); discusses current issues, including homelessness after the economic downturn and federal efforts to end homelessness; and provides information on recent legislation. Among active legislation are bills to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which includes transitional housing for those who are homeless as a result of domestic violence (S. 1925 and H.R. 4970) and legislation that would, among other things, reauthorize the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program (H.R. 3989 and H.R. 3990). Congressional Research Service Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Contents Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 1 The Federal Response to Homelessness ........................ 1 Defining Homelessness .............................................................................. 1 Defining Homelessness: Who Is Served............................................. 1 The Federal Response to Homelessness ............................................. 3 Federal Programs Targeted to Assist Homeless Individuals ............................................................ 37 Department of Education (ED) .......................................................................................................... 5 8 Education for Homeless Children and Youths .............................................................................. 5 8 Department of Homeland Security (DHS)......... ................................................................................. 6 9 Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program..... .......................................................................... 6 9 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ............................................................................ 6 10 Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Program ............................................................................ 6 10 Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)................................................. 7 10 Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals............................................................................ 7 11 Runaway and Homeless Youth Program ...................................................................................... 8 11 Department of Justice (DOJ) ........................................................................................................... 10 13 Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault .... Sexual Assault ............................................................................................................................... 10 13 Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ................................................................. 11 14 Homeless Assistance Grants ...................................................................................................... 11 14 Department of Labor (DOL).. .......................................................................................................... 13 16 Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program ................................................................................ 13 16 Referral and Counseling Services: Veterans at Risk of Homelessness Who Are Transitioning from Certain Institutions ................................................................................... 14 17 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ............................................................................................... 14 17 Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) ............................................................................. 14 18 Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program ..................................................................... 15 18 Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV) ..................................................................... 15 19 Compensated Work Therapy Program....... ................................................................................. 16 19 HUD VA Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) .............................................................................. 16 Supportive Services for Very Low-Income Veterans and Their Families 20 Supportive Services for Veteran Families ..................................... 17 Other Activities for Homeless Veterans.................................... 20 HUD and VA Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program .................................... 21 Other Activities for Homeless Veterans .................................. 17 Social Security Administration (SSA)........................................................ 21 Social Security Administration (SSA)...................................... 18 Current Issues ............................................... 22 Current Issues ........................................................................................ 20 The Recent Economic Downturn and Homelessness ........................................ 24 The Economic Downturn and Family Homelessness................................... 20 Funds for Homeless Programs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ........................... 2124 Efforts to End Homelessness ........................................................................................................... 21 25 The Chronic Homelessness Initiative......................................................................................... 22 26 The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness............ and End Homelessness............................................................................................................. 25 28 The Department of Veterans Affairs Plan to End Homelessness ................................................. 25 Legislation Enacted in the 111th Congress .... 29 Legislation in the 112th Congresses .......................................................................................... 26 Reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants.............................................. 26 Consolidation of the Competitive Homeless Assistance Grants..... 29 Enacted Legislation .................................................. 26 Definitions of “Homeless Individual” and “Chronically Homeless Person”................................ 28 Homelessness Prevention .......................................................................................................... 29 Rural Homelessness Active Legislation ................................................................................................................... 30 Other Enacted Legislation ...................Funding............................................................................................ 30 Active Legislation in the 111th Congress ................................................................................................ 31 Congressional Research Service . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Funding................................................................................................................................................. 33 Tables Table 1. Homelessness: Appropriations for Targeted Federal Programs, FY2005-FY2010.........FY2012............. 34 32 Table 2. Homelessness: Targeted VA Program Obligations, FY2004-FY2010.........FY2012 ................................ 36 34 Contacts Author Contact Information................................................................................................................... 36 35 Key Policy Staff .................................................................................................................................... 37 35 Congressional Research Service . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Introduction Federal assistance targeted to homeless individuals and families was largely non-existentnonexistent prior to the mid-1980s. Although the Runaway and Homeless Youth program was enacted in 1974 as part of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (P.L. 93-415), the first federal program focused on assisting all homeless people, no matter their age, was the Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) program, established in March 1983 through an emergency jobs appropriation bill (P.L. 98-8). The EFS program was and continues to be administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide emergency food and shelter to needy individuals. In 1987, Congress enacted the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77), which created a number of new programs to comprehensively address the needs of homeless people, including food, shelter, health care, and education. The act was later renamed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 106-400) after its two prominent proponents— Representatives Stewart B. McKinney and Bruce F. Vento. The programs authorized in McKinney-Vento include the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Homeless Assistance Grants, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care for Homeless Veterans and Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans programs, the Department of Labor (DOL) Labor (DOL) Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals and Health Care for the Homeless, and the Department of Education (ED) Education for Homeless Children and Youths program. This report describes existing federal programs that provide targeted assistance to homeless individuals and families (other federal programs may provide assistance to homeless individuals but are not specifically designed to assist homeless persons). These include those programs listed above, as well as others that Congress has created since the enactment of McKinney-Vento. In addition, this report summarizes active and enacted homelessness legislation in the 111th Congress and discusses current issues related to homelessness, including the recent economic economic downturn and federal efforts to end homelessness. Finally, Table 1 at the end of this report shows funding levels for each of the ED, DHS, HHS, HUD, DOL, and Department of Justice (DOJ) programs that assist homeless individuals. Table 2 shows funding levels for VA programs. Defining Homelessness There is no single federal definition of what it means to be homeless, and definitions among federal programs that serve homeless individuals may vary to some degree. As a result, the populations served through the federal programs described in this report may differ depending on the program. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77), enacted in 1987, authorized numerous programs to assist homeless individuals (McKinney-Vento is discussed more fully in the next section of this report). The act included programs to address various needs of homeless persons such as housing, education, health care, and food assistance, among others, all administered by various federal agencies. McKinney-Vento also contained a definition of the term homeless individual for purposes of those programs that were authorized through the law (see Section 103 of McKinney-Vento). The definition of homeless individual in McKinney-Vento is used today to determine eligibility for the HUD Homeless Assistance Grants, FEMA’s Emergency Congressional Research Service 1 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Food and Shelter program, the VA homeless veterans programs, and the DOL’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.1 Section 103 of McKinney-Vento defines a homeless individual as [a]n individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and a person who has a nighttime residence that is (a) a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill); (b) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or (c) a public or private place not designed for, nor ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.2 The definition is sometimes described as requiring one to be literally homeless in order to meet its requirements3—either living in emergency accommodations or having no place to stay. This contrasts with definitions used in some other federal programs, where a person may currently have a place to live but is still considered to be homeless because the accommodation is precarious or temporary. The McKinney-Vento definition of homeless individual was recently changed, on May 20, 2009, when the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act was enacted as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-22). The change will be effective at the earlier of 18 months from the date of the law’s enactment—on or about November 20, 2010—or three months from the date on which HUD publishes final regulations. On April 20, 2010, HUD published a proposed rule to clarify the changed definition in the HEARTH Act; the comment period ends on June 21, 2010.4 The HEARTH Act makes several changes to the definition of homeless individual. One of the primary changes is to incorporate into the definition those individuals and families who are defined as homeless under other federal laws as long as they (1) have experienced a long-term period without living independently in permanent housing; (2) have experienced instability as evidenced by frequent moves; and (3) can be expected to continue in unstable housing due to factors such as chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment. (For a full discussion of the changes to the McKinney-Vento definition in the new law, see the section of this report entitled “Definitions of “Homeless Individual” and “Chronically Homeless Person””) Among the federal programs that have adopted a definition of homelessness that differs from the definition in Section 103 of McKinney-Vento is the Department of Education (ED) Education for Homeless Children and Youths program. The ED program defines homeless children and youth in part by reference to the Section 103 definition of homeless individuals: those living in places not 1 The definition of homeless veteran is a veteran who is homeless as defined by McKinney-Vento. 38 U.S.C. § 2002(1). This definition applies to VA programs for homeless veterans as well as the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program. 2 42 U.S.C. § 11302(a). 3 See, for example, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, The Third Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, July 2008, p. 2, footnote 5, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/ 3rdHomelessAssessmentReport.pdf. 4 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing: Defining “Homeless”,” 75 Federal Register 20541-20546, April 20, 2010. Congressional Research Service 2 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation meant for human habitation.5 In addition, however, the Education for Homeless Children and Youths program defines children and youth who are eligible for services to include those who are (1) sharing housing with other persons due to loss of housing or economic hardship, (2) those living in hotels or motels, trailer parks or campgrounds due to lack of alternative arrangements, (3) those awaiting foster care placement, and (4) children of migrant workers.6 The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Runaway and Homeless Youth program also has its own definition of homelessness. However, unlike the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program, the Runaway and Homeless Youth program definition does not refer to the McKinney-Vento Act Section 103 definition. Instead, the statute defines a homeless youth as either age 16 to 21 (for transitional housing) or age 18 and younger (for short-term shelter) and for whom it is not possible to live in a safe environment with a relative or for whom there is no other safe alternative living arrangement. 7 Different definitions are also used by the Health Care for the Homeless program and Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), both administered by HHS. Under the Health Care for the Homeless program, a homeless individual is one who “lacks housing” and includes those living in a private or publicly operated temporary living facility or in transitional housing. 8 In the PATH program, an “eligible homeless individual” is described as one suffering from serious mental illness, which may also be accompanied by a substance abuse disorder, and who is “homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless.” The statute does not further define what constitutes being homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, however. The Federal Response to Homelessness Homelessness in the United States has always existed, but it did not come to the public’s attention as a national issue until the 1970s and 1980s, when the characteristics of the homeless population and their living arrangements began to change. Throughout the early and middle part of the 20th century, homelessness was typified by “skid rows”: areas with hotels and single-room occupancy dwellings where transient single men lived. 9 Skid rows were usually removed from the more populated areas of cities, and it was uncommon for individuals to actually live on the streets.10 Beginning in the 1970s, however, the homeless population began to grow and become more visible to the general public. According to studies from the time, homeless persons were no longer almost exclusively single men, but included women with children; their median age was younger; they were more racially diverse (in previous decades, the observed homeless population was largely white); they were less likely to be employed (and therefore had lower incomes); they were mentally ill in higher proportions than previously; and individuals who were abusing or had abused drugs began to become more prevalent in the population. 11 5 42 U.S.C. § 11434a. Migratory children are defined at 20 U.S.C. § 6399. 7 42 U.S.C. § 5732a(3). 8 42 U.S.C. § 254b(h)(5)(A). 9 Peter H. Rossi, Down and Out in America: The Origins of Homelessness (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1989), pp. 20-21, 27-28. 10 Ibid., p. 34. 11 Ibid., pp. 39-44. 6 Congressional Research Service 3 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation A number of reasons have been offered for the growth in the number of homeless persons and their increasing visibility. Many cities demolished skid rows to make way for urban development, leaving some residents without affordable housing options.12 Other possible factors contributing to homelessness include the decreased availability of affordable housing generally, the reduced need for seasonal unskilled labor, the reduced likelihood that relatives will accommodate homeless family members, the decreased value of public benefits, and changed admissions standards at mental hospitals.13 The increased visibility of homeless people was due, in part, to the decriminalization of actions such as public drunkenness, loitering, and vagrancy.14 In the 1980s, Congress first responded to the growing prevalence of homelessness with several separate grant programs designed to address the food and shelter needs of homeless individuals. These programs included the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (P.L. 98-8), the Emergency Shelter Grants Program (P.L. 99-591), and the Transitional Housing Demonstration Program (P.L. 99-591).15 In 1983, the first federal task force was created to provide information to local governments and other parties on how to obtain surplus federal property that could be used for providing shelter and other services for homeless persons. Congress began to consider comprehensive legislation to address homelessness in 1986. On June 26, 1986, H.R. 5140 and S. 2608 were introduced as the Homeless Persons’ Survival Act to provide an aid package for homeless persons. No further action was taken on either measure, however. Later that same year, legislation containing Title I of the Homeless Persons’ Survival Act—emergency relief provisions for shelter, food, mobile health care, and transitional housing— was introduced as the Urgent Relief for the Homeless Act (H.R. 5710). The legislation passed both houses of Congress in 1987 with large bipartisan majorities. The act was renamed the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act after the death of its chief sponsor, Stewart B. McKinney of Connecticut; it was renamed again on October 30, 2000, as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act after the death of another prominent sponsor, Bruce F. Vento of Minnesota. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan signed the act into law (P.L. 100-77). The original version of the McKinney-Vento Act consisted of 15 programs providing an array of services for homeless persons. The act also established the Interagency Council on Homelessness, which is designed to provide guidance on the federal response to homelessness through the coordination of the efforts of multiple federal agencies covered under the McKinney-Vento Act. Since the enactment of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, there have been several legislative changes to programs and services provided under the act. Specific programs covered under the McKinney-Vento Act, as well as other federal programs responding to homelessness, are discussed below. 12 Ibid., p. 33. Ibid., pp. 181-194, 41. See also Martha Burt, Over the Edge: The Growth of Homelessness in the 1980s (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1992), pp. 31-126. 14 Down and Out in America, p. 34; Over the Edge, p. 123. 15 All three programs were incorporated into the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in 1987. (The Transitional Housing Demonstration Program was renamed the Supportive Housing Demonstration Program.) 13 Congressional Research Service 4 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Department of Education (ED) Education for Homeless Children and Youths (42 U.S.C. §§ 11431-11435) This program, also known as the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program, was initially authorized under Title VII, Part B, of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; it provides assistance to state education agencies (SEAs) to ensure that all homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including public preschool education, that is provided to other children and youth. Grants made by SEAs to local education agencies (LEAs) under this program must be used to facilitate the enrollment, attendance, and success in school of homeless children and youth. The LEAs may use the funds for activities such as tutoring, supplemental instruction, and referral services for homeless children and youth, as well as providing them with medical, dental, mental, and other health services. In order to receive funds, each state must submit a plan indicating how homeless children and youth will be identified, how assurances will be put in place that homeless children will participate in federal, state, and local food programs if eligible, and how the state will address such problems as transportation, immunization, residency requirements, and the lack of birth certificates or school records. Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program grants are allotted to SEAs in proportion to grants made under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, except that no state can receive less than the greater of $150,000, 0.25% of the total annual appropriation, or the amount received in FY2001 under this program. The Department of Education must reserve 0.1% of the total appropriation in order to provide grants to outlying areas (Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). The Department must also transfer 1.0% of the total appropriation to the Department of the Interior for services to homeless children and youth provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110), amended the program explicitly to prohibit states that receive McKinney-Vento funds from segregating homeless students from nonhomeless students, except for short periods of time for health and safety emergencies or to provide temporary, special, supplementary services. An exception was made for four counties that operated separate schools for homeless students in FY2000 (San Joaquin, Orange, and San Diego counties in California, and Maricopa County in Arizona), as long as (1) those separate schools offer services that are comparable to local schools; and (2) homeless children are not required to attend them. The Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program was authorized under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 through FY2007 (FY2008 with the automatic one-year extension provided by the General Education Provisions Act). 16 The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, signed into law on July 30, 2008 (P.L. 110289), included a provision increasing the authorization for the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program from $70 million to $100 million for FY2009, and such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year. If appropriated funds for the program are greater than $70 million, this provision authorizes the Secretary to award emergency grants (not to exceed $30 million) to SEAs based on need, to assist children and youth who have become homeless due to foreclosure. SEAs would then award these grants to LEAs based on their need 16 See Section 422 of the General Education Provisions Act, as amended by P.L. 103-382. 42 U.S.C. § 1226a. Congressional Research Service 5 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation for such awards. Determination of need is to be based on the number of children, youth, and their families who have become homeless due to foreclosure of their home or rental property. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program (42 U.S.C. §§ 11331-11352) The Emergency Food and Shelter program, the oldest federal program serving all homeless populations, 17 was established in March 1983 and is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in the Department of Homeland Security. The program allocates funds to local communities to fund homeless programs and homelessness prevention services. The EFS program is governed by a National Board chaired by FEMA and made up of representatives from the United Way of America, the Salvation Army, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., Catholic Charities U.S.A., United Jewish Communities, and the American Red Cross. The National Board uses a formula comprised of unemployment rates and poverty rates to determine which local jurisdictions (typically counties) qualify for funds. Eligible local jurisdictions then convene a local board to determine which organizations—nonprofits and government agencies—within their communities should receive grants, and distribute their available funds accordingly.18 Eligible expenses for which local organizations may use funds include items for food pantries such as groceries, food vouchers, and transportation expenses related to the delivery of food; items for mass shelters such as hot meals, transportation of clients to shelters or food service providers, and toiletries; payments to prevent homelessness such as utility assistance, hotel or motel lodging, rental or mortgage assistance and first month’s rent; and local recipient organization program expenses such as building maintenance or repair, and equipment purchases up to $300. The EFS program was established by the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (P.L. 98-8); in 1987 it was authorized under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The authorization for the EFS program expired at the end of FY1994 (42 U.S.C. § 11352), however it continues to be funded through annual appropriations. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Program (42 U.S.C. § 254b(h)) The Health Care for the Homeless program is authorized as a Consolidated Health Centers Program and currently allocates funds to 202 grantees to provide health services to a special medically underserved population comprised of homeless individuals. This is the only federal program with responsibility for addressing the primary health care needs of homeless people; it furnishes a range of services that include emergency shelter, transitional housing, job training, primary health care, education, and some permanent housing. Grants are also available 17 Another program, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, was enacted earlier than the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (in 1974), but serves a specific population rather than all homeless persons generally. 18 For more information about recipient jurisdictions, see the National Board website, http://efsp.unitedway.org/. Congressional Research Service 6 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation for innovative programs that provide outreach and comprehensive primary health services to homeless children and children at risk of homelessness. Centers that receive grants to care for homeless persons are required to provide substance abuse treatment as a condition of the grant. In CY2008, approximately 747,717 homeless individuals were provided services by this program. 19 Authorization for the Health Centers Program expired at the end of FY2006 (42 U.S.C. § 254b(r)). (For more information, see CRS Report RL32046, Federal Health Centers Program, by Barbara English.) Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) (42 U.S.C. § 290cc-21 through § 290cc-35) Created in 1987, the PATH program is authorized under Title V of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, Sections 521-535, and administered by the Center for Mental Health Services within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The PATH formula grant program supports a wide network of state and local agencies that provide community-based outreach, mental health, substance abuse, case management, and other support services in a variety of settings for people with serious mental illness (including those with co-occurring substance abuse disorders) who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The PATH program provides these services through grants of at least $300,000 to each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The U.S. territories each receive $50,000. States must provide matching funds of at least $1 for every $3 of federal funds. In FY2008, the most recent year for which data are available, states exceeded the minimum level of matching funds, providing nearly $38 million in funds to match the $51 million federal allocation.20 Up to 20% of the federal payments may be used for housing subsidies and other services to help individuals access housing resources. Authorization for the PATH program expired at the end of FY2003; however, it continues to be funded through annual appropriations. Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals (42 U.S.C. § 290aa-5) Another program administered through SAMHSA, the Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals program was one of the programs originally authorized under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.21 The program is also sometimes referred to as Section 506 grants after the section of the Public Health Service Act where it was transferred as part of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration Reorganization Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-321). Through the Section 506 grants, SAMHSA supports community services for homeless individuals with substance abuse disorders or with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders. The goal is to link substance abuse and mental health treatment services with housing programs and other services for homeless persons. The programs are evaluated based on outcomes such as employment, permanent housing, reduced criminal involvement, reduced substance abuse, and improved mental health. In FY2010, SAMHSA budgeted $42.8 million for Section 506 grants.22 19 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, 2008 National Homeless Summary Data, http://www.hrsa.gov/data-statistics/health-center-data/NationalData/2008/ 2008nathosumdata.html. 20 PATH federal and matching program funds, available on the PATH website, http://pathprogram.samhsa.gov/Path/ ProgramInformation.aspx. 21 See Section 613 of McKinney-Vento. 22 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (continued...) Congressional Research Service 7 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Runaway and Homeless Youth Program The Runaway and Homeless Youth Program is administered by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) within HHS’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The program was established in 1974 and was most recently authorized by the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-378). The law authorizes federal funding for three programs through FY2013: the Basic Center Program (BCP), Transitional Living Program (TLP), and Street Outreach Program (SOP). These programs are designed to provide services to runaway and homeless youth outside of the law enforcement, juvenile justice, child welfare, and mental health systems. The funding streams for the Basic Center Program and Transitional Living Program were separate until Congress consolidated them in 1999 (P.L. 106-71). Together, the two programs, along with other program activities, are known as the Consolidated Runaway and Homeless Youth Program.23 Although the Street Outreach Program is a separately funded component, SOP services are coordinated with those provided under the BCP and TLP. Grantees must provide at least 10% of the funds to cover the total cost of the services provided under the three programs. (For more information about the program, see CRS Report RL33785, Runaway and Homeless Youth: Demographics and Programs, by Adrienne L. Fernandes.) Basic Center Program (42 U.S.C. §§ 5701-5751) The Basic Center Program is intended to provide short-term shelter and services for youth under age 18 and their families through public and private communitybased centers. Youth eligible to receive BCP services include those youth who are at risk of running away or becoming homeless (and who may live at home with their parents), or have already left home, either voluntarily or involuntarily. These centers, which generally shelter as many as 20 youth for approximately two weeks, are located in areas that are frequented or easily reached by runaway and homeless youth. The centers seek to reunite youth with their families, whenever possible, or to locate appropriate alternative placements. The centers also provide food, clothing, individual and family counseling, and health care referrals. Some centers serve homeless youth ages 18 to 21 through street-based services, home-based services, and drug abuse education and prevention services. BCP grants are allocated by formula to each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and are then distributed by HHS on a competitive basis to community-based organizations. The amount of BCP funding available to a jurisdiction is based on its proportion of the nation’s youth under age 18, and under the law, each jurisdiction receives a minimum of $200,000. Separately, each of the territories (U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, America Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands) receives a minimum of $70,000 of the total appropriations.24 Grantees are required to (...continued) FY2011 Congressional Budget Justifications, p. SAMHSA/CSAT-29, http://samhsa.gov/Budget/FY2011/ SAMHSA_FY11CJ.pdf. 23 Other program activities include a national communications system for runaway youth and their families, logistical support for grantee organizations, HHS’s National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth, demonstrations, and the administration of the management information system that tracks data on runaway and homeless youth, known as NEO-RHYMIS. 24 Prior the enactment of P.L. 110-378, states could receive a minimum of $100,000 and territories could receive a minimum of $45,000. Congressional Research Service 8 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation establish relationships with law enforcement, health and mental health care, social service, welfare, and school district systems to coordinate services. Transitional Living Program (42 U.S.C. § 5714-1 through § 5714-2) The Transitional Living Program provides longer-term shelter and assistance for youth ages 16 to 22 (including pregnant and/or parenting youth) who may leave their biological homes due to family conflict, or have left and are not expected to return home. TLP grants are distributed competitively by HHS to community-based public and private organizations. Each TLP grantee may shelter up to 20 youth at host family homes, supervised apartments owned by a social service agency, or scattered-site apartments and singleoccupancy apartments rented directly with the assistance of the agency. The new law to reauthorize the program, P.L. 110-378, continues to allow youth to remain at TLP projects for up to 540 days (18 months) or longer for youth under age 18 and adds that a youth may remain in the program for a continuous period of 635 days (approximately 21 months) under “exceptional circumstances.”25 The new law further authorizes that a youth in a TLP who has not reached age 18 on the last day of the 635-day period may, in exceptional circumstances and if otherwise qualified for the program, remain in the program until his or her 18th birthday. Youth receive several types of TLP services: • basic life-skills training, including consumer education, and instruction in budgeting and housekeeping; • interpersonal skill-building; • educational preparation, such as GED courses and post-secondary training; • assistance in job preparation and attainment; • education and counseling on substance abuse; and • mental and physical health care services. The 2003 amendments to the Runaway, Homeless, and Missing Children Protection Act (P.L. 108-96) provided statutory authority for TLP funds to be used for maternity group homes. For FY2003 through FY2006, the President requested $10 million to fund the group homes. However, Congress has not appropriated any specific funding for the initiative. Grantees may and do use TLP funds to directly serve unwed pregnant and parenting teens, without a specific set-aside. These organizations provide youth with parenting skills, including child development education, family budgeting, health and nutrition, and other skills to promote their well-being and the wellbeing of their children. Street Outreach Program26 (42 U.S.C. § 5712d) Runaway and homeless youth living on the streets or in areas that increase their risk of using drugs or being subjected to sexual abuse, prostitution, or sexual exploitation are 25 This term means circumstances in which a youth would benefit to an unusual extent from additional time in the program. 26 This program is also known as the Education and Prevention Services to Reduce Sexual Abuse of Runaway, Homeless, and Street Youth Program. Congressional Research Service 9 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation VA programs. The Federal Response to Homelessness Homelessness in the United States has always existed, but it did not come to the public’s attention as a national issue until the 1970s and 1980s, when the characteristics of the homeless population and their living arrangements began to change. Throughout the early and middle part of the 20th century, homelessness was typified by “skid rows”: areas with hotels and single-room occupancy dwellings where transient single men lived.1 Skid rows were usually removed from the more populated areas of cities, and it was uncommon for individuals to actually live on the streets.2 Beginning in the 1970s, however, the homeless population began to grow and become more visible to the general public. According to studies from the time, homeless persons were no longer almost exclusively single men, but included women with children; their median age was 1 Peter H. Rossi, Down and Out in America: The Origins of Homelessness (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1989), pp. 20-21, 27-28. 2 Ibid., p. 34. Congressional Research Service 1 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation younger; they were more racially diverse (in previous decades, the observed homeless population was largely white); they were less likely to be employed (and therefore had lower incomes); they were mentally ill in higher proportions than previously; and individuals who were abusing or had abused drugs began to become more prevalent in the population.3 A number of reasons have been offered for the growth in the number of homeless persons and their increasing visibility. Many cities demolished skid rows to make way for urban development, leaving some residents without affordable housing options.4 Other possible factors contributing to homelessness include the decreased availability of affordable housing generally, the reduced need for seasonal unskilled labor, the reduced likelihood that relatives will accommodate homeless family members, the decreased value of public benefits, and changed admissions standards at mental hospitals.5 The increased visibility of homeless people was due, in part, to the decriminalization of actions such as public drunkenness, loitering, and vagrancy.6 In the 1980s, Congress first responded to the growing prevalence of homelessness with several separate grant programs designed to address the food and shelter needs of homeless individuals. These programs included the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (P.L. 98-8), the Emergency Shelter Grants Program (P.L. 99-591), and the Transitional Housing Demonstration Program (P.L. 99-591).7 In 1983, the first federal task force was created to provide information to local governments and other parties on how to obtain surplus federal property that could be used for providing shelter and other services for homeless persons. Congress began to consider comprehensive legislation to address homelessness in 1986. On June 26, 1986, H.R. 5140 and S. 2608 were introduced as the Homeless Persons’ Survival Act to provide an aid package for homeless persons. No further action was taken on either measure, however. Later that same year, legislation containing Title I of the Homeless Persons’ Survival Act—emergency relief provisions for shelter, food, mobile health care, and transitional housing— was introduced as the Urgent Relief for the Homeless Act (H.R. 5710). The legislation passed both houses of Congress in 1987 with large bipartisan majorities. The act was renamed the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act after the death of its chief sponsor, Stewart B. McKinney of Connecticut; it was renamed again on October 30, 2000, as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act after the death of another prominent sponsor, Bruce F. Vento of Minnesota. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan signed the act into law (P.L. 100-77). The original version of the McKinney-Vento Act consisted of 15 programs either created or reauthorized by the act, providing an array of services for homeless persons and administered by various federal agencies. The act also established the Interagency Council on Homelessness, which is designed to provide guidance on the federal response to homelessness through the coordination of the efforts of multiple federal agencies covered under the McKinney-Vento Act. Since the enactment of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, there have been some legislative changes to programs and services provided under the act and new programs that target 3 Ibid., pp. 39-44. Ibid., p. 33. 5 Ibid., pp. 181-194, 41. See also Martha Burt, Over the Edge: The Growth of Homelessness in the 1980s (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1992), pp. 31-126. 6 Down and Out in America, p. 34; Over the Edge, p. 123. 7 All three programs were incorporated into the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in 1987. (The Transitional Housing Demonstration Program was renamed the Supportive Housing Demonstration Program.) 4 Congressional Research Service 2 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation homeless individuals have been created. Specific programs covered under the McKinney-Vento Act, as well as other federal programs responding to homelessness, are discussed in this report. Defining Homelessness: Who Is Served There is no single federal definition of what it means to be homeless, and definitions among federal programs that serve homeless individuals may vary to some degree. As a result, the populations served through the federal programs described in this report may differ depending on the program. The definition of “homeless individual” that was originally enacted in the McKinney-Vento Act is used by a majority of programs to define what it means to be homeless. The McKinney-Vento Act defined the term “homeless individual” for purposes of the programs that were authorized through the law (see Section 103 of McKinney-Vento), though some programs that were originally authorized through McKinney-Vento use their own, less restrictive definitions.8 In 2009, the McKinney-Vento Act definition of homelessness was amended by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, enacted as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act (P.L. 111-22). Programs that use the definition in Section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Act are HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants, FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter program, the VA homeless veterans programs, and DOL’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.9 (Throughout this section of the report, the term “Section 103 definition” is used to refer to the original McKinney-Vento Act definition of homelessness.) This section describes the original McKinney-Vento Act Section 103 definition of homeless individual, how the definition compares to those used in other programs, how it has changed under the HEARTH Act and HUD’s implementing regulations, and how a bill in the 112th Congress, the Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2012 (H.R. 32), would further change the definition. Original McKinney-Vento Act Definition of Homelessness The definition of the term “homeless individual” in Section 103 of McKinney-Vento remained the same for years, defining a homeless individual as [a]n individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and a person who has a nighttime residence that is (a) a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill); (b) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or (c) a public or private place not designed for, nor ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. 8 These include the Education for Homeless Children and Youths program and Health Care for the Homeless. The definition of homeless veteran is a veteran who is homeless as defined by McKinney-Vento. 38 U.S.C. §2002(1). This definition applies to VA programs for homeless veterans as well as the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program. 9 Congressional Research Service 3 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation This definition was sometimes described as requiring one to be literally homeless in order to meet its requirements10—either living in emergency accommodations or having no place to stay. This contrasts with definitions used in some other federal programs, where a person may currently have a place to live but is still considered to be homeless because the accommodation is precarious or temporary. Definitions Under Other Federal Programs Education for Homeless Children and Youths: Among the federal programs that have adopted a definition of homelessness that differs from the Section 103 definition is the Department of Education (ED) Education for Homeless Children and Youths program. The ED program defines homeless children and youth in part by reference to the Section 103 definition of homeless individuals as those lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.11 In addition, however, the ED program defines children and youth who are eligible for services to include those who are (1) sharing housing with other persons due to loss of housing or economic hardship; (2) living in hotels or motels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of alternative arrangements; (3) awaiting foster care placement; (4) living in substandard housing; and (5) children of migrant workers.12 Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault: The Violence Against Women Act definition of homelessness is similar to the ED definition.13 Runaway and Homeless Youth: The statute defines a homeless youth as either ages 16 to 22 (for transitional housing) or ages 18 and younger (for short-term shelter) and for whom it is not possible to live in a safe environment with a relative or for whom there is no other safe alternative living arrangement.14 Health Care for the Homeless: Under the Health Care for the Homeless program, a homeless individual is one who “lacks housing,” and the definition includes those living in a private or publicly operated temporary living facility or in transitional housing.15 Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness: In the PATH program, an “eligible homeless individual” is described as one suffering from serious mental illness, which may also be accompanied by a substance use disorder, and who is “homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless.” The statute does not further define what constitutes being homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, however. 10 See, for example, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, The Third Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, July 2008, p. 2, footnote 5, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/ 3rdHomelessAssessmentReport.pdf. 11 42 U.S.C. §11434a. 12 Migratory children are defined at 20 U.S.C. §6399. 13 42 U.S.C. §14043e-2. 14 42 U.S.C. §5732a(3). 15 42 U.S.C. §254b(h)(5)(A). Congressional Research Service 4 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation HEARTH Act Changes to the McKinney-Vento Act Section 103 Definition The Section 103 definition of “homeless individual” was changed in 2009 as part of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, enacted as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act (P.L. 111-22). The HEARTH Act broadened the McKinney-Vento Section 103 definition and moved the definition away from the requirement for literal homelessness. On December 5, 2011, HUD released regulations that clarify some of the changes.16 The changes are as follows: • Amendments to Original McKinney-Vento Act Language: The HEARTH Act made minor changes to the existing language in the McKinney-Vento Act. The law continues to provide that a person is homeless if they lack “a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence,” and if their nighttime residence is a place not meant for human habitation, if they live in a shelter, or if they are a person leaving an institution who had been homeless prior to being institutionalized. The HEARTH Act added that those living in hotels or motels paid for by a government entity or charitable organization are considered homeless, and it included all those persons living in transitional housing, not just those residing in transitional housing for the mentally ill as in prior law. The amended law also added circumstances that are not considered suitable places for people to sleep, including cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, airports, and campgrounds. When HUD issued its final regulation in December 2011, it clarified that a person exiting an institution cannot have been residing there for more than 90 days.17 In addition, where the law states that a person “who resided in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation” prior to institutionalization, the “shelter” means emergency shelter and does not include transitional housing.18 • Imminent Loss of Housing: P.L. 111-22 added to the Section 103 definition those individuals and families who meet all of the following criteria: • They will “imminently lose their housing,” whether it be their own housing, housing they are sharing with others, or a hotel or motel not paid for by a government or charitable entity. Imminent loss of housing is evidenced by an eviction requiring an individual or family to leave their housing within 14 days; a lack of resources that would allow an individual or family to remain in a hotel or motel for more than 14 days; or credible evidence that an individual or family would not be able to stay with another homeowner or renter for more than 14 days. • They have no subsequent residence identified. • They lack the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing. 16 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing: Defining ‘Homeless’,” 76 Federal Register 75994-76019, December 5, 2011. 17 Ibid., p. 76000. 18 Ibid. Congressional Research Service 5 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation HUD practice prior to passage of the HEARTH Act was to consider those individuals and families who would imminently lose housing within seven days to be homeless. • Other Federal Definitions: P.L. 111-22 added to the definition of “homeless individual” unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children who are defined as homeless under other federal statutes. The law did not define the term youth, so in its final regulations HUD defined a youth as someone under the age of 25.19 In addition, the HEARTH Act did not specify which other federal statutes would be included in defining homeless families with children and unaccompanied youth. So in its regulations, HUD listed seven federal programs as those under which youth or families with children can be defined as homeless: the Runaway and Homeless Youth program; Head Start; the Violence Against Women Act; the Health Care for the Homeless program; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program; and the McKinney-Vento Education for Children and Youths program.20 Five of these seven programs (all but Runaway and Homeless Youth and Health Care for the Homeless programs) either share the Education for Homeless Children and Youths definition, or use a very similar definition. Youth and families who are defined as homeless under another federal program must meet each of the following criteria: • They have experienced a long-term period without living independently in permanent housing. In its final regulation, HUD defined “long-term period” to mean at least 60 days. • They have experienced instability as evidenced by frequent moves during this long-term period, defined by HUD to mean at least two moves during the 60 days prior to applying for assistance.21 • The youth or families with children can be expected to continue in unstable housing due to factors such as chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment. Under the final regulation, barriers to employment may include the lack of a high school degree, illiteracy, lack of English proficiency, a history of incarceration, or a history of unstable employment.22 HUD Homeless Assistance Grant recipients will not be able to use more than 10% of grant funds to serve those individuals and families defined as homeless under other federal statutes.23 • Domestic Violence: Another change to the definition of homeless individual is that the HEARTH Act considers homeless anyone who is fleeing a situation of 19 Ibid., p. 75996. Ibid. 21 Ibid., p. 76017. 22 Ibid. 23 42 U.S.C. §11382(j). 20 Congressional Research Service 6 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation “domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions in the individual’s or family’s current housing situation, including where the health and safety of children are jeopardized.”24 The law also provides that an individual must lack the resources or support network to find another housing situation. The final regulation issued by HUD in December 2011 specified that the conditions either must have occurred at the primary nighttime residence or made the individual or family afraid to return to their residence.25 Legislation in the 112th Congress Regarding the Definition of Homelessness The Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2011 (H.R. 32) would further change the McKinneyVento Section 103 definition of homelessness, as amended by the HEARTH Act, to include children and youth who are verified as homeless using the definitions of four other federal programs. Specifically, youth verified as homeless under the Runaway and Homeless Youth program, and children and their families verified as homeless under (1) the Education for Homeless Children and Youths program, (2) programs funded through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), or (3) Head Start would meet the Section 103 definition of homelessness. Note that both IDEA and Head Start refer to the Department of Education statute to define “homeless children.”26 The proposed changes in H.R. 32 differ from HEARTH Act changes in that the verification of homelessness under one of the four federal programs would be sufficient to qualify as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Section 103 definition. Children and their families and youth would not need to demonstrate housing instability, together with factors that would prevent achieving housing stability, as is required under the HEARTH Act. Children or youth would be verified by local education agency homeless liaisons (in the case of the ED program), and the directors of Head Start, Runaway and Homeless Youth, and IDEA programs, or their designees. Federal Programs Targeted to Assist Homeless Individuals The following subsections describe each of the federal programs targeted to assist homeless individuals, arranged by the agency administering the programs. Where relevant, there are references to other CRS reports that go into more detail about the programs. 24 42 U.S.C. §11302(b). 76 Federal Register, p. 76014. 26 See 20 U.S.C. §1401 and 42 U.S.C. §9832. 25 Congressional Research Service 7 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Department of Education (ED) Education for Homeless Children and Youths (42 U.S.C. §§11431-11435) This program was initially authorized under Title VII, Part B, of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; it provides assistance to state educational agencies (SEAs) to ensure that all homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including public preschool education, that is provided to other children and youth. Grants made by SEAs to local educational agencies (LEAs) under this program must be used to facilitate the enrollment, attendance, and success in school of homeless children and youth. The LEAs may use the funds for activities such as tutoring, supplemental instruction, and referral services for homeless children and youth, as well as providing them with medical, dental, mental, and other health services. In order to receive funds, each state must submit a plan indicating how homeless children and youth will be identified, how assurances will be put in place that homeless children will participate in federal, state, and local food programs if eligible, and how the state will address such problems as transportation, immunization, residency requirements, and the lack of birth certificates or school records. Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (EHCY) grants are allotted to SEAs in proportion to grants made under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), except that no state can receive less than the greater of $150,000, 0.25% of the total annual appropriation, or the amount received in FY2001 under this program. The Department of Education must reserve 0.1% of the total appropriation in order to provide grants to outlying areas (Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). The department must also transfer 1.0% of the total appropriation to the Department of the Interior for services to homeless children and youth provided by the Bureau of Indian Education. States may reserve up to 25% of their Homeless Education program funding for state activities. Minimally funded states (defined as states that receive a Homeless Education allocation in a fiscal year equal to 0.25% of total program funds for that fiscal year) are permitted to reserve up to 50% of funding for state activities. States subsequently subgrant remaining funds to LEAs competitively. Not all LEAs receive EHCY grants. In school year (SY) 2009-2010, 3,046 LEAs, out of a total of 15,906, received awards. Although only 19% percent of LEAs received EHCY grants in SY20092010, they enrolled 80% of all homeless students in that year. All LEAs are required to report data annually on the number of homeless students enrolled, regardless of whether or not they receive a McKinney-Vento Homeless Education grant. All data are reported based on a school year. In SY2007-2008, 794,617 homeless students were reported enrolled in school; in SY20082009, 956,914 homeless students were reported enrolled; and in SY2009-2010, the number of enrolled homeless students reported was 939,903. The total number of homeless students enrolled increased by 21% between SY2007-2008 and SY2008-2009, but it declined by 2% between SY2008-2009 and SY2009-2010. This decline was due in part to changes in data collection procedures in California. If California were excluded from the total, there would have been an increase of 11% in enrolled homeless students between SY2008-2009 and SY2009-2010. Four states accounted for 43% of the total number of students enrolled in both LEAs with EHCY subgrants and those without in SY2009-2010. Those states, and their percentages of total homeless student enrollment, were California (21%), New York (9%), Texas (8.5%), and Florida (5%). Congressional Research Service 8 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation The most recent reauthorization of the ESEA, known as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110), amended the program explicitly to prohibit states that receive McKinney-Vento funds from segregating homeless students from non-homeless students, except for short periods of time for health and safety emergencies or to provide temporary, special, supplementary services.27 EHCY was reauthorized through FY2007 as Title X, Part C of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (FY2008 with the automatic one-year extension provided by the General Education Provisions Act).28 The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, signed into law on July 30, 2008 (P.L. 110-289), increased the authorization for EHCY from $70 million to $100 million for FY2009, and such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year. (For more information about the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program, see CRS Report R42494, Education for Homeless Children and Youth: Background and Legislation in the 112th Congress, by Gail McCallion.) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program (42 U.S.C. §§11331-11352) The Emergency Food and Shelter program, the oldest federal program serving all homeless populations,29 was established in March 1983 and is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in the Department of Homeland Security. The program allocates funds to local communities to fund homeless programs and homelessness prevention services. The EFS program is governed by a National Board chaired by FEMA and made up of representatives from the United Way Worldwide, the Salvation Army, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., Catholic Charities U.S.A., United Jewish Communities, and the American Red Cross. The National Board uses a formula comprised of unemployment rates and poverty rates to determine which local jurisdictions (typically counties) qualify for funds. Eligible local jurisdictions then convene a local board to determine which organizations—nonprofits and government agencies—within their communities should receive grants, and distribute their available funds accordingly.30 Eligible expenses for which local organizations may use funds include items for food pantries such as groceries, food vouchers, and transportation expenses related to the delivery of food; items for mass shelters such as hot meals, transportation of clients to shelters or food service providers, and toiletries; payments to prevent homelessness such as utility assistance, hotel or motel lodging, rental or mortgage assistance, and first month’s rent; and local recipient organization program expenses such as building maintenance or repair, and equipment purchases up to $300. The EFS program was established by the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (P.L. 98-8); in 1987 it was authorized under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The 27 An exception was made for four counties that operated separate schools for homeless students in FY2000 (San Joaquin, Orange, and San Diego counties in California, and Maricopa County in Arizona), as long as (1) those separate schools offer services that are comparable to local schools, and (2) homeless children are not required to attend them. 28 See Section 422 of the General Education Provisions Act, as amended by P.L. 103-382. 42 U.S.C. §1226a. 29 Another program, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, was enacted earlier than the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (in 1974), but serves a specific population rather than all homeless persons generally. 30 For more information about recipient jurisdictions, see the National Board website, http://efsp.unitedway.org/. Congressional Research Service 9 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation authorization for the EFS program expired at the end of FY1994 (42 U.S.C. §11352), however it continues to be funded through annual appropriations. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Program (42 U.S.C. §254b(h)) The Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Program provides grants to nonprofit, state, or local government entities to operate outpatient health centers for homeless individuals. It is one of the four types of health centers authorized in Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. §§201 et. seq.). The HCH is the only federal program that focuses on the health care needs of the homeless population. Centers funded under the HCH are required to be community designed and operated and must provide primary health care and substance abuse prevention and treatment services to homeless individuals. Centers may also provide services to connect homeless individuals with support services such as emergency shelter and job training and may provide care at mobile sites. Finally, the HCH program authorizes grants to fund innovative programs that provide outreach and comprehensive primary health services to homeless children and children at risk of homelessness. In 2010, there were 2,438 HCH sites that provided care to 805,0694 homeless individuals. The vast majority of these patients (over 90%) lived at or below the federal poverty level, and approximately 15% of the patients served were under the age of 20.31 HCHs were permanently authorized in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148). (For more information about health centers, see CRS Report R42433, Federal Health Centers, by Elayne J. Heisler.) Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) (42 U.S.C. §290cc-21 through §290cc-35) Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) is a formula grant program that distributes funds to states (including the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands) to support local organizations providing services for people with serious mental illness (including those with co-occurring substance use disorders) who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Funds are distributed to states in amounts proportional to their populations living in urbanized areas; the minimum allotment is $300,000 for each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and $50,000 for each of the other territories. States must provide matching funds of at least $1 for every $3 of federal funds. Up to 20% of the federal payments may be used for housing-related assistance, including (but not limited to) services to help individuals access housing, minor repairs, security deposits, and onetime rental payments to prevent eviction. Other services include (but are not limited to) outreach, mental health and substance abuse treatment, case management, and job training. Administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Center for Mental Health Services (within HHS), PATH grants currently support services in 483 communities.32 Authorization for the PATH program expired at the end of FY2003; however, it continues to be funded through annual appropriations. 31 HRSA, Uniform Data System (UDS) Report, UDS, National Rollup Report, 2010, at http://bphc.hrsa.gov/uds/doc/ 2010/National_Universal.pdf; and National Total Summary Data at http://bphc.hrsa.gov/uds/view.aspx?year=2010. 32 SAMHSA, FY2013 Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees, p. 71, http://www.samhsa.gov/Budget/ (continued...) Congressional Research Service 10 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals (42 U.S.C. §290aa-5) Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals (GBHI) is a competitive grant program that supports services to homeless individuals with substance use disorders (including those with co-occurring mental illness). Grants are awarded competitively to community-based public or nonprofit entities for periods of up to five years. GBHI-funded programs and services including substance abuse treatment, mental health services, wrap-around services, immediate entry into treatment, outreach services, screening and diagnostic services, staff training, case management, primary health services, job training, educational services, and relevant housing services. Administered by the SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, GBHI funds have served 49,300 individuals; the currently active portfolio has served over 13,500 individuals.33 Authorization for the GBHI program expired at the end of FY2003; however, it continues to be funded through annual appropriations. Runaway and Homeless Youth Program The Runaway and Homeless Youth Program is administered by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) within HHS’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The program was established in 1974 and was most recently authorized by the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-378). The law authorizes federal funding for three programs through FY2013: the Basic Center Program (BCP), Transitional Living Program (TLP), and Street Outreach Program (SOP). These programs are designed to provide services to runaway and homeless youth outside of the law enforcement, juvenile justice, child welfare, and mental health systems. The funding streams for the Basic Center Program and Transitional Living Program were separate until Congress consolidated them in 1999 (P.L. 106-71). Together, the two programs, along with other program activities, are known as the Consolidated Runaway and Homeless Youth Program.34 Although the Street Outreach Program is a separately funded component, SOP services are coordinated with those provided under the BCP and TLP. Grantees must provide at least 10% of the funds to cover the total cost of the services provided under the three programs. (For more information about the program, see CRS Report RL33785, Runaway and Homeless Youth: Demographics and Programs, by Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara.) Basic Center Program (42 U.S.C. §§5701-5751) The Basic Center Program is intended to provide short-term shelter and services for youth under age 18 and their families through public and private community-based centers. Youth eligible to receive BCP services include those youth who are at risk of running away or becoming homeless (and who may live at home with their parents), or have already left home, either voluntarily or involuntarily. These centers, which generally shelter as many as 20 youth for approximately two weeks, are located in areas that are frequented or easily reached by (...continued) FY2013/SAMHSAFY2013CJ.pdf. 33 Ibid., p. 129. 34 Other program activities include a national communications system for runaway youth and their families, logistical support for grantee organizations, HHS’s National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth, demonstrations, and the administration of the management information system that tracks data on runaway and homeless youth, known as NEO-RHYMIS. Congressional Research Service 11 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation runaway and homeless youth. The centers seek to reunite youth with their families, whenever possible, or to locate appropriate alternative placements. The centers also provide food, clothing, individual and family counseling, and health care referrals. Some centers serve homeless youth ages 18 to 21 through street-based services, home-based services, and drug abuse education and prevention services. BCP grants are allocated by formula to each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and are then distributed by HHS on a competitive basis to community-based organizations. The amount of BCP funding available to a jurisdiction is based on its proportion of the nation’s youth under age 18, and under the law, each jurisdiction receives a minimum of $200,000. Separately, each of the territories (U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, America Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands) receives a minimum of $70,000 of the total appropriations.35 Grantees are required to establish relationships with law enforcement, health and mental health care, social service, welfare, and school district systems to coordinate services. Transitional Living Program (42 U.S.C. §5714-1 through §5714-2) The Transitional Living Program provides longer-term shelter and assistance for youth ages 16 through 22 (including pregnant and/or parenting youth) who may leave their biological homes due to family conflict, or have left and are not expected to return home. TLP grants are distributed competitively by HHS to community-based public and private organizations. Each TLP grantee may shelter up to 20 youth at host family homes, supervised apartments owned by a social service agency, or scattered-site apartments and singleoccupancy apartments rented directly with the assistance of the agency. Youth under age 18 may remain at TLP projects for up to 540 days (18 months) or longer. Youth ages 16 through 22 may remain in the program for a continuous period of 635 days (approximately 21 months) under “exceptional circumstances.”36 Youth receive several types of TLP services: • basic life-skills training, including consumer education, and instruction in budgeting and housekeeping; • interpersonal skill-building; • educational preparation, such as GED courses and post-secondary training; • assistance in job preparation and attainment; • education and counseling on substance abuse; and • mental and physical health care services. The 2003 amendments to the Runaway, Homeless, and Missing Children Protection Act (P.L. 108-96) provided statutory authority for TLP funds to be used for maternity group homes. Grantees may and do use TLP funds to directly serve unwed pregnant and parenting teens, without a specific set-aside. These organizations provide youth with parenting skills, including 35 Prior the enactment of P.L. 110-378, states could receive a minimum of $100,000 and territories could receive a minimum of $45,000. 36 This term means circumstances in which a youth would benefit to an unusual extent from additional time in the program. A youth in a TLP who has not reached age 18 on the last day of the 635-day period may, in exceptional circumstances and if otherwise qualified for the program, remain in the program until his or her 18th birthday. Congressional Research Service 12 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation child development education, family budgeting, health and nutrition, and other skills to promote their well-being and the well-being of their children. Street Outreach Program37 (42 U.S.C. §5712d) Runaway and homeless youth living on the streets or in areas that increase their risk of using drugs or being subjected to sexual abuse, prostitution, or sexual exploitation are eligible to receive services through the Street Outreach Program. The program’s goal is to assist youth in transitioning to safe and appropriate living arrangements. SOP services include outreach and education, treatment, counseling, provision of information, and referrals to other social service agencies. The Street Outreach Program is funded separately from the BCP and TLP, and is authorized to receive such sums as may be necessary. Since FY1996, when funding for the Street Outreach Program was established, community-based public and private organizations have been eligible to apply for SOP grants. Grants are generally awarded for a three-year period. Applicants may apply for a $100,000 grant each year for a maximum of $200,000 over that period. Most youth contacted through the Street Outreach Program receive written materials about referral services, health and hygiene products, and food and drink items. Collaboration on the Prevention of Adolescent Dating Violence The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), Title III of the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984 (P.L. 98-457), authorized funds for Family Violence Prevention and Service grants that work to prevent family violence, improve service delivery to address family violence, and increase knowledge and understanding of family violence. Some of these projects focus on runaway and homeless youth in dating violence situations through HHS’s Domestic Violence/Runaway and Homeless Youth Collaboration on the Prevention of Adolescent Dating Violence initiative. The initiative was created because many runaway and homeless youth come from homes where domestic violence occurs and may be at risk of abusing their partners or becoming victims of abuse.2738 The initiative funds projects carried out by faith-based and charitable organizations that advocate or provide direct services to runaway and homeless youth or victims of domestic violence. The grants fund training for staff at these organizations to enable them to assist youth in preventing dating violence. Eight projects are funded at $75,000 annually, for FY2008 through FY2010, the most recent funding cycle. Department of Justice (DOJ) Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault (42 U.S.C. § 13975) The 108th Congress passed the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003 (the PROTECT Act, P.L. 108-21), which contains the Transitional Housing Assistance for Child Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault program. The PROTECT Act authorizes the Attorney General to provide grants to states, units of local governments, Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations to assist an eligible adult, minor, and their dependents who are fleeing domestic violence, or for whom emergency shelter services are lacking. Under the act, eligible adults, minors, and their dependents may be assisted with transitional housing, short-term housing assistance such as help with rent and utility payments, and supportive services, including help in finding and maintaining permanent housing. Grants may be used to help eligible persons with temporary housing for a maximum of 24 months. 2737 This program is also known as the Education and Prevention Services to Reduce Sexual Abuse of Runaway, Homeless, and Street Youth Program. 38 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Domestic Violence/Runaway and Homeless Youth Collaboration on the Prevention of Adolescent Dating Violence Grant Announcement, April 24, 2007, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/ open/HHS-2007-ACF-ACYF-EV-0103.html. Congressional Research Service 10 . 13 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation The transitional housing assistance program had been authorized at $30 million for each of FY2004 through FY2008; however, during the 109th Congress, the Violence Against Women and contained the Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault program, and authorized it at $30 million per year through FY2008. Most recently, the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-162109162) increased the authorized funding level and extended the authorization period for the transitional housing program, providing $40 million for FY2007 through FY2011. At least 7% of the total appropriation in any fiscal year for this program must be allocated to tribal organizations serving victims of domestic and dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault. For FY2005 through FY2010, Congress appropriated funding for the program through a set-aside from the Special Training Officers and Prosecutors (STOP) grant. Enacted FY2010 funding for the transitional housing assistance grant program is $18 million. (For additional information, see CRS Report RL30871, Violence Against Women Act: History and Federal Funding, by Garrine P. Laney.) funding level for the transitional housing program, authorizing $40 million through FY2011. For more information about the Violence Against Women Act, see CRS Report R42499, The Violence Against Women Act: Overview, Legislation, and Federal Funding, by Lisa M. Seghetti and Jerome P. Bjelopera. The PROTECT Act authorizes the Attorney General to provide grants to states, units of local governments, Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations to assist eligible adults, minors, and their dependents who are fleeing domestic violence, or for whom emergency shelter services are lacking. Under the act, eligible adults, minors, and their dependents may be assisted with transitional housing, short-term housing assistance such as help with rent and utility payments, and supportive services, including help in finding and maintaining permanent housing. Grants may be used to help eligible persons with temporary housing for a maximum of 24 months. At least 7% of the total appropriation in any fiscal year for this program must be allocated to tribal organizations serving victims of domestic and dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault. For FY2005 through FY2011, Congress appropriated funding for the program through a set-aside from the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) grant. For FY2012, Congress appropriated and increased funding for the program separate from the STOP grant as part of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act (P.L. 112-55). Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Homeless Assistance Grants The Homeless Assistance Grants were established in 1987 as part of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77). The grants, administered by HUD, fund housing and services for homeless persons. Initially, four programs, including the Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) program, Supportive Housing Program (SHP), and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Assistance for Single-Room Occupancy Dwellings (SRO) program, were funded through HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants. Since 1987, Congress has added and removed grant programs, but these three remain, together with the Shelter Plus Care (S+C) program, which was introduced as part of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (P.L. 101-625) in 1990. Two additional programs—Rural Homeless Grants and Safe Havens for Homeless Individuals—still exist statutorily, although they have not been funded since FY1994 when Congress gave HUD the authority to use SHP funds for these programs. Funding for the ESG program is allocated to states and localities on a formula basis. Funding for the other three programs—SHP, S+C, and SRO—is disseminated through HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) system. Under the CoC strategy, localities and states are encouraged to develop and maintain assistance systems that integrate programs and services for persons experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless. Local communities establish CoC coordinating boards made up of local government officials and service providers. The CoC boards establish local priorities and strategies to address homelessness in their communities. Local programs that wish to receive HUD funding submit their applications to the CoC boards, which then review them, prioritize them, and submit them to HUD for review. Out of concern that not enough CoC dollars were being spent on housing (versus services), since FY2002 Congress has required that not less than 30% of funds appropriated to the Homeless Assistance Grants programs be used for permanent housing. In 2010, the way in which the Homeless Assistance Grants are administered will change. The HEARTH Act, enacted on May 20, 2009, as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act (P.L. 111-22), provides that the three competitive Homeless Assistance Grants (SHP, S+C, and SRO) will be consolidated into one grant called the Continuum of Care program, and the ESG program will be renamed the Emergency Solutions Grants. The changes will be effective at the earlier of 18 months from the date of the law’s enactment—on or about November 20, 2010—or three months from the date on which HUD publishes final regulations. For more information Congressional Research Service 11 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation about these changes, see the section of this report entitled “Reauthorization of the McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance Grants.” Following is a description of the four programs that are presently funded under the Homeless Assistance Grants. (For more information about the distribution of the funds for the four grants, see CRS Report RL33764, The HUD Homeless Assistance Grants: Distribution of Funds, by Libby Perl.) Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) Program (42 U.S.C. §§ The Homeless Assistance Grants have gone through several permutations since their enactment, with the most recent change taking place when the grants were reauthorized in the 111th Congress by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, enacted as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act (P.L. 111-22). Until enactment of the HEARTH Act, the Homeless Assistance Grants were made up of four programs: the Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) program, Supportive Housing Program (SHP), the Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Assistance for Single-Room Occupancy Dwellings (SRO) program, and the Shelter Plus Care (S+C) program. The HEARTH Act maintained the ESG program, but renamed it the Emergency Solutions Grants program, and consolidated the three remaining programs (SHP, SRO, and S+C), sometimes referred to as the “competitive grants,” into one program called the “Continuum of Care” program (CoC). Funds appropriated for the ESG program will continue to be distributed via formula to states and localities while funds for the new CoC program, like its three predecessor programs, will be distributed through a competition. The HEARTH Act specified that the provisions in the law would be effective on the earlier of 18 months from the law’s enactment (on or about November 20, 2010) or three months from the date on which HUD publishes final regulations. Because HUD has not published final regulations for the CoC program, the changes in the HEARTH Act technically took effect 18 months after Congressional Research Service 14 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation enactment. However, HUD has stated that current regulations apply until new regulations become effective, and FY2011 competitive funding was still distributed through the SHP, SRO, and S+C programs. As a result, this section of the report describes the ESG, SHP, SRO, and S+C programs because the CoC program has not yet been implemented. (To read more about changes that will occur when provisions of the HEARTH Act are implemented, see CRS Report RL33764, The HUD Homeless Assistance Grants: Current Operation and HEARTH Act Changes, by Libby Perl.) Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program (42 U.S.C. §§11371-11378) The ESG program distributes formula grants to state and local governments; recipient governments may then distribute all or a portion of the funds to private nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to homeless individuals. ESG funds are distributed so that state and local governments receive the same proportion of total ESG funds as they receive of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Factors used to determine how CDBG funds are distributed include poverty rates, population, the number of persons in poverty, housing overcrowding (homes in which there are more than 1.01 persons per room), the age of housing (the number of housing structures built prior to 1940), and the extent of population growth lag in a given community. Emergency Shelter Grants may be used for the renovation, major rehabilitation or conversion of buildings into emergency shelters. The funds may also be used for essential services, including employment, health, drug abuse or education services, although not more than 30% of funds may be used for services. Another allowable use of funds is the maintenance, operation, insurance, utilities, and furnishing costs for these emergency shelters, although not more than 10% of the funds may be used for staffing costs. Funds may also be used to prevent homelessness. Financial assistance may be given to families that have received eviction or termination of utility service notices if (1) the inability to make such payments is due to a sudden reduction in income, (2) there is a reasonable prospect that the family will be able to resume payments within a reasonable period of time, and (3) the assistance will not supplant funding for preexisting homelessness prevention activities from other sources. Up to 30% of funds may be used for prevention activities. There is a one-for-one match requirement for local governments; there is no match requirement for the first $100,000 for states, but a one-for-one match is required for the remainder of the funds. The authorization for this program (42 U.S.C. § 11377) expired at the end of FY1994; however, the program has continued to be funded through annual appropriations. Supportive Housing Program (SHP) (42 U.S.C. §§ 11381-11389) Housing funded under the SHP may be transitional housing for individuals and families for up to 24 months, permanent housing for disabled individuals, or single room occupancy dwellings. In order to receive funds, permanent housing must provide supportive services for its residents such as case management, child care, employment assistance, outpatient health services, and food and cash assistance. States, local governmental entities, private nonprofit organizations, or community mental health associations that are public nonprofit organizations may apply for funds through their local CoC boards. SHP requires that not less than 25% of funds be used to serve homeless families with children, not less than 25% be used to serve homeless persons with disabilities, and not less than 10% be used for providing supportive services. There is also a dollar-for-dollar match requirement for acquisition, rehabilitation, and construction activities, a 20% match for services, and a 25% match requirement for operational Congressional Research Service 12 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation expenses. No provider may use more than 5% of SHP funds for administrative purposes. The authorization for this program (42 U.S.C. § 11389) expired at the end of FY1994; however, it has continued to be funded through annual appropriations. Shelter Plus Care Program (S+C) (42 U.S.C. §§ 11403-11406b) The S+C program provides tenant- and project-based rental subsidies to homeless adults with disabilities. Like the Section 8 program, tenants pay 30% of their income toward housing and the administering body pays the rest. The assistance is initially funded for five years, but can be renewed at the end of those five years on an annual basis. S+C grants must be matched by local communities dollar for dollar. While S+C grant dollars cannot be used to fund supportive services, grantees are expected to partner with other agencies to provide services and the dollar for dollar match requirement can be met through spending on services. Not less than 50% of S+C rental units must be reserved for homeless individuals who are seriously mentally ill, have chronic substance abuse problems, or both. A state, unit of general local government (city, county, town, township, parish, or village) or public housing authority may apply for funds through their local CoC boards. Grantees may provide rental assistance to private nonprofit entities (including community mental health centers established as nonprofit organizations) that own or lease dwelling units. The authorization for this program (42 U.S.C. § 11403h) expired at the end of FY1994; however, the program has continued to be funded through annual appropriations. Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Assistance for Single-Room Occupancy Dwellings (SRO) (42 U.S.C. §§ 11401, 11407-11407b) Under the SRO program, HUD provides rental subsidies, through public housing authorities, to support housing units that are similar to dormitories, having single bedrooms, community bathrooms, and kitchen facilities. The SRO units are funded as part of HUD’s Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation program; the program requires grant recipients to spend at least $3,000 per unit to rehabilitate property to be used for SRO housing. Grant recipients are then reimbursed for the costs of rehabilitating the SRO units through Section 8 rental assistance payments that they receive over a 10-year contract period. The costs of rehabilitation are amortized and added to a base rental amount. The authorization for this program (42 U.S.C. § 11403h) expired at the end of FY1994; however, it has continued to be funded through annual appropriations. Department of Labor (DOL) Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (38 U.S.C. § There is a dollar-for-dollar match requirement for local governments; there is no match requirement for the first $100,000 for states but a dollar-for-dollar match is required for the remainder of the funds. Recipient states and local governments may use up to 7.5% of their grants for administrative costs. ESG funds may be used in two categories: (1) emergency shelter and related services, and (2) homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing. The statute limits use of funds in the first category to the greater of 60% of a state or local government’s ESG allocation or the amount the recipient spent for these purposes in the year prior to the effective date of the HEARTH Act. • In the case of emergency shelter, funds may be used for the renovation, major rehabilitation, or conversion of buildings into emergency shelters. In addition, ESG funds may be used to provide services in conjunction with emergency shelter, including employment, health, or education services; family support services for homeless youth; substance abuse services; victim services; or mental health services. Another allowable use of funds is the maintenance, operation, insurance, utilities, and furnishing costs for these emergency shelters. • Funds may also be used to prevent homelessness or to quickly find housing for those who find themselves homeless. Recipients may use funds to provide shortor medium-term rental assistance for individuals and families at risk of homelessness. Funds may also be used to provide services for those who are homeless or to help stabilize those at risk of homelessness. These services include housing searches, outreach to property owners, legal services, credit repair, payment of security or utility deposits, utility payments, a final month of rental assistance, or moving costs. Supportive Housing Program (SHP) (SHP was formerly codified at 42 U.S.C. §§11381-11389) Housing funded under the SHP may be transitional housing for individuals and families for up to 24 months, permanent housing for individuals with disabilities, or single room occupancy dwellings. In order to receive funds, Congressional Research Service 15 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation permanent housing must provide supportive services for its residents such as case management, child care, employment assistance, outpatient health services, and food and cash assistance. States, local governmental entities, private nonprofit organizations, or community mental health associations that are public nonprofit organizations may apply for funds through their local Continuum of Care (CoC) planning boards. SHP requires that not less than 25% of funds be used to serve homeless families with children, not less than 25% be used to serve homeless persons with disabilities, and not less than 10% be used for providing supportive services. There is also a dollar-for-dollar match requirement for acquisition, rehabilitation, and construction activities, a 20% match for services, and a 25% match requirement for operational expenses. No provider may use more than 5% of SHP funds for administrative purposes. Shelter Plus Care Program (S+C) (S+C was formerly codified at 42 U.S.C. §§11403-11406b) The S+C program provides tenantand project-based rental subsidies to homeless adults with disabilities. Like the Section 8 program, tenants pay 30% of their income toward housing and the administering body pays the rest. The assistance is initially funded for five years, but can be renewed at the end of those five years on an annual basis. S+C grants must be matched by local communities dollar for dollar. While S+C grant dollars cannot be used to fund supportive services, grantees are expected to partner with other agencies to provide services and the dollar for dollar match requirement can be met through spending on services. Not less than 50% of S+C rental units must be reserved for homeless individuals who are seriously mentally ill, have chronic substance abuse problems, or both. A state, unit of general local government (city, county, town, township, parish, or village), or public housing authority may apply for funds through their local CoC boards. Grantees may provide rental assistance to private nonprofit entities (including community mental health centers established as nonprofit organizations) that own or lease dwelling units. Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Assistance for Single-Room Occupancy Dwellings (SRO) (SRO was formerly codified at 42 U.S.C. §§11401, 11407-11407b) Under the SRO program, HUD provides rental subsidies, through public housing authorities, to support housing units that are similar to dormitories, having single bedrooms, community bathrooms, and kitchen facilities. The SRO units are funded as part of HUD’s Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation program; the program requires grant recipients to spend at least $3,000 per unit to rehabilitate property to be used for SRO housing. Grant recipients are then reimbursed for the costs of rehabilitating the SRO units through Section 8 rental assistance payments that they receive over a 10-year contract period. The costs of rehabilitation are amortized and added to a base rental amount. Department of Labor (DOL) Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (38 U.S.C. §2021) The Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) provides grants to states or other public entities and nonprofit organizations to operate employment programs that reach out to homeless veterans. The main goal of the HVRP is to reintegrate homeless veterans into the economic mainstream and labor force. HVRP grantee organizations provide services that include outreach, assistance in drafting a resume and preparing for interviews, job search Congressional Research Service 16 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation assistance, subsidized trial employment, job training, and follow-up assistance after placement. Recipients of HVRP grants also provide supportive services not directly related to employment such as transportation, provision of or assistance in finding housing, and referral for mental health Congressional Research Service 13 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation treatment or substance abuse counseling. HVRP grantees often employ formerly homeless veterans to provide outreach to homeless veterans and to counsel them as they search for employment and stability. Initially, HVRP was authorized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, but in 2001 it was reauthorized under the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act (P.L. 107-95). HVRP was last authorized through FY2009 at $50 million per year as part of the Veterans’ Housing Opportunity and Benefits Improvement Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-233). (For more information about HVRP and other programs for homeless veterans, see CRS Report RL34024, Veterans and Homelessness, by In 2010, the Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-275) created a separate HVRP for women veterans and veterans with children. The new program, which includes child care among its services, is authorized from FY2011 through FY2015 at $1 million per year. In program year 2010, DOL awarded 26 grants to assist women veterans, totaling more than $5 million.39 HVRP, initially authorized as part of the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act, was most recently authorized at $50 million through FY2012 as part of the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-37). (For more information about HVRP and other programs for homeless veterans, see CRS Report RL34024, Veterans and Homelessness, by Libby Perl.) Referral and Counseling Services: Veterans at Risk of Homelessness Who Are Transitioning from Certain Institutions (38 U.S.C. §2023) The Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-95) instituted a demonstration program to provide job training and placement services to veterans leaving prison, long-term care, or mental institutions who are at risk of homelessness. The enacting law gave both the VA and the Department of Labor authority over the program. By 2005, the program awarded $1.45 million in initial grants to seven recipients. These grants were extended through March 2006 with funding of $1.6 million and then again for an additional 15 months, thoughthrough June 30, 2007, with $2 million in funding.2840 The statute enacting the program provided that it would cease on January 24, 2006, four years after its enactment. However, on October 10, 2008, Congress extended the program through FY2012 as part of the Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-387). The new law removed the program’s demonstration status and expanded the number of sites able to provide services to twelve. On May 5, 2010, DOL published a solicitation for grant applications that is expected to fund at least 12 grants.29 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)30 Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)31 (38 U.S.C. §§ 12. In FY2011, the VA extended grants to 16 recipients to assist transitioning veterans.41 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) For more detailed information about VA programs for homeless veterans, see CRS Report RL34024, Veterans and Homelessness, by Libby Perl. 39 U.S. Department of Labor, “US Labor Department announces more than $5 million in grants to organizations serving homeless female veterans and veterans with families,” press release, June 20, 2010, http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/ press/vets/VETS20100917.htm. 40 U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistance Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training, FY2006 and FY2007 Annual Report to Congress, May 21, 2008, p. 12, http://www.dol.gov/vets/media/FY20062007_Annual_Report_To_Congress.pdf. 41 U.S. Department of Labor, FY2013 Congressional Budget Justifications, p. VETS-44, http://www.dol.gov/dol/ budget/2013/PDF/CBJ-2013-V3-05.pdf. Congressional Research Service 17 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)42 (38 U.S.C. §§2031-2034) The Health Care for Homeless Veterans program operates at VA sites around the country where staff provide outreach services, physical and psychiatric health exams, treatment, and referrals to homeless veterans with mental health and substance abuseuse issues. As appropriate, the HCHV program places homeless veterans needing long-term treatment into one of its contract community-based facilities. Housing is provided either through residential treatment facilities that contract with the VA or through organizations that receive Grant and Per Diem funding for transitional housing (the “Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program” is described below). In FY2008FY2009, VA’s 132 HCHV sites provided outreach, treatment, and referral services to just over 71,52677,696 homeless veterans.32 Of those receiving assistance, 1,855 veterans 28 U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistance Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training, FY2006 and FY2007 Annual Report to Congress, May 21, 2008, p. 12, http://www.dol.gov/vets/media/FY20062007_Annual_Report_To_Congress.pdf. 29 The solicitation is available at http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/ivtp/main.htm. 30 For more information about VA programs for homeless veterans, see CRS Report RL34024, Veterans and Homelessness, by Libby Perl. 31 Also known as the Homeless Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans (HCMI) program. 32 Wesley J. Kasprow, Robert A. Rosenheck, Diane DiLello, Leslie Cavallaro, and Nicole Harelik, Healthcare for (continued...) Congressional Research Service 14 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation 43 Of those receiving assistance, 2,472 veterans stayed in residential treatment facilities in FY2008FY2009, with an average stay of about 5868 days.3344 The HCHV program iswas most recently authorized through December 31, 2012, as part of the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-372011 (P.L. 109-461). Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program34Program45 (38 U.S.C. §§ 2011-2013) The Grant and Per Diem program has two aspects: the grants portion of the program funds capital grants that organizations may use to build or rehabilitate facilities to be used for transitional housing and service centers for homeless veterans, while the per diem portion funds services to homeless veterans. Specifically, capital grants may be used to purchase buildings, to expand or remodel existing buildings, and to procure vans for use in outreach to and transportation for, homeless veterans. Service centers for veterans must provide health care, mental health services, hygiene facilities, benefits and employment counseling, meals, transportation assistance, job training and placement services, and case management. The capital grants will fund up to 65% of the costs of acquisition, expansion, or remodeling of facilities, and grantees must provide the remaining 35%. Under the per diem portion of the program, both capital grant recipients and those organizations that would be eligible for capital grants (but have not applied for them) are eligible to apply for funds, although grant recipients have priority in receiving per diem funds. The Grant and Per Diem program is permanently authorized at $150 million (P.L. 110-387). Homeless Veterans with Special Needs (38 U.S.C. § was most recently authorized as part of the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-37). The program had been permanently authorized at $150 million, but P.L. 112-37 increased the authorized levels for FY2010 ($175 million), FY2011 ($218 million), and FY2012 ($250 million) to comport with estimated obligation levels in the VA budget.46 In FY2013 and thereafter, the authorized level returns to $150 million. 42 Also known as the Homeless Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans (HCMI) program. Wesley J. Kasprow, Timothy Cuerdon, Diane DiLello, Leslie Cavallaro, and Nicole Harelik, Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Third Annual Report, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast Program Evaluation Center, March 25, 2010, p. 23. 44 Ibid., pp. 121-122. 45 Formerly called the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Services Programs. 46 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, FY2012 Budget Submission, Volume II: Medical Programs and Information Technology, pp. 1H-12, http://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/Fy2012_Volume_IIMedical_Programs_Information_Technology.pdf. 43 Congressional Research Service 18 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Homeless Veterans with Special Needs (38 U.S.C. §2061) Within the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program there is also a special purpose program that provides grants to health care facilities and to grant and per diem providers to encourage the development of programs for homeless veterans who are women (including women who care for minor dependents), frail elderly, terminally ill, or chronically mentally ill. The program was initiallymost recently authorized at $5 million per year for FY2003 through FY2005. The program was reauthorized from FY2007 through FY2011 at $7 million per year (P.L. 109-461through FY2012 as part of the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-37). Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV) (38 U.S.C. § 1710(b)) The Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program is a residential rehabilitation program specifically intended to meet the clinical needs of homeless veterans while preventing the therapeutically inappropriate use of hospital and nursing home care services. Veterans served through the Domiciliary Care program typically suffer from mental illness, substance abuseuse disorders, or both.3547 The VA operates the DCHV program at 42 locations with 2,146 total beds across the country. 36 A multi-dimensional, individually tailored treatment (...continued) Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Second Annual Report, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast Program Evaluation Center, March 9, 2009, p. 25. 33 Ibid., pp. 121-122. 34 Formerly called the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Services Programs. 35 Catherine Leda Seibyl, Sharon Medak, Linda Baldino, and Robert Rosenheck, Twentieth Progress Report on the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program, FY2008, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast Program Evaluation Center, March 12, 2009, p. 10. 36 Ibid., p. 2. Congressional Research Service 15 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation 48 A multi-dimensional, individually tailored treatment approach is used to stabilize the clinical status of veterans while the underlying causes of homelessness are addressed. The basic components of the DCHV program include community outreach and referral, admission screening and assessment, medical and psychiatric evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation, and post-discharge community support. DCHV staff help veterans apply for housing assistance, or arrangements are made for placement of homeless veterans in long-term care facilities such as State Soldiers Homes, group homes, adult foster care, or halfway houses. Homeless veterans are provided employment training through involvement in the VA’s Incentive Therapy Program, a medically prescribed rehabilitation program involving therapeutic work assignments at VA medical centers for which veterans receive nominal payments. In FY2008, 5,913FY2009, 6,311 veterans completed treatment in DCHV programs with an average stay of 109112 days at the VA facilities.3749 Compensated Work Therapy Program38Program50 (38 U.S.C. § 2063) The Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) program is a comprehensive rehabilitation program that prepares veterans for competitive employment and independent living. The program was created by the Veterans Omnibus Health Care Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-581). The major goals of the program are (1) to use remunerative work to maximize a veteran’s level of functioning; (2) to prepare veterans for successful re-entry into the community as productive citizens; and (3) to provide structured daily activity to those veterans with severe and chronic disabling physical and/or mental conditions. As part of their work therapy, veterans produce items for sale or undertake subcontracts to provide certain products and/or services such as temporary staffing to a company. Funds collected from the sale of these products and/or services are used to fund the program. Funding for this program comes from the VA’s Special Therapeutic and 47 Catherine Leda Seibyl, Sharon Medak, Linda Baldino, and Timothy Cuerdon, Twenty-First Progress Report on the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program, FY2009, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast Program Evaluation Center, March 24, 2010, p. 8. 48 Ibid., p. 2. 49 Ibid., pp. 7, 9. 50 The CWT program was formerly called the Special Therapeutic and Rehabilitation Activities Fund. Congressional Research Service 19 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Rehabilitation Activities Fund, and the program is permanently authorized at 38 U.S.C. § Section 1718(c). HUD VA Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) (42 U.S.C. § 1437f(o)(19)) HUD-VASH is a joint HUD and VA initiative that provides specially designated Section 8 rental assistance vouchers to homeless veterans while the VA provides supportive services. The HUD-VASH statute requires that the program serve homeless veterans who have chronic mental illnesses or chronic substance abuseuse disorders; however, this requirement has been waived in recent years. Every homeless veteran who receives a housing voucher must be assigned to a VA case manager and receive supportive services. Today’s HUD-VASH program originally began as a Memorandum of Agreement between HUD and the VA, and through that relationship 1,780 vouchers were createdallocated to homeless veterans. The Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001 (P.L. 10795107-95) codified the program and authorized the creation of an additional 500 vouchers each year for FY2003-FY2006. In the 109th Congress, the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-461) similarly authorized additional HUD-VASH vouchers for FY2007 through FY2011. Funds were not provided for additional vouchers until the 110th Congress, when the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161) allocated $75 million for additional HUD-VASH vouchers. On April 16, 2008, HUD announced the award of 10,105 vouchers to housing 37 38 Ibid., p. 10. The CWT program was formerly called the Special Therapeutic and Rehabilitation Activities Fund. Congressional Research Service 16 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation authorities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.39 Congress appropriated another $75 million for HUD-VASH vouchers in FY2009 as part of the Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-8). HUD announced the allocation of these vouchers on July 15, 2009, with 10,290 vouchers awarded to housing authorities.40 In FY2010, Congress provided an additional $75 million for vouchers as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-117). Supportive Services for Very Low-Income Veterans and TheirThis appropriation funded approximately 10,000 vouchers for one year (after the first year, vouchers are funded through the Section 8 account). Then, in both FY2009 and FY2010, Congress again appropriated $75 million for HUD-VASH (P.L. 111-8 and P.L. 111-117 respectively).51 The appropriation for FY2011 was $50 million and funded approximately 6,800 vouchers (P.L. 112-10). The FY2012 appropriation went back up to $75 million, bringing the total number of vouchers available to nearly 48,000. Funds for supportive services are allocated through the VA health appropriation—VA budget documents estimated that obligations in FY2012 would be approximately $202 million. Supportive Services for Veteran Families In the 110th Congress, the Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-387) authorized a program of supportive services to assist very low-income veterans and their families who either are making the transition from homelessness to housing or who are moving from one location to another. The VA calls the program Supportive Services for Veteran Families. The law specified that funds be made available for the new program from the amount appropriated for VA medical services—$15 million for FY2009, $20 million for FY2010, and $25 million for FY2011. Funds are to be distributed to private nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives—the entities that will provide supportive services— through a competitive process. Those organizations that assist families transitioning from homelessness will be given priority for funding. Among the eligible services that recipient organizations may provide are case management, health care services, daily living services, assistance with financial planning, transportation, legal assistance, child care, and housing counseling. On May 5, 2010, the VA published proposed program regulations in the Federal Register. 41 According to VA budget documents, the VA will develop regulations for the program in FY2009 and award grants in FY2010.42 million for FY2011. Most recently, the program was authorized for FY2012 at $100 million as part of the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-37). On July 26, 2011, the VA announced the first round of funding for the SSVF grants.52 A total of $60 million was awarded through a competitive process to 85 private nonprofit organizations and 51 Nearly all of the HUD-VASH vouchers are made available to individual veterans to find housing in the private market. However, nearly 700 of the FY2010-funded vouchers and 100 of the FY2011-funded vouchers were distributed competitively to public housing authorities (PHAs) to be “project based.” Project-basing of Section 8 vouchers occurs when a PHA decides to use the vouchers for particular units of housing rather than to maintain their portability. 52 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “VA Launches New Prevention Initiative to Serve 22,000 Veteran Families at Risk of Homelessness,” press release, July 26, 2011, http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2139. Congressional Research Service 20 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation consumer cooperatives, the entities that are to provide supportive services. Organizations that assist families transitioning from homelessness were given priority for funding. Among the eligible services that recipient organizations may provide are case management, health care services, daily living services, assistance with financial planning, transportation, legal assistance, child care, and housing counseling. HUD and VA Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program As part of the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-8), Congress appropriated $10 million through the HUD Homeless Assistance Grants Account to be used for a pilot program to prevent homelessness among veterans. The appropriation law required that the program be operated in a limited number of sites, at least three of which were to have a large number of individuals transitioning from military to civilian life, and up to four of which were to be in rural areas. In July 2010, HUD issued a notice of implementation of the new demonstration program.53 HUD, in consultation with the VA and DOL, selected five geographic areas in which local Continuums of Care (CoCs) are to assign a grantee to carry out the prevention program. The areas were chosen based on the number of homeless veterans reported by the local CoC and VA Medical Center, the number of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans accessing VA health care, the presence and diversity of military sites in the area (e.g. representation of different branches of the military, National Guard, and Reserves), availability of VA health care, type of geographic area (urban versus rural), and the community’s capacity to administer the prevention program. The five areas and corresponding military bases selected were (1) San Diego, CA (Camp Pendleton); (2) Killeen, TX (Fort Hood); (3) Watertown, NY (Fort Drum); (4) Tacoma, WA (Joint Base Lewis-McChord); and (5) Tampa, FL (MacDill Air Force Base). The prevention program is to operate much like the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid ReHousing Program created as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Funds may be used for short-term rental assistance (up to three months) or medium-term rental assistance (4-18 months), for up to six months of rental arrears, for security or utility deposits, for utility payments, and for help with moving expenses.54 Recipients may also use funds for supportive services that help veterans and their families find and maintain housing such as case management, housing search and placement, credit repair, child care, and transportation.55 Other Activities for Homeless Veterans In addition to the targeted programs for which specific funding is available (see Table 2 at the end of this report), the VA engages in several activities to assist homeless veterans that are not reflected in this report as separate programs. An Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans was established within VA to consult with and seek advice concerning VA benefits and services to 53 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Notice of FY2009 Implementation of the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program, July 14, 2010, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/ VetsHomelessPreventionDemo.pdf. 54 Ibid., pp. 9-11. 55 Ibid., p. 11. Congressional Research Service 21 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation homeless veterans (38 U.S.C. §homeless veterans (38 U.S.C. § 2066). The Advisory Committee consists of 15 members appointed from Veterans Service Organizations, community-based homeless service providers, previously homeless veterans, experts in mental illness, substance use disorders, and others. The Advisory Committee iswas most recently authorized through December 30, 2012, as part of the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-372011 (P.L. 109-461). Another VA initiative is Comprehensive Homeless Centers (CHCs). These CHCs are located in eight cities, and consolidate all of the VA’s homeless programs in that area into a single organizational framework to promote integration within the VA and coordination with non-VA homeless programs. 43 CHCs offer a comprehensive continuum of care to help homeless veterans 39 For a list of housing authorities and the number of vouchers allocated to each, see http://www.hud.gov/news/ releasedocs/hud-vash_chart.doc. 40 The award announcement is available at http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-122.cfm&CFID= 18034549&CFTOKEN=84505570. 41 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program,” 75 Federal Register 24514-24534, May 5, 2010. 42 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, FY2010 Congressional Budget Justification, Volume II, Medical Programs and Information Technology, p. 1I-12, http://www.va.gov/budget/summary/2010/Volume_2Medical_Programs_and_Information_Technology.pdf. 43 Comprehensive Homeless Centers are located in Anchorage, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Dallas, Little Rock, Pittsburgh, (continued...) Congressional Research Service 17 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation 56 CHCs offer a comprehensive continuum of care to help homeless veterans escape from homelessness. The VA also sponsors Drop-in Centers, which provide a daytime sanctuary where homeless veterans can clean up, wash their clothes, get a daytime meal, and participate in a variety of low intensity therapeutic and rehabilitative activities. Linkages with longer-term assistance are also available. The VA Excess Property for Homeless Veterans Initiative provides for the distribution of federal excess personal property (hats, parkas, footwear, sleeping bags) to homeless veterans and homeless veterans programs. The Department of Labor makes funds available through its Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program for local communities that organize Stand Downs for Homeless Veterans. Stand Downs are local events, staged annually in many cities across the country, in which local Veterans Service Organizations, businesses, government entities, and other social service organizations come together for up to three days to provide services for homeless veterans. Some of these services include food, shelter, clothing, and a range of other types of assistance, including VA provided health care, benefits certification, and linkages with other programs. Another program, called Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA)’s’s) Acquired Property Sales for Homeless Providers, allows the VA to sell, at a discount, foreclosed properties to nonprofit organizations and government agencies that will use them to shelter or house homeless veterans. Finally, Project CHALENG for Veterans is a nationwide VA initiative to work with other agencies and better coordinate the response to the needs of homeless veterans. VA regional offices designate “points of contact” from among local service providers, and they in turn work with other federal agencies, state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations to assess the needs of homeless veterans and develop action plans to meet identified needs. Social Security Administration (SSA) The SOAR Initiative (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery), while not a Social Security Administration (SSA) program, assists homeless individuals in obtaining Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. SOAR was created through a collaborative effort among HHS, HUD, and SSA. SOAR makes technical assistance available to train state and local human services workers to better serve homeless individuals with mental illnesses or substance abuseuse disorders who may qualify for Social Security Security benefits. The program came about through the Homeless Policy Academy Initiative, a series of collaborations among HUD, HHS, VA, DOL, ED, the Interagency Council on Homelessness, and the states that took place from 2001 through 2007. SOAR was undertaken after multiple states requested training regarding the SSDI and SSI application processes.44 As part of the initiative, representatives from 34 states received SOAR training between 2005 and 2007. 45 Currently, PATH program funds (described earlier in this report) can be used to provide SOAR training to PATH providers.46 In addition, in the explanatory statement accompanying the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-8) Congress encouraged SAMHSA to use funds (...continued)57 As part of the initiative, 56 Comprehensive Homeless Centers are located in Anchorage, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Dallas, Little Rock, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. 4457 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Homeless Policy Academy Initiative: Final Contractors Report, April 2007, p. vi, http://www.hrsa.gov/homeless/pdf/finalreport.pdf. 45 Initially, 24 states participated in SOAR training. In August 2007, an additional 10 states were selected to participate. See USICH Newsletter, August 9, 2007, http://www.ich.gov/newsletter/archive/08-09-07_e-newsletter.htm. 46 See U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FY2010 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Congressional Budget Justification, p. CMHS-49, http://www.samhsa.gov/Budget/FY2010/ SAMHSA_FY10CJ.pdf.(continued...) Congressional Research Service 18 . 22 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation through the Center for Mental Health Services’ Programs of Regional and National Significance to support SOAR.47 As a result, funding from SAMHSA to the SOAR Technical Assistance Center is expected to bring SOAR to the remaining 16 states.48 An evaluation of programs in 32 states that received SOAR assistance found higher than average approval rates among homeless applicants on initial applications for SSI and SSDI—approvals averaged 71%.49 Although representatives from 34 states received SOAR training between 2005 and 2007.58 Funds through the PATH program (described earlier in this report) have been used to train providers in SOAR,59 and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) continues to fund technical assistance to SOAR programs.60 Currently all states participate in SOAR.61 In 2011, 71% of SOAR-assisted SSI or SSDI applicants were approved for benefits.62 Although data are limited on how homeless applicants for benefits otherwise fare on initial application, among those localities that collect data, approval rates range between 10% and 15%.50 The approval rate for all disability applicants on initial application was approximately 35% in 2007.51 10% and 15%.63 Of all disability applicants in 2009 (the most recent year SSA data are available), 30% were awarded benefits.64 An earlier evaluation of SOAR programs in 19 states also found improved access to housing for some individuals who gained benefits, and cost savings for state public benefits programs.5265 In addition to SOAR, the Social Security Administration funded an initiative to increase the access of homeless individuals to federal benefits through employee training, outreach to homeless persons, and assistance with applications—the Homeless Outreach Projects and Evaluation (HOPE) initiative. Congress provided $8 million per year for the HOPE initiative from FY2003 through FY2005, and SSA funded 41 HOPE projects throughout the country over three years, with awardees expected to gradually reduce their dependence on HOPE funding.5366 Through the HOPE initiative, recipient organizations conducted outreach to homeless individuals with disabling conditions and assisted them with filling out applications for benefits such as SSI and SSDI. The program also helped individuals find assistance for their other needs, such as health care, counseling, and housing. An evaluation of the program found that, despite the fact that SSI and SSDI applications from HOPE program participants were processed more quickly than comparison groups, there was no significant difference in allowance rates between applications from HOPE programs and the comparison groups.54 However, the evaluation found improved housing conditions for HOPE program participants,55 and that smaller percentages of participants were living on the streets, in shelters, or in places not meant for human habitation 12 months after participating in HOPE. 47 See Division F, p. 1412 of the Explanatory Statement, http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/house/appropriations/ 09conappro2.html. 48 Email communication with Deborah Dennis, National SOAR Project Director, December 9, 2009. 49 Policy Research Associates, National SOAR Outcomes—Spring/Summer 2009, November 12, 2009, http://www.prainc.com/SOAR/soar101/pdfs/SOAROutcomes2009.pdf. 50 67 However, the evaluation found (...continued) April 2007, p. vi, http://www.hrsa.gov/homeless/pdf/finalreport.pdf. 58 Initially, 24 states participated in SOAR training. In August 2007, an additional 10 states were selected to participate. See USICH Newsletter, August 9, 2007, http://www.ich.gov/newsletter/archive/08-09-07_e-newsletter.htm. 59 See U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FY2011 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Congressional Budget Justification, p. SAMHSA/CMHS-57, http://www.samhsa.gov/Budget/FY2011/ SAMHSA_FY11CJ.pdf. 60 Deborah Dennis, Margaret Lassiter, and William H. Connelly, et al., “Helping Adults Who Are Homeless Gain Disability Benefits: the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) Program,” Psychiatric Services, vol. 62, no. 11 (November 2011), pp. 1373-1374. 61 Ibid. 62 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2011 SOAR Outcomes, February 2012, http://www.prainc.com/cms-assets/documents/52889-944292.2011-outcomessummary-031212.pdf. 63 Yvonne M. Perret, Deborah Dennis, and Margaret Lassiter, Improving Social Security Disability Programs for Adults Experiencing Long-Term Homelessness, National Academy of Social Insurance, November 14, 2008, p. 3, http://www.nasi.org/usr_doc/Perret_and_Dennis_January_2009_Rockefeller.pdf. 51 House Committee on Ways and Means, 2008 Green Book, p. 1-80, http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/111/ ssgb.pdf. 5264 Social Security Administration, SSI Annual Statistical Report, 2010, August 2011, Table 69, http://www.ssa.gov/ policy/docs/statcomps/ssi_asr/2010/ssi_asr10.pdf. 65 Preliminary Outcomes from the SOAR Technical Assistance Initiative, Policy Research Associates, May 2008, http://www.prainc.com/SOAR/soar101/SOAROutcomes.pdf. 5366 For the funding announcement, see Social Security Administration, “Cooperative Agreements for Homeless Outreach Projects and Evaluation (HOPE),” 68 Federal Register 55698-55709, September 26, 2003. 54 67 Marion L. McCoy, Cynthia S. Robins, James Bethel, Carina Tornow, and William D. Frey, Evaluation of Homeless Outreach Projects and Evaluation (HOPE), Social Security Administration, October 2007, pp. 3-11 and 3-13, http://www.socialsecurity.gov/homelessness/docs/hopefinalreport.doc. 55 Ibid., p. 3-15. Congressional Research Service 19 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Current Issues The Recent Economic Downturn and (continued...) Congressional Research Service 23 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation improved housing conditions for HOPE program participants,68 and that smaller percentages of participants were living on the streets, in shelters, or in places not meant for human habitation 12 months after participating in HOPE. Current Issues The Economic Downturn and Family Homelessness In December 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research declared that the economy had been in a recession since December 2007.56 Effects69 Although the end of the recession was determined to be June 2009,70 the effects of an economic downturn have beencontinue to be seen in the employment sector, where the unemployment rate has increased from 4.9% in December 2007 to 9.9% in April 2010.57remained above 8% since February of 2009, compared to 4.9% in December 2007.71 The housing sector has also faced difficulty, with the foreclosure rate for all loans rising from 1.28% in the first quarter of 2007 to 4.5839% in the fourth quarter of 2009.58 Foreclosure rates may continue to rise due to additional interest rate resets that are scheduled to occur.59first quarter of 2012.72 Increased foreclosures and rising unemployment may result in higher rates of homelessness among all groups, but particularly among families facing increased financial strain. Due to the time lag in community counts of homeless individuals—the last count required by HUD occurred in January of 2009, but results have not been released60—it is not yet known whether the number of people experiencing homelessness has grown since the beginning of the economic downturn or whether any increased levels of homelessness would be related to the economic situation. However, anecdotal evidence from shelters, soup kitchens, and other service providers indicates an increased demand for services, and potentially an increase in the number of individuals who are homeless, some for the first time.61 School districts reported an increase in the number of students who qualify for services under the Department of Education’s definition of homelessness from the 2006-2007 school year to the 2007-2008 school year.62 In addition, 60% of the 25 cities surveyed as part of the 2009 U.S. Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homelessness Survey reported an increase in homelessness.63 56 National Bureau of Economic Research, Determination of the December 2007 Peak in Economic Activity, December 11, 2008, http://www.nber.org/cycles/dec2008.pdf. 57 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation, April 2010, May 7, 2010, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf. 58 For example, school districts reported an increase in the number of students who qualify for services under the Department of Education’s definition of homelessness from nearly 679,724 during the 2006-2007 school year to 939,903 during the 2009-2010 school year.73 The number of homeless students had increased for three years, through the 2008-2009 school year, when it reached 956,914 students. In June 2011, HUD released the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress (AHAR).74 The report estimated the number of sheltered homeless people (those living in emergency or transitional housing) from October 2009 through September 2010. In 2010, an estimated 567,334 people in families (versus unaccompanied individuals75) experienced homelessness, an increase of 19.8% over the number in 2007.76 The number of homeless (...continued) Outreach Projects and Evaluation (HOPE), Social Security Administration, October 2007, pp. 3-11 and 3-13, http://www.socialsecurity.gov/homelessness/docs/hopefinalreport.doc. 68 Ibid., p. 3-15. 69 National Bureau of Economic Research, Determination of the December 2007 Peak in Economic Activity, December 11, 2008, http://www.nber.org/cycles/dec2008.pdf. 70 National Bureau of Economic Research, Announcement of June 2009 Business Cycle Trough/End of Last Recession, September 20, 2010, http://www.nber.org/cycles/sept2010.pdf. 71 Unemployment rates taken from versions of the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation. The most recent version is available at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf. 72 Mortgage Bankers Association, National Delinquency Survey, First Quarter 2007, data as of March 31, 2007, p. 3, and National Delinquency Survey, FourthFirst Quarter 20092012, data as of December 31, 2010, p. 3. 59 For more information, see CRS Report RL33775, Alternative Mortgages: Causes and Policy Implications of Troubled Mortgage Resets in the Subprime and Alt-A Markets, by Edward V. Murphy. 60 For more information about attempts to estimate the number of homeless individuals, see CRS Report RL33956, Estimating the Number of People Who Are Homeless: Homeless Management Information Systems, by Libby Perl. 61 See, for example, Trymaine Lee, “Families With Children in City Shelters Soar to Record Level,” New York Times, December 23, 2008, p. A-27; C.W. Nevius, “More on Streets Newly Homeless,” San Francisco Chronicle, December 16, 2008, p. B1; and Michael Drost, “Changing Face of Homelessness,” Washington Times, December 14, 2008. 62March 31, 2012, p. 3. 73 National Center for Homeless Education, Education for Homeless Children and Youths Program: Analysis of Data, April 2009, p. 2, http://www.ed.gov/programs/homeless/data-comp-04-07.pdf. 63 U.S. Conference of Mayors, Hunger and Homelessness Survey, December 2009, p. 81, http://usmayors.org/ pressreleases/uploads/USCMHungercompleteWEB2009.pdf. Congressional Research Service 20 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Funds for Homeless Programs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Congress appropriated funds to a number of programs targeted to assist homeless individuals as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L. 111-5), which was signed into law on February 17, 2009 (see Table 1). The law appropriated $1.5 billion to be used for a new Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). These funds were distributed to communities and states using the Emergency Shelter Grants formula. Specifically, funds may be used for short- or medium-term rental assistance, and for activities to help families find and maintain housing such as help with housing searches, outreach to landlords, credit repair, security or utility deposits, utility payments, first month’s rent, and help with moving expenses. Grantees must expend at least 60% of funds within two years of the date that the funds are made available by HUD, and 100% of funds within three years. On March 19, 2009, HUD released a notice in which it detailed requirements for grantees and subgrantees. 64 In order to qualify for funds, communities were required to amend their consolidated plan to describe how they would use the funds and submit the amended plan to HUD by May 18, 2009. By September 23, 2009, HUD had awarded all HPRP funds to eligible grantees. 65 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) also appropriated $70 million for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program, with funds distributed to state education agencies (SEAs) within 60 days of the law’s enactment. SEAs, in turn, were required to distribute funds to local education agencies (LEAs) within 120 days of receiving funds. Funds were distributed to the states based on the number of students who were homeless during the 20072008 school year relative to the number of homeless students nationally during the same time period. States could distribute the funds to LEAs either competitively or based on the number of homeless students per LEA. The ARRA appropriated $100 million to FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter program and $50 million to the Department of Justice to be used to provide transitional housing for victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault. The ARRA also appropriated $500 million for health centers (including health centers for homeless individuals) to fund services to patients, as well as $1.5 billion in infrastructure funding for facility construction and renovation, the purchase of equipment, and acquisition of health information technology. Efforts to End Homelessness A decade ago, the concept of ending homelessness was introduced in a report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), which outlined a strategy to end homelessness in 10 years.66 The plan included four recommendations: developing local, data-driven plans to address homelessness; using mainstream programs (such as TANF, Section 8, and SSI) to prevent 64 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Notice of Allocations, Application Procedures, and Requirements for Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program Grantees under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, revised June 8, 2009, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/ HPRP_NoticeRedline_6_08_09.pdf. 65 See HUD press release at http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2009/ HUDNo.09-181. 66 National Alliance to End Homelessness, A Plan: Not a Dream. How to End Homelessness in Ten Years, June 1, 2000, http://www.endhomelessness.org/files/585_file_TYP_pdf.pdf. Congressional Research Service 21 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Data Collection Summary, June 2010, p. 8, http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/data_comp_06-08.doc; and June 2011, p. 11, http://www2.ed.gov/programs/homeless/sy2009ehcy.doc. 74 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, June 2011, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/2010HomelessAssessmentReport.pdf (hereinafter, 2010 AHAR). 75 HUD includes unaccompanied adults, unaccompanied youth, and multi-adult households without children in its estimate of unaccompanied individuals. 76 2010 AHAR, pp. 11-12. Congressional Research Service 24 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation households with children in 2010 was estimated to be 168,227, an increase of 28.4% over the number of households with children estimated to be homeless in 2007 (130,968).77 Unaccompanied individuals still continue to make up the largest percentage of people experiencing homelessness, representing 65.5% of those who were estimated to be homeless in the 2010 AHAR.78 However, homelessness among sheltered single individuals was estimated to have fallen by 6.4% from 2007 to 2010.79 Efforts to End Homelessness More than a decade ago, the concept of ending homelessness was introduced in a report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), which outlined a strategy to end homelessness in 10 years.80 The plan included four recommendations: developing local, data-driven plans to address homelessness; using mainstream programs (such as TANF, Section 8, and SSI) to prevent homelessness; employing a housing first strategy to assist most people who find themselves homeless; and developing a national infrastructure of housing, income, and service supports for low-income families and individuals. While the idea of ending homelessness for all people was embraced by many groups, the Bush Administration and federal government focused on ending homelessness among chronically homeless individuals specifically. (For most of the decade, the term chronically homeless has beenwas defined as “an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has been continually homeless for a year or more, or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.”67)81 The HEARTH Act updated the definition to include families with a head of household who has a disability.82 In the year following the release of the NAEH report, then-HUD Secretary Martinez announced HUD’s commitment to ending chronic homelessness at the NAEH annual conference. In 2002, as a part of his FY2003 budget, President Bush made “ending chronic homelessness in the next decade a top objective.” The bipartisan, congressionally mandated Millennial Housing Commission, in its Report to Congress in 2002, included ending chronic homelessness in 10 years among its principal recommendations. 6883 And by 2003, the Interagency United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) had been re-engaged after six years of inactivity and was charged with pursuing the President’s 10-year plan.6984 For the balance of the decade, multiple federal initiatives focused funding and efforts on this goal. Recently, howeverHowever, the initiative to end chronic homelessness has raised some concerns among advocates advocates for homeless people that allocating resources largely to chronically homeless individuals is done 77 Ibid. p. 11. Ibid. 79 Ibid., pp. 11-12. 80 National Alliance to End Homelessness, A Plan: Not a Dream. How to End Homelessness in Ten Years, June 1, 2000, http://www.endhomelessness.org/files/585_file_TYP_pdf.pdf. 81 24 C.F.R. §to chronically homeless individuals is done at the expense of families with children who are homeless, homeless youth, and other vulnerable populations.70 The new Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act (enacted as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, P.L. 111-22) mandated that the Interagency Council draft a Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness among all groups within a year of the law’s enactment, and to update the plan annually. In addition, in November 2010, the VA announced a plan to end homelessness among veterans within five years. These plans—to end chronic homelessness, to end homelessness generally, and to end veterans’ homelessness—are described below. The Chronic Homelessness Initiative In 2002, the Bush Administration established a national goal of ending chronic homelessness within 10 years, by 2012. An impetus behind the initiative to end chronic homelessness is that chronically homeless individuals are estimated to account for about 10% of all users of the homeless shelter system, but are estimated to use nearly 50% of the total days of shelter provided.71 67 24 C.F.R. § 91.5. The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act (P.L. 11122) changed the definition to include families with an adult member who has a disabling condition. 6882 42 U.S.C. §11360(2). 83 The report is available at http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/mhc/MHCReport.pdf. See pp. 54-56. 6984 The Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) was created in 1987 in the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, P.L. 100-77. Its mission is to coordinate the national response to homelessness. The ICH is composed of the directors of 19 federal departments and agencies whose policies and programs have some responsibility for homeless services, including HUD, HHS, DOL, and the VA. 70 See, for example, the House Financial Services Committee, Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, Hearing on Reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Part II, 110th Cong., 2nd sess., October 16, 2007, http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_house_hearings&docid=f:39908.pdf. 71 Randall Kuhn and Dennis Culhane, “Applying Cluster Analysis to Test a Typology of Homelessness by Pattern of (continued...) Congressional Research Service 22 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Permanent supportive housing is generally seen as a solution to ending chronic homelessness. 7278 Congressional Research Service 25 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation at the expense of families with children who are homeless, homeless youth, and other vulnerable populations.85 The HEARTH Act mandated that the USICH draft a Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness among all groups (families with children, unaccompanied youth, veterans, and chronically homeless individuals) within a year of the law’s enactment, and to update the plan annually. In addition to the USICH plan, in November 2010 the VA announced a plan to end homelessness among veterans within five years. These plans—to end chronic homelessness, to end homelessness generally, and to end veterans’ homelessness—are described below. The Chronic Homelessness Initiative In 2002, the Bush Administration established a national goal of ending chronic homelessness within 10 years, by 2012. An impetus behind the initiative to end chronic homelessness is that chronically homeless individuals are estimated to account for about 10% of all users of the homeless shelter system, but are estimated to use nearly 50% of the total days of shelter provided.86 Permanent supportive housing is generally seen as a solution to ending chronic homelessness.87 Permanent supportive housing consists of low-cost housing, paired with social services, available to low-income and/or homeless households. Services can include case management, substance abuse counseling, mental health services, income management and support, and life skills services. Providing permanent supportive housing to homeless adults with mental illnesses or substance abuse disorders is sometimes referred to as the “housing first” approach—housing is found for homeless individuals prior to treatment of their illnesses and addictions. In the late 1990s, research began to show that finding housing for homeless individuals with severe mental illnesses meant that they were less likely to be housed temporarily by more expensive public services, such as hospitals, jails, or prisons.7388 More recently, two studies have examined outcomes of housing first initiatives. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2009 examined outcomes among residents in a development for chronically homeless individuals with severe alcohol problems living in Seattle.7489 Many residents had been high-cost users of emergency room services, sobriety centers, and jails. Researchers found that the total costs of serving residents in the 12 months prior to their moving into the housing development (including shelter nights, time in jail, emergency medical services, and Medicaid and other healthcare costs) was $42,964 per person per year. 75 Twelve months after moving into the development, the cost had been reduced to $13,440 per resident per year. Cost reductions grew over time, indicating that length of time housed could contribute to savings.76 In addition, the median number of drinks consumed by residents per day and days drinking to intoxication also declined. 77 A HUD study published in 2007 looked at housing stability and health outcomes of residents in three housing first programs. During a one-year period, 43% of clients in the three programs remained in housing during the entire twelve-month period while another 41% stayed intermittently, ultimately returning to the housing first programs before the end of the year.78 Regarding health outcomes, the study found little change in psychiatric impairment among those who stayed in housing permanently or intermittently and some decrease in participants’ levels of impairment related to substance use. 79 (...continued) 85 See, for example, the House Financial Services Committee, Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, Hearing on Reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Part II, 110th Cong., 2nd sess., October 16, 2007, http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_house_hearings&docid=f:39908.pdf. 86 Randall Kuhn and Dennis Culhane, “Applying Cluster Analysis to Test a Typology of Homelessness by Pattern of Shelter Utilization: Results from the Analysis of Administrative Data,” American Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 26, no. 2 (April 1998), p. 219. 7287 Report from the Secretary’s Work Group on Ending Chronic Homelessness, Ending Chronic Homelessness: Strategies for Action, Department of Health and Human Services, March 2003, pp. 12-13, http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/ homelessness/strategies03/. 7388 See Dennis Culhane, Stephen Metraux, and Trevor Hadley, “Public Service Reductions Associated with Placement of Homeless Persons with Severe Mental Illness in Supportive Housing,” Housing Policy Debate, vol. 13, no. 1 (2002): 107-163. 7489 Mary E. Larimer, Daniel K. Malone, and Michelle D. Garner, et al., “Health Care and Public Service Use and Costs Before and After Provision of Housing for Chronically Homeless Persons with Severe Alcohol Problems,” Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 301, no. 13 (April 1, 2009), pp. 1349-1357. 75 Ibid., p. 1355. 76 Ibid., p. 1356. 77 Ibid., pp. 1354-1355. 78 Carol L. Pearson, Gretchen Locke, Ann Elizabeth Montgomery, and Larry Buron, The Applicability of Housing First Models to Homeless Persons with Serious Mental Illness, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, July 2007, p. 62, http://www.huduser.org/Publications/pdf/hsgfirst.pdf. The sample size in the study was 80 individuals. 79 Ibid., pp. 83-84 and 88-89. Congressional Research Service 23 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation The Administration undertook several projects to reach its goal of ending chronic homelessness in 10 years. In August 2005, HUD announced a pilot program called Housing for People Who Are Homeless and Addicted to Alcohol to provide supportive housing for chronically homeless persons (those who have been homeless for at least 365 days during a five-year period) and who have a long-term addiction to alcohol. The initiative awarded two-year grants totaling just under $10 million to 12 grantees for FY2005.80 According to the Interagency Council on Homelessness, the program has provided supportive housing to over 500 homeless clients.81 Two collaborative efforts to end chronic homelessness, undertaken by several federal agencies, began in 2003. The Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness, announced on October 1, 2003, was a grant initiative initially funded at $35 million through the joint efforts of HUD, HHS, and VA. Specifically, $20 million in HUD funds was made available to provide permanent supportive housing under the SHP, S+C, or SRO programs; $7 million was made available through HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency to fund substance abuse treatment and mental health and related social services for chronically homeless individuals; $3 million was available through HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration to provide primary care for chronically homeless individuals; and $5 million in additional resources was made available at local VA hospitals for serving homeless veterans. By 2005 HHS had dedicated an additional $20 million to the initiative. The Collaborative Initiative enrolled 1,242 individuals in the program, of whom an estimated 89% remained housed 12 months after entering the program. 82 Ending Chronic Homelessness through Employment and Housing, another initiative from 2003, was a collaborative grant offered jointly by HUD and the Department of Labor (DOL). The initiative offered $10 million from HUD and $3.5 million from DOL to help chronically homeless individuals in five communities gain access to employment and permanent housing.83 In addition, HUD has encouraged the development of housing for chronically homeless individuals in the way that it distributes the Homeless Assistance Grants to applicants through its annual grant competition. HUD awards points to applicants if their Continuums of Care (the geographic entities that collectively apply to HUD for funds) have developed 10-year plans to end chronic homelessness. Under HUD’s Samaritan Housing Initiative, Continuums of Care can receive additional funds for permanent supportive housing projects for chronically homeless individuals. In FY2007, nearly 25% of the three competitive Homeless Assistance Grants went to fund housing projects targeted to chronically homeless individuals; 84 in FY2008, the percentage had dropped to approximately 19% of funds.85 80 For a list of grantees see Federal Register, vol. 71, no. 167, August 29, 2006, p. 51207. U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness e-newsletter, March 6, 2007, http://www.ich.gov/newsletter/archive/0306-07_e-newsletter.htm. 82 Alvin S. Mares and Robert A. Rosenheck, Evaluation of the Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness, Northeast Program Evaluation Center, February 26, 2007, pp. 32-33, http://www.hudhre.info/ documents/CICH_ClientOutcomesReport.pdf. 83 These cities are Portland, OR, Boston, San Francisco, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles. See the Department of Labor website, http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/homeless.htm. 81 84 HUD SuperNOFA Broadcast slides, February 21, 2008, p. 15, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/ 2007_debrief_broadcast.ppt. 85 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Obama Administration Awards Nearly $1.6 Billion in Homeless Grants to Thousands of Local Housing and Service Programs Nationwide,” press release, February 19, 2009, http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-010.cfm. Congressional Research Service 24 . Congressional Research Service 26 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation services, and Medicaid and other healthcare costs) were $42,964 per person per year.90 Twelve months after moving into the development, the cost had been reduced to $13,440 per resident per year. Cost reductions grew over time, indicating that length of time housed could contribute to savings.91 In addition, the median number of drinks consumed by residents per day and days drinking to intoxication also declined.92 A HUD study published in 2007 looked at housing stability and health outcomes of residents in three housing first programs. During a one-year period, 43% of clients in the three programs remained in housing during the entire 12-month period while another 41% stayed intermittently, ultimately returning to the housing first programs before the end of the year.93 Regarding health outcomes, the study found little change in psychiatric impairment among those who stayed in housing permanently or intermittently and some decrease in participants’ levels of impairment related to substance use.94 The Administration undertook several projects to reach its goal of ending chronic homelessness within 10 years, each of which took place during the mid-2000s. These included (1) a collaboration among HUD, HHS, and VA (the Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness) that funded housing and treatment for chronically homeless individuals; (2) a HUD and DOL project called Ending Chronic Homelessness through Employment and Housing, through which HUD funded permanent supportive housing and DOL offered employment assistance; and (3) a HUD pilot program called Housing for People Who Are Homeless and Addicted to Alcohol that provided supportive housing for chronically homeless persons. In addition, since FY2005 HUD has encouraged the development of housing for chronically homeless individuals in the way that it distributes the Homeless Assistance Grants to applicants through its annual grant competition. HUD awards points to applicants if their Continuums of Care (the geographic entities that collectively apply to HUD for funds) have developed 10-year plans to end chronic homelessness. In addition, through the competition grantees can receive additional funding—a “permanent housing bonus”—if they create permanent supportive housing for individuals with disabilities or families with an adult member who has a disability. While the permanent housing bonus does not technically require that housing be created for those who are chronically homeless, often those homeless individuals who have disabilities are chronically homeless. Prior to 2009, the permanent housing bonus was available only to develop housing for chronically homeless individuals. When the Continuum of Care program authorized by the HEARTH Act is implemented, at least 30% of funds (not including those for permanent housing renewal contracts) are to be used to provide permanent supportive housing to individuals with disabilities or families with an adult head of household (or youth in the absence of an adult) who has a disability. This requirement will be reduced proportionately as communities increase permanent housing units for those individuals and families, and it will end when HUD determines that a total of 150,000 permanent housing units have been provided for homeless persons with disabilities since 2001. 90 Ibid., p. 1355. Ibid., p. 1356. 92 Ibid., pp. 1354-1355. 93 Carol L. Pearson, Gretchen Locke, Ann Elizabeth Montgomery, and Larry Buron, The Applicability of Housing First Models to Homeless Persons with Serious Mental Illness, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, July 2007, p. 62, http://www.huduser.org/Publications/pdf/hsgfirst.pdf. The sample size in the study was 80 individuals. 94 Ibid., pp. 83-84 and 88-89. 91 Congressional Research Service 27 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness The HEARTH Act, enacted on May 20, 2009, as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act (P.L. 111-22), charged the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) with developing a National Strategic Plan to End Homelessness. The HEARTH Act specified that the plan should be made available for public comment and submitted to Congress and the President within one year of the law’s enactment. The USICH convened working groups made up of members of federal agencies to discuss ending homelessness among specific populations: families, youth, chronically homelessnesshomeless individuals, and veterans.8695 The council then held regional meetings to get feedback from various stakeholders, and it accepted public comments on its website during the month of March 2010.87 The USICH expects to release its plan by May 20, 2010. The Department of Veterans Affairs Plan to End Homelessness On November 3, 2009, the VA announced a plan to end homelessness among veterans within five years.88 VA budget documents outline six areas of focus for the new plan: (1) outreach and education, (2) treatment, (3) prevention, (4) housing and supportive services, (5) employment and benefits, and (6) community partnerships.89 Following are some of the activities the VA plans to undertake as part of the plan to end homelessness: • In FY2010, the VA plans to expand some of the existing homeless programs discussed in this report. Specifically, the Health Care for Homeless Veterans program would provide residential treatment beds to 4,800 veterans (in FY2008, there were 1,855 beds provided); the Grant and Per Diem Program would serve 20,000 veterans (in FY2008, the program discharged 15,511 veterans); and the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program would add five new facilities. • The VA-HUD pilot to prevent veteran homelessness and the VA program of supportive services for very low-income veteran families are to get underway in FY2010. • The VA plans to establish a National Homeless Registry to keep records of veterans served in homeless-specific programs and measure outcomes achieved. 86 website during March 2010.96 On June 22, 2010, the USICH released their report entitled Opening Doors.97 The plan sets out goals of ending chronic homelessness as well as homelessness among veterans within the next five years and ending homelessness for families, youth, and children within the next 10 years. The report lays out five overarching strategies to assist in accomplishing these goals; each category has between one and three specific objectives to pursue in furtherance of the goals. The five categories are (1) increasing leadership, collaboration, and civic engagement; (2) increasing access to stable and affordable housing; (3) increasing economic security; (4) improving health and stability; and (5) retooling the homeless crisis response.98 The 2011 update to Opening Doors reported on progress toward its goals by looking at the numbers of people experiencing homelessness, including subgroups (families with children, chronically homeless individuals, and veterans), the number of permanent supportive housing units available for homeless individuals, and the number of people experiencing homelessness who leave homeless assistance programs with either earned income or access to mainstream benefits.99 The report presented data from HUD’s point-in-time estimates of homelessness in 2010, which found increases in homelessness for families with children (1.5%) and veterans (1.0%), but a decrease among chronically homeless individuals (1.0%).100 The permanent supportive housing inventory grew by more than 17,000 units from 2009 to 2010, from 219,381 to 236,798.101 The USICH did not yet have 2010 data on earned income or mainstream benefits to compare to 2009 levels. 95 U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Overview, http://www.usich.gov/PDF/FSPOverviewSummary.pdf. 8796 For public comments, see http://fsp.uservoice.com/forums/41991-how-can-the-local-community-contribute-to-thevisi. 88 See U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Secretary Shinseki Details Plan to End Homelessness for Veterans,” press release, November 3, 2009, http://www1.va.gov/OPA/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1807. 89 FY2011 VA Budget Justifications, p. 1K-11. Congressional Research Service 25 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Legislation Enacted in the 111th Congress Reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants, administered by HUD, are the primary federal source of funds to develop and support housing for homeless individuals, including emergency, transitional, and permanent housing. The grants consist of the Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG), the Supportive Housing Program (SHP), Shelter Plus Care (S+C), and the Section 8, Moderate Rehabilitation Assistance for Single-Room Occupancy Dwellings (SRO) program. These programs are discussed earlier in this report in the section entitled “Homeless Assistance Grants.” The Homeless Assistance Grants had not been authorized since FY1994, though they continued to be funded through annual appropriations. 90 On April 2, 2009, identical bills to reauthorize the Homeless Assistance Grants entitled the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act were introduced in the House and the Senate (H.R. 1877 and S. 808). On May 6, 2009, Senator Reed, the sponsor of S. 808, proposed to add the bill as an amendment to S. 896, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which was being considered by the full Senate.91 Senator Reed’s amendment was approved, and later that same day the Senate approved S. 896. The House approved S. 896 on May 19, 2009, and, due to small differences between the House- and Senatepassed versions, the Senate approved the House-passed measure that same day. On May 20, 2009, the President signed the bill into law as P.L. 111-22. The changes in the HEARTH Act will take effect at the earlier of 18 months from the date of its enactment—on or about November 20, 2010—or three months from the date on which HUD publishes final regulations. This section describes the major changes that the HEARTH Act makes to the Homeless Assistance Grants. Consolidation of the Competitive Homeless Assistance Grants The HEARTH Act removes the distinctions among the three competitive Homeless Assistance Grants and replaces them with one consolidated grant program called the “Continuum of Care Program.” Applicants will no longer apply for one of the three existing grants—S+C, SHP, or SRO—based on the type of housing and services they intend to provide. Instead, the new consolidated grant will provide funds for all permanent housing, transitional housing, supportive services, and re-housing activities. In consolidating the competitive grants, the HEARTH Act will maintain some aspects of the current Continuum of Care application system and will codify the system in law (currently much of the application system has been established through the grant funding process). Under P.L. 111-22, HUD will review applications from Collaborative Applicants—local entities that 90 The programs were last authorized as part of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-550). In FY1994, $1,563,000 was authorized for the Interagency Council on Homelessness, $143,796,000 for the ESG program, $212,568,000 for SHP, and $277,745,100 for S+C and SRO programs. 91 See S.Amdt. 1040. Congressional Research Service 26 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation determine funding priorities and jointly submit a single application to HUD on behalf of all local applicant organizations (much like the existing Continuum of Care).92 Currently, although CoCs submit one application to HUD, the Department must still review the individual project applications from organizations seeking funding. This change from separate project applications to a single CoC application will mean the difference between HUD reviewing hundreds rather than thousands of applications. Collaborative Applicants could also choose to apply to HUD to be “Unified Funding Agencies;” the Unified Funding Agencies will have authority to receive grant awards directly from HUD and distribute them to individual awardee organizations. Otherwise, HUD will continue using its current practice of distributing funds directly to individual project applicants. The new law also changes matching requirements for grant recipients. Currently, the three competitive homeless assistance grants each have their own rules regarding the amount of HUD funds that must be matched with cash or in-kind support. For example, under SHP, grantees must match dollar for dollar any funds they receive for acquisition, rehabilitation or construction of property, they must provide a 20% match for supportive services funding, and a 25% match for operating expenses. S+C grantees must match each dollar received with an equal amount for supportive services. Under the HEARTH Act, grantees will be required to provide a 25% cash or in-kind match for any dollar of HUD assistance they receive, no matter the activity. P.L. 111-22 also requires certain set-asides within the Continuum of Care Program to provide housing for homeless populations. At least 30% of funds (not including those for permanent housing renewals) will be used to provide permanent supportive housing to individuals with disabilities or families with an adult head of household (or youth in the absence of an adult) who has a disability. This requirement will be reduced proportionately as communities increase permanent housing units for those individuals and families, and will end when HUD determines that a total of 150,000 permanent housing units have been provided for homeless persons with disabilities since 2001. The HEARTH Act also requires that at least 10% of funds be used to provide permanent housing for families with children. This had not previously been a requirement of the Homeless Assistance Grants. Collaborative Applicants that are successful in reducing or eliminating homelessness through permanent housing will receive bonuses that they could use for any eligible activity under the Continuum of Care Program as well as homelessness prevention activities. The HEARTH Act will also institute a new program to allow certain high-performing communities to have greater flexibility in the way that they use their funds. To be designated high-performing, a Collaborative Applicant will have to meet requirements regarding the average length of homelessness in their communities, repeat instances of homelessness, community involvement and outreach activities, effectiveness in reducing homelessness, and success in achieving independent living among homeless families with children and youth. Collaborative Applicants designated “high performing” will be able to use their grant awards for any eligible activity under the Continuum of Care Program, as well as for homelessness prevention activities. Regarding the pro rata need process currently used to determine how funds are distributed to communities (which uses the Community Development Block Grant program formula, in part, to 92 The HEARTH Act would also allow individual organizations to apply directly to HUD for funds if they were not reasonably permitted to participate as part of the collaborative application process. Congressional Research Service 27 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation determine need93), the HEARTH Act requires HUD to create a new formula for determining need within two years of the bill’s enactment using “factors that are appropriate to allocate funds to meet the goals and objectives of” the Continuum of Care program. The new law gives the HUD Secretary the authority to adjust the formula to ensure that Collaborative Applicants have sufficient funds to renew existing contracts for one year. P.L. 111-22 authorizes the Continuum of Care Program, together with the Emergency Solutions Grants Program (described below) at $2.2 billion in FY2010 and such sums as necessary for FY2011. The new law provides that permanent housing contracts may be renewed with funds from either the Homeless Assistance Grants account or the project-based Section 8 program account. Definitions of “Homeless Individual” and “Chronically Homeless Person” P.L. 111-22 expands the definition of “homeless individual” that is codified in the McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance Act. 94 Under current law, a homeless individual is defined as an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and who resides in a temporary shelter (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for those with mental illnesses), resides in an institution as a temporary residence, or in a place not designed for human habitation. The HEARTH Act amends the current definition of homeless individual to include all those persons living in transitional housing, not just those residing in transitional housing for the mentally ill as in current law. The new law also includes in the definition persons living in hotels or motels paid for by a government entity. P.L. 111-22 also adds to the current definition those individuals and families who meet all of the following criteria. • They will “imminently lose their housing,” whether it be their own housing, housing they are sharing with others, or a hotel or motel not paid for by a government entity. Imminent loss of housing would be evidenced by • an eviction requiring an individual or family to leave their housing within 14 days; • a lack of resources that would allow an individual or family to remain in a hotel or motel for more than 14 days; or • credible evidence that an individual or family would not be able to stay with another homeowner or renter for more than 14 days. • They have no subsequent residence identified. • They lack the resources needed to obtain other permanent housing. HUD practice prior to passage of the HEARTH Act was to consider those individuals and families who would imminently lose housing within seven days to be homeless. 93 For more information on this issue, see CRS Report RL33764, The HUD Homeless Assistance Grants: Distribution of Funds, by Libby Perl. 94 42 U.S.C. § 11302. Congressional Research Service 28 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Another change to the definition of homeless individual is that the HEARTH Act considers homeless anyone who is fleeing a situation of domestic violence or other life-threatening condition. In addition, P.L. 111-22 adds to the definition of homeless individual unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children who are defined as homeless under other federal statutes95 and who (1) have experienced a long-term period without living independently in permanent housing; (2) have experienced instability as evidenced by frequent moves; and (3) can be expected to continue in unstable housing due to factors such as chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment. In general, however, Collaborative Applicants will not be able to use more than 10% of grant funds to serve those individuals and families defined as homeless under other federal statutes. P.L. 111-22 also expands the current definition of “chronically homeless person,” which has been defined in regulation.96 Under the regulation, the term is defined as an unaccompanied individual who has been homeless continuously for one year or on four or more occasions in the last three years, and who has a disability. The HEARTH Act adds to the definition homeless families with an adult head of household (or youth where no adult is present) who has a disability. The definition of disability specifically includes post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Note, however, that to be considered chronically homeless, an individual or family must be living in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or an emergency shelter; the HEARTH Act’s changes to the definition of “homeless individual” do not apply to chronic homelessness. In addition, a person released from an institution will be considered chronically homeless as long as, prior to entering the institution, they otherwise met the definition of chronically homeless person, and had been institutionalized for fewer than 90 days. Homelessness Prevention The HEARTH Act expands the opportunities for grantees to engage in homelessness prevention activities. Currently, only ESG funds may be used for homelessness prevention activities such as payment of rent or utility bills, limited to 30% of a state’s or a community’s allocation. P.L. 11122 expands the eligible activities and funding level of the Emergency Shelter Grants Program and renames it the “Emergency Solutions Grants Program.” The new bill allocates 20% of funds made available by Congress for the Homeless Assistance Grants to the newly named program (currently somewhere between 11% and 15% of funds are reserved for the ESG program). P.L. 111-22 expands the list of supportive services that can be provided with ESG program funds from those concerned with “employment, health, drug abuse, or education,” to include family support services for homeless youth, victim services, and mental health services. The new ESG program also allows funds to be used for short- or medium-term rental assistance and housing relocation and stabilization services for individuals and families at risk of homelessness. The bill defines the term “at risk of homelessness” to include an individual or family with income at or below 30% of area median income, who has insufficient income to attain housing stability, who has moved frequently for economic reasons, and who lives in unstable housing (examples of unstable housing are enumerated in the law). The term also 95 For more information about the definition of homelessness under other federal programs, see the section of this report entitled “Defining Homelessness.” 96 24 C.F.R. § 91.5. Congressional Research Service 29 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation includes all individuals and families defined as homeless under other federal statutes as “at risk.” Under the updated ESG program in the HEARTH Act, the amount of funds that grant recipients can use for emergency shelter and supportive services related to emergency shelter and street outreach will be limited. Recipients cannot use more than the greater of 60% of their ESG allocation, or the amount they had used prior to enactment of the HEARTH Act, for these purposes, reserving the remainder of funds for rental assistance and services for those at risk of homelessness. Rural Homelessness In the area of rural homelessness, the HEARTH Act retains portions of McKinney-Vento’s rural homelessness grant program (Title IV, Subtitle G of McKinney-Vento), a program that has not been funded, as the Rural Housing Stability Assistance Program. The program reserves not less than 5% of Continuum of Care Program funds for rural communities to apply separately for funds that would otherwise be awarded as part of the Continuum of Care Program. Unlike under the Continuum of Care program, rural communities will be able to serve persons who do not necessarily meet HUD’s definition of “homeless individual.” P.L. 111-22 provides that HUD may award grants to rural communities to be used for (1) re-housing or improving the housing situation of those who are homeless or are in the worst housing situations in their geographic area, (2) stabilizing the housing situation of those in imminent danger of losing housing, and (3) improving the ability of the lowest-income residents in the community to afford stable housing. The HEARTH Act adds to the list of eligible activities under the rural grants the construction or rehabilitation of transitional or permanent housing as well as the leasing of property or payment of rental assistance for these purposes. Other Enacted Legislation On May 21, 2009, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee approved the Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009 (S. 252). On October 28, 2009, the bill was added to S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009, which was passed by the Senate on November 19, 2009. As passed by the Senate, the bill would have created several pilot programs to assist low-income and formerly homeless veterans. However, in the House, the pilot programs were removed from the bill and provisions regarding the per diem portion of the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program were added. 97 The new provisions were drawn from H.R. 3796, a bill to amend Title 38 of the U.S. Code, and “improve per diem grant payments for organizations assisting homeless veterans.” On April 21, 2010, the House passed S. 1963, and the next day the amended version was approved by the Senate. On May 5, 2010, the President signed the bill into law as P.L. 111-163. The language in P.L. 111-163 gives the VA authority to make per diem awards to organizations that may not fulfill current Grant and Per Diem program requirements. Currently, according to statute, per diem recipients must give assurances that not more than 25% of individuals served in 97 Two of the pilot programs in the Senate-passed version of S. 1963 would have made grants available to public and private nonprofit organizations to provide supportive services to very low-income, formerly homeless veterans living in permanent housing. Another pilot program would have made funds available to public and nonprofit organizations that provide outreach to low-income and elderly veterans in rural areas to inform them about pension benefits. A fourth pilot program would have made grants to public and nonprofit organizations to provide supportive services to veterans participating in vocational rehabilitation activities. Congressional Research Service 30 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Grant and Per Diem programs are nonveterans at any one time. 98 Under the provisions in P.L. 111-163, it would be possible for organizations to qualify for awards if more than 25% of those served are nonveterans. Further, the Grant and Per Diem statute lays out four categories of services to be provided by grant and per diem recipients—outreach, rehabilitative services, vocational counseling and training, and transitional housing. P.L. 111-163 authorizes the VA to create a hierarchy of per diem recipients depending on the combination of veterans served and services provided. Specifically, P.L. 111-163 authorizes the VA to determine per diem payments in the following order of priority: (1) organizations that fulfill each of the service criteria prescribed by the VA Secretary and where less than 75% of clients served are veterans; (2) organizations that fulfill at least one of the service criteria listed in statute and where at least 75% of homeless clients served are veterans; and (3) organizations that fulfill at least one of the service criteria and where less than 75% of clients served are veterans. Active Legislation in the 111th Congress This section discusses active legislation in the 111th Congress that would make changes or additions to existing programs that serve homeless individuals or that would create new programs. Legislation is considered active if it has at least been considered at the subcommittee level. On March 30, 2009, the House approved the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1171). As introduced on February 25, 2009, the bill simply would have extended the authorization of HVRP from FY2010 through FY2014 at $50 million per year. However, during markup by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the bill was amended so that it would also create an HVRP grant program specifically targeted to serve women veterans and veterans with children. The amendment was drawn from H.R. 293, the Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Act. The new program, like HVRP, would provide job training, counseling, and job placement services, but would also provide child care for participants. H.R. 1171 would authorize the new program for women veterans and veterans with children at $10 million per year from FY2010 through FY2014. In the Senate, a similar bill, S. 1237, the Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act, as introduced, included provisions to create a Homeless Veterans Reintegration grant for women veterans and veterans with children. As in H.R. 1171, the HVRP services would include child care and the program would be authorized at $10 million per year from FY2010 through FY2014. In addition, S. 1237 contained provisions to expand the Grant and Per Diem program for homeless veterans with special needs to include male veterans who have care of minor dependent children. On January 28, 2010, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee incorporated provisions from additional legislation and reported S. 1237 as the Homeless Veterans and Other Veterans Health Care Authorities Act. Many of the new provisions that were added to S. 1237 were drawn from S. 1547, the Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act. These provisions would • 98 make a number of changes to the Grant and Per Diem program, including (1) allowing grants to be used to construct facilities to serve homeless veterans 38 U.S.C. § 2111(e). Congressional Research Service 31 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation (currently funds may only be used to acquire and rehabilitate existing facilities); (2) changing the Grant and Per Diem definition of private nonprofit organization to allow for use of Low Income Housing Tax Credits in financing projects;99 (3) requiring the VA Secretary to evaluate the per diem reimbursement method; (4) increasing the authorized Grant and Per Diem authorization level from $150 million to $200 million; and (5) setting aside at least 5% of grant awards for providers in rural areas; • create a program to prevent veteran homelessness modeled on the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (described earlier in the section “Funds for Homeless Programs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act”); • require the VA, together with HUD and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, to create a system to estimate the number of veterans participating in VA and HUD programs; • increase the number of authorized HUD-VASH vouchers to 60,000 (Current authorization levels are 2,000 vouchers in FY2010 and 2,500 in FY2011. However, through appropriations, Congress has funded more than 30,000 vouchers over the last three fiscal years.); • establish the position of Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs within HUD; and • require the VA to develop a plan for ending veteran homelessness, something the VA has already undertaken (see “The Department of Veterans Affairs Plan to End Homelessness”). However, according to the Committee Report accompanying S. 1237 (S.Rept. 111-175), “the Committee believes that better articulation of issues surrounding the plan to end veteran homelessness in five years is called for.” The Homes for Heroes Act (H.R. 403), which was passed by the House on June 16, 2009, would provide various forms of housing assistance for veterans through both HUD and the VA. A nearly identical bill, also entitled Homes for Heroes, has been introduced in the Senate (S. 1160). H.R. 403 would create a new housing program within HUD to provide grants and rental assistance to private nonprofit organizations or consumer cooperatives, enabling them to acquire, rehabilitate, and construct permanent supportive housing for very low-income veterans and their families. Services for veteran families, including health care, employment and training, educational assistance, transportation, child care, and housing counseling would be provided through the VA. The bill would authorize $200 million for this new housing grant program in FY2009 and such sums as necessary in each year thereafter. In addition, H.R. 403 would authorize sufficient funds to provide 20,000 Section 8 vouchers for homeless veterans. The bill would also exclude from the definition of income service-connected disability and death benefit payments to veterans or family members in determining the amount of rent that veterans would pay in federally assisted housing. 99 In order to take advantage of Low Income Housing Tax Credits, nonprofit organizations must partner with for-profit entities. This is due to the way in which the value of tax credits is calculated. The amount of federal grants are not included in calculating the value of the tax credits. If for-profit entities can partner with private nonprofit organizations to form limited partnerships, then the nonprofit grantee can loan the Grant and Per Diem funds to the limited partnership. Under this arrangement, the funds are no longer a “federal grant” to be subtracted in calculating the value of LIHTCs. Congressional Research Service 32 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation On October 22, 2009, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Health approved a series of bills regarding homeless veterans. H.R. 2504 would increase the authorization level for the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program to $200 million per year (up from $150 million per year). Another bill, H.R. 2735, would change the way in which grantees under the Grant and Per Diem program are reimbursed for transitional housing and supportive services provided to homeless veterans. Grantees would be reimbursed on a quarterly basis for the “annual cost of furnishing services” to veterans as estimated by the grantee and adjusted by the VA Secretary. The Secretary would be required to annually increase the rate of payment based on changing costs of providing services and to take account of the cost of providing services in a given geographic area. The reimbursement rate could be capped by the Secretary. In determining the cost of furnishing services, the Secretary could take account of payments received by grantees from other sources. In addition, grantees could use the per diem payments that they receive for the cost of furnishing services as matching funds for other programs. Also passed by the Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee on October 22, 2009 was the Help Our Homeless Veterans Act (H.R. 2559), which would amend the statute that gives the VA Secretary the authority to purchase advertising regarding assistance to veterans, including homeless veterans. The bill would give “special emphasis” to promoting awareness of assistance programs for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children. In addition, the Subcommittee approved a draft bill that was then introduced—H.R. 3906—which would authorize the program for supportive services for very low-income veterans and their families in permanent housing at $50 million for FY2012, $75 million for FY2013, and $100 million for each subsequent fiscal year. Currently, the program is authorized at $20 million for FY2010 and $25 million for FY2011. The four bills passed by the House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee on October 22, 2009, were merged into a new bill, the End Veteran Homelessness Act (H.R. 4810), which was approved by the full House on March 22, 2010. The bill would increase the authorization for the Grant and Per Diem program to $200 million per year (H.R. 2504), change the way the Grant and Per Diem providers are reimbursed (H.R. 2735), authorize funds for the program of supportive services for very low-income veterans and their families (H.R. 3906), and promote awareness of programs for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children (H.R. 2559). In addition, H.R. 4810 would require that VA medical centers participating in HUD-VASH employ specialists who would conduct outreach to landlords, mediate disputes between landlords and tenants, and maintain a list of available housing units. The bill also provides that the VA and HUD Secretaries shall work together to help veterans apply for funds allocated through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing program. Funding Table 1 shows final appropriation levels for FY2005-FY201097 U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, June 2010, http://www.ich.gov/PDF/OpeningDoors_2010_FSPPreventEndHomeless.pdf. 98 Ibid., p 26. 99 U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, Update 2011, 2012, http://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/ USICH_FSPUpdate_2012_12312.pdf. 100 Ibid., p. 20. 101 Ibid., p. 21. Congressional Research Service 28 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation The Department of Veterans Affairs Plan to End Homelessness On November 3, 2009, the VA announced a plan to end homelessness among veterans within five years.102 However, the VA has not released a formal written plan, and instead, VA budget documents outline areas of focus for the new plan. At least two bills introduced in the 112th Congress call on the VA to submit plans to Congress: the Helping Homeless Heroes Act (H.R. 2559) and the Veterans Programs Improvement Act (S. 1148). Beginning with the FY2011 budget, VA budget documents have outlined six areas of focus for ending homelessness. These are (1) outreach and education, (2) treatment, (3) prevention, (4) housing and supportive services, (5) employment and benefits, and (6) community partnerships.103 In its FY2013 budget, the VA noted that it expected to continue expanding the number of veterans served through HUD-VASH, Healthcare for Homeless Veterans, the Grant and Per Diem Program, Supportive Services for Veteran Families, and other programs and initiatives. Legislation in the 112th Congresses Enacted Legislation The Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-37), approved by the House on September 20, 2011, and the Senate three days later, extended the expiring authorizations for a number of programs that assist homeless veterans, including the following: • Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program: The authorization was extended from the end of FY2011 through the end of FY2012 at the previous authorization level ($50 million). • Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program: The authorization was extended from December 31, 2011, through December 31, 2012. • Grant and Per Diem Program: The program had been permanently authorized at $150 million. P.L. 112-37 increased the authorization for each year from FY2010 through FY2012. Levels were increased to $175 million, $218 million, and $250 million for each year, respectively. The higher authorization levels comport with amounts that the VA estimates are needed for the program in each of the three fiscal years.104 Beginning in FY2013 and thereafter, the authorization level returns to $150 million. • Supportive Services for Veteran Families: The authorization was extended through FY2012 at $100 million. The program had previously been authorized 102 See U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Secretary Shinseki Details Plan to End Homelessness for Veterans,” press release, November 3, 2009, http://www1.va.gov/OPA/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1807. 103 See, for example, FY2013 VA Budget Justifications, Volume 2 Medical Programs and Information Technology, p. 1I-15, http://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/Fy2013_Volume_II-Medical_Programs_Information_Technology.pdf. 104 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, FY2012 Budget Submission, Volume II: Medical Programs and Information Technology, pp. 1H-12, http://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/Fy2012_Volume_IIMedical_Programs_Information_Technology.pdf. Congressional Research Service 29 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation for three years: FY2009 at $15 million, FY2010 at $20 million, and FY2011 at $25 million. • Grant and Per Diem Program for Homeless Veterans with Special Needs: The authorization was extended through FY2012 and remained at the previous level ($5 million). Active Legislation Two bills that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, both called the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, S. 1925 and H.R. 4970, have been passed by the Senate and House respectively. Both bills would reauthorize the program to provide transitional housing to those who are homeless as a result of domestic violence, and would rename it “Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking.”105 The authorization level for the program would be $35 million per year from FY2012 through FY2016 (down from its previously authorized level of $40 million from FY2007 through FY2011). In addition, both S. 1925 and H.R. 4970 would define “qualified application” for grant funding in such a way to ensure that service providers do not conduct background checks or clinical evaluations of victims; have an understanding of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and do not make services for victims mandatory. In addition, S. 1925 contains a provision not included in H.R. 4970 that would add to the eligible supportive services that grantees may provide to include those related to securing and retaining employment. Also in the 112th Congress, legislation to reauthorize the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program as part of the reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has been reported by both House and Senate committees. On October 20, 2011, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions ordered reported a bill to reauthorize the ESEA, titled the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act of 2011 (no bill number yet). Reauthorization of EHCY is included as part of this legislation. On February 28, 2012, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce ordered reported two bills to reauthorize portions of the ESEA. One of these bills is H.R. 3990, the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act. Title VI of this bill would reauthorize EHCY. The other bill is H.R. 3989, the Student Success Act. It includes amendments to ESEA Title I-A that impact EHCY. For more information about reauthorization, see CRS Report R42494, Education for Homeless Children and Youth: Background and Legislation in the 112th Congress, by Gail McCallion. The Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2011 (H.R. 32) was approved by the House Financial Services Committee, Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing, and Community Opportunity on February 7, 2012. The bill would broaden the McKinney-Vento Act definition of “homeless individual” by including children and their families and youth who have been verified as homeless under four other federal programs: Runaway and Homeless Youth, Education for Homeless Children and Youths, Head Start, and programs through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. H.R. 32 is also discussed in the section of this report entitled “Defining Homelessness: Who Is Served.” 105 The new definition would remove the word “child” from the title and add the term “dating violence.” Congressional Research Service 30 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation The Homes for Heroes Act of 2011 (H.R. 3298) was passed by the House on March 27, 2012. The bill would create a position within HUD, the Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs, to act as a liaison to the VA and the Interagency Council on Homelessness, to coordinate all HUD programs and activities relating to veterans, and to ensure that veterans receive fair access to HUD housing and homeless assistance, among other activities. The bill would also require HUD and the VA to continue to coordinate in releasing the Veterans Supplement to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, and to report information about veterans served through HUD-VASH, a description of whether and how veterans may be given special consideration in Public Housing Authority plans, HUD’s cost of administering programs for veterans, and on the activities of the Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs. Funding Table 1 shows final appropriation levels for FY2005-FY2012 for the targeted homelessness programs included in this report with the exception of programs administered by the VA. The table also contains a column showing appropriations that were made as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L. 111-5). The appropriations figures come from the budget justifications submitted by the various agencies or from congressional appropriations documents. Table 2 shows actual and estimated obligations for the Department of Veterans Affairs targeted homeless homeless programs for FY2004-FY2010FY2011 and estimated obligations for FY2012. The figures in Table 2 were obtained from VA budget documents and conversations with VA employees. Congressional Research Service 33 .31 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Table 1. Homelessness: Appropriations for Targeted Federal Programs, FY2005-FY2010FY2012 (dollars in thousands) Agency FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 Stimulus Act, P.L. 111-5 ED 62,496 61,871a871b 61,871 64,067b067c 70,000 65,427 65,427 65,296 65,173 Emergency Food & Shelter DHS/ FEMA 153,000 151,470 151,470 153,000 100,000 200,000c000d 200,000d000e 119,760 120,000 Health Care for the HomelesseHomelessf HHS 149,000 151,400 167,900 174,700b 174,000f 185,500 185,500700c 160,000g 171,700 171,300 199,000 214,000 Projects for Assistance in Transition from from Homelessness HHS 54,809 54,223 54,261 53,313b313c — 59,687 65,047 64,917 64,917 Consolidated Runaway and Homeless Youth Program HHS 88,725 87,777 87,837 96,128b128c — 97,234 97,734 97,539 97,355 —Runaway and Homeless Youth - – Basic Center HHS 48,786 48,265 48,298 52,860 — 53,469 53,744 53,637 53,536 —Runaway and Homeless Youth - Transitional – Transitional Living HHS 39,939 39,511 39,539 43,268 — 43,765 43,990 43,902 43,819 Runaway and Homeless Youth - Street – Street Outreach Program HHS 15,178 15,017 15,027 17,221b221c — 17,721 17,971 17,935 17,901 Homeless Assistance Grants HUD 1,240,511 1,326,600 1,441,600 1,585,990 —gh 1,677,000 1,865,000 1,901,000 1,901,000 Program Education for Homeless Children & Youth Agency Youth —Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing FY2009 FY2010 FY2011a FY2012 1,500,000 Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program DOL 20,832 21,780 21,809 23,620b620c — 26,330 36,330 36,257 38,185 Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assaulth DOJ 14,840 Assaulti DOJ 12,333 14,808 14,847 17,390 50,000 18,000 18,000 17,964 25,000 Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Unless otherwise stated, sources of data are agency budget justifications and congressional appropriations documents. The amounts are enacted values and do not necessarily include all rescissions for each program in each fiscal year. Notes: Italics indicate amount is subsumed under earlier line item. a. CRS-34 CRS-32 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation a. In FY2011, all discretionary accounts were subject to an across-the-board rescission of 0.2%. Unless otherwise noted, the funding levels in the table have been reduced by the rescission amount. b. P.L. 109-148 provided supplemental FY2006 appropriations of $5 million for assistance to local educational agencies serving homeless children and youth who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. . b c. In the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, P.L. 110-161, Division G, Section 528, an across-the-board rescission of 1.747% was applied to nearly all Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education programs. The values in the table reflect the rescission. cd. Funds for the Emergency Food and Shelter program were appropriated as part of the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-329), while appropriations for the remaining programs were part of the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-8). de. In FY2010, funds for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program were appropriated as part of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-83); all other programs received appropriations as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-117). ef. The Health Care for the Homeless program is funded under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Community Health Centers program. The law requires that health centers serving special populations, including homeless individuals, receive the same proportion of funds that they received in FY2001 (42 U.S.C. § §254b(r)(2)(B)). For the Health Care for the Homeless program, this is approximately 8.6% of the funds appropriated for the Community Health Centers program. The appropriation estimates through The appropriation estimate for FY2005 in the table areis based on this figure. For FY2006 forward, CRS relied on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Moyer Materials. fg. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, P.L. 111-5) appropriated $500 million for health centers to fund services to patients, as well as $1.5 billion in infrastructure funding for facility construction and renovation, the purchase of equipment, and acquisition of health information technology. According to HHS, $174160 million went to serve homeless individuals. See U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Resources and Technology, FY2010FY2012 Moyer Material, July 2009, p. 25. gApril 2011, p. 30. h. Although funds appropriated through ARRA for homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing were distributed using the Emergency Shelter Grants formula, the funds are administered according to different rules than those under the four existing Homeless Assistance Grants. h. This funding isi. Until FY2012, funding was provided as a set-aside under the VAWA STOP grant program. CRS-35 . 33 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Table 2. Homelessness:Targeted VA Program Obligations, FY2004-FY2010FY2012 (dollars in thousands) FY2004 (actual) FY2005 (actual) FY2006 (actual) FY2007 (actual) FY2008 (actual) FY2009 (actual) FY2010 FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 FY2012 (estimate) Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)a 42,905 40,357 56,998 71,925 77,656 80,219 83,026109,727 200,808 134,738 Homeless Providers Grants and Per Diem Programb 62,965 62,180 63,621 81,187 114,696 128,073 150,000175,057 148,097 194,477 Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV) 51,829 57,555 63,592 77,633 96,098 115,373 119,000175,979 221,938 201,304 Compensated Work Therapy/Therapeutic Residence Program (CWT/TR) 10,240 10,004 19,529 21,514 21,497 22,206 22,98461,205 73,420 57,743 Services for HUD VA Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) 3,375 3,243 3,626 7,487 4,854 26,601 75,332 Supportive Services for Very Low-Income Veterans and Their Familiesc — — — — — 218 20,000 Program71,137 119,603 201,500 — — — — — 218 3,881 60,541 100,000 Program Supportive Services for Veteran Familiesc Source: Department of Veterans Affairs budget documents. a. Includes funding for the Homeless Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans (HCMI) and the Homeless Comprehensive Service Centers, including mobile centers. A specific breakdown of obligations among activities is not available. b. Does not include funding for Grant and Per Diem Liaisons. c. The Supportive Services for Very Low-Income Veterans and Their Families program was created as part of the Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-387). According to VA budget documents, the department will develop regulations in FY2009 and award grants in FY2010.first award for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program was made in FY2011. CRS-34 Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Author Contact Information Libby Perl, Coordinator Specialist in Housing Policy eperl@crs.loc.gov, 7-7806 Gail McCallion Specialist in Social Policy gmccallion@crs.loc.gov, 7-7758 Adrienne L. Fernandes Specialist in Social Policy afernandes@crs.loc.gov, 7-9005 Francis X. McCarthy Analyst in Emergency Management Policy fmccarthy@crs.loc.gov, 7-9533 Garrine P. Laney Analyst in Social Policy glaney@crs.loc.gov, 7-2518 Barbara English Information Research Specialist benglish@crs.loc.gov, 7-1927 Congressional Research Service 36 . Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation Key Policy Staff Program Name Telephone and E-MailElayne J. Heisler Analyst in Health Services eheisler@crs.loc.gov, 7-4453 Erin Bagalman Analyst in Health Policy ebagalman@crs.loc.gov, 7-5345 Gail McCallion Specialist in Social Policy gmccallion@crs.loc.gov, 7-7758 Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara Specialist in Social Policy afernandes@crs.loc.gov, 7-9005 Francis X. McCarthy Analyst in Emergency Management Policy fmccarthy@crs.loc.gov, 7-9533 Key Policy Staff Telephone and Email Program Name Education for Homeless Children and Youths Gail McCallion 7-7758 gmccallion@crs.loc.gov Emergency Food and Shelter program Francis X. McCarthy 7-9533 fmccarthy@crs.loc.gov Health Centers for the Homeless Barbara English 7-1927 benglishElayne Heisler 7-4453 eheisler@crs.loc.gov HUD programs and Homeless Veterans Libby Perl 7-7806 eperl@crs.loc.gov Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness Libby Perl 7-7806 eperl and SAMHSA Grants Erin Bagalman 7-5345 ebagalman@crs.loc.gov Runaway and Homeless Youth programs Adrienne L. FernandesFernandesAlcantara 7-9005 afernandes@crs.loc.gov Violence Against Women Act programs Garrine P. Laney 7-2518 glaneyLisa Sacco 7-7359 lsacco@crs.loc.gov Congressional Research Service 3735