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
Elayne J. Heisler
Analyst in Health Services
Gail McCallion
Specialist in Social Policy
Francis X. McCarthy
Analyst in Emergency Management Policy
Lisa N. Sacco
Analyst in Illicit Drugs and Crime Policy
February 3, 2014
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL30442
Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation
Summary
The causes of homelessness and determining how best to assist those who find themselves
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 overseen by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of Labor
(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 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. The 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.
A number of federal programs in seven different agencies, many originally authorized by the
McKinney-Vento Act, serve homeless persons. These include the Education for Homeless
Children and Youth 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 grant programs that provide
housing and services for homeless individuals 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.
The federal government, through the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, has
established a goal of ending homelessness among various populations, including families, youth,
chronically homeless individuals, and veterans (the Department of Veterans Affairs also has its
own goal of ending veteran homelessness). Point-in-time counts of those experiencing
homelessness in 2013 indicate reductions among chronically homeless individuals, people in
families, and veterans compared to 2007, the year that the recession began.
Legislatively, the 113th Congress has seen enactment of the Violence Against Women
Reauthorization Act (P.L. 113-4), which, among other provisions, reauthorized the Department of
Justice transitional housing program, and two laws that reauthorized multiple homeless veterans
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programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-37) and
the VA Expiring Authorities Extension Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-59).
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Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1
The Federal Response to Homelessness .......................................................................................... 1
Defining Homelessness: Who Is Served .......................................................................................... 3
Federal Programs Targeted to Assist Homeless Individuals ............................................................ 7
Department of Education (ED) .................................................................................................. 7
Education for Homeless Children and Youths ..................................................................... 7
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ................................................................................ 8
Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program ..................................................................... 8
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ................................................................... 9
Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Program ................................................................... 9
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) .................................... 10
Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals ................................................................ 10
Runaway and Homeless Youth Program ........................................................................... 10
Department of Justice (DOJ) ................................................................................................... 13
Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic
Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking ........................................................................ 13
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ....................................................... 13
Homeless Assistance Grants .............................................................................................. 13
Department of Labor (DOL) ................................................................................................... 16
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program ....................................................................... 16
Referral and Counseling Services: Veterans at Risk of Homelessness Who Are
Transitioning from Certain Institutions .......................................................................... 16
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ...................................................................................... 17
Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) .................................................................... 17
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program ........................................................... 17
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV) ........................................................... 18
Compensated Work Therapy Program .............................................................................. 18
HUD VA Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) .................................................................... 19
Supportive Services for Veteran Families ......................................................................... 19
HUD and VA Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program .................................... 19
Other Activities for Homeless Veterans ............................................................................ 20
Social Security Administration (SSA) ..................................................................................... 21
Efforts to End Homelessness ......................................................................................................... 22
The Chronic Homelessness Initiative ................................................................................ 23
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent
and End Homelessness ................................................................................................... 24
The Department of Veterans Affairs Plan to End Homelessness ....................................... 25
Legislation ..................................................................................................................................... 26
Legislation Enacted in the 113th Congress ............................................................................... 26
Active Legislation in the 113th Congress ................................................................................. 26
Funding .......................................................................................................................................... 27
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Tables
Table 1. Homelessness: Appropriations for Targeted Federal Programs, FY2006-FY2014 .......... 28
Table 2. Homelessness: Targeted VA Program Obligations, FY2004-FY2013 ............................. 30
Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 31
Key Policy Staff ............................................................................................................................. 31
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Introduction
Federal assistance targeted to homeless individuals and families was largely nonexistent 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 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 discusses 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.
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
younger; they were more racially diverse (in previous decades, the observed homeless population
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.
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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.
4 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.)
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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, and how it has changed
under the HEARTH Act and HUD’s implementing regulations.
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.
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
8 These include the Education for Homeless Children and Youths program and Health Care for the Homeless.
9 The definition of homeless veteran is a veteran who is homeless as defined by Section 103(a) of 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.
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/
(continued...)
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contrasts with definitions used in some other federal programs, where a person may currently
have a place to live but is still considered homeless because the accommodation is precarious or
temporary.
Definitions Under Other Federal Programs
Education for Homeless Children and Youths: The Department of Education (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.
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
(...continued)
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).
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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.
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
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.
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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
“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
19 Ibid., p. 75996.
20 Ibid.
21 Ibid., p. 76017.
22 Ibid.
23 42 U.S.C. §11382(j).
24 42 U.S.C. §11302(b).
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primary nighttime residence or made the individual or family afraid to return to
their residence.25
Note that the domestic violence provision of the McKinney-Vento definition does not apply to
homeless veteran programs. The statutory definition of homeless veteran for VA and DOL
program eligibility refers only to Section 103(a) of the McKinney-Vento Act.26 The HEARTH Act
added Section 103(b), which refers to victims of domestic violence.
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.
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
25 76 Federal Register, p. 76014.
26 38 U.S.C. §2002. “The term “homeless veteran” means a veteran who is homeless (as that term is defined in section
103(a) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act).”
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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) 2011-2012, 3,531 LEAs, out of a total of
16,064, received awards.27 Although only 22% of LEAs received EHCY grants in SY2011-2012,
they enrolled 68% 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
SY2011-2012, 43 states reported an increase in their enrollment of homeless students; 10 states
reported a decrease in their enrollment of homeless students. In SY2009-2010, 939,903 homeless
students were reported enrolled in school; in SY2010-2011, the number of enrolled homeless
students reported was 1,065,794; and in SY2011-2012, 1,168,354 homeless students were
reported enrolled. The total number of homeless students enrolled increased 13% between
SY2009-2010 and SY2010-2011, and 10% between SY2010-2011 and SY2011-2012. Four states
accounted for 43% of the total number of students enrolled in both LEAs with EHCY subgrants
and those without in SY2011-2012. Those states, and their percentages of total homeless student
enrollment, were California (21.3%), New York (8.3%), Texas (8.1%), and Florida (5.4%).
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.28 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).29 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 Youths Program, see CRS
Report R42494, Education for Homeless Children and Youth: Program Overview and Legislation,
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,30 was established in March 1983 and is administered
27 All data are reported based on a school year (SY). All data discussed in this section are from the Education for
Homeless Children and Youth Program: Data Collection Summary, National Center for Homeless Education, October,
2013.
28An 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.
29 See Section 422 of the General Education Provisions Act, as amended by P.L. 103-382. 42 U.S.C. §1226a.
30 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.
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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.31
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. (For more information about the
Emergency Food and Shelter Program, see CRS Report R42766, The Emergency Food and
Shelter National Board Program and Homeless Assistance, by Francis X. McCarthy.)
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 2012, there were 2,682 HCH sites that
provided care to 839,980 homeless individuals. The vast majority of these patients (nearly 90%)
lived at or below the federal poverty level.32 HCHs were permanently authorized in the Patient
31 For more information about recipient jurisdictions, see the National Board website, http://efsp.unitedway.org/.
32 HRSA, Uniform Data System (UDS) Report, UDS, National Rollup Report, 2012, at http://bphc.hrsa.gov/uds/
datacenter.aspx?year=2012; and 2012 Health Center Data, Homeless Program Grantee Data at http://bphc.hrsa.gov/
uds/datacenter.aspx?fd=ho&year=2012.
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Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, as amended). (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 one-
time 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. The PATH
program is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s
(SAMHSA’s) Center for Mental Health Services (within HHS).33 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) 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 include 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. Under the GBHI authority, SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse
Treatment administers two grant portfolios: Treatment Systems for Homeless and (in
collaboration with SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services) Cooperative Agreements to
Benefit Homeless Individuals.34 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:
33 For more about the PATH program, including state and federal data reports, see http://pathprogram.samhsa.gov/.
34 For more about GBHI, see SAMHSA, FY2014 Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees, pp. 149–
150, http://www.samhsa.gov/Budget/FY2014/SAMHSA_FY2014_CJ_FINAL.pdf.
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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.35 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. §§5711-5714) 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
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.36 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 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,
35 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.
36 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.
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supervised apartments owned by a social service agency, or scattered-site apartments and single-
occupancy 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.”37 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 (P.L. 108-96) to the Runaway and Homeless Youth program 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 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 Program38
(42 U.S.C. §5714-41) 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.
37 ”Exceptional circumstances” means 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.
38 This program is known in the statute as Sexual Abuse Prevention Program. HHS refers to it as both the Street
Outreach Program (in grant anouncements and on their website) and as the Service Connection for Youth on the Streets
Program (in the budget request).
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Department of Justice (DOJ)
Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic
Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking
The Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence,
Dating Violence, and Stalking Program (Transitional Housing Program), administered by the
Office on Violence Against Women, funds programs that provide assistance to victims of sexual
assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking who are in need of transitional
housing, short-term housing assistance, and related supportive services. Assistance may include
counseling, support groups, safety planning, and advocacy services as well as practical services
such as licensed child care, employment services, transportation vouchers, telephones, and
referrals to other agencies. Services are available to minors, adults, and their dependents.
The Transitional Housing Program was first authorized by the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other
Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003 (the PROTECT Act, P.L. 108-21).
The PROTECT Act amended Subtitle B of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA; 42
U.S.C. 13701 note; 108 Stat. 1925) to (1) establish this grant program to support states, units of
local government, Indian tribes, and other organizations and (2) authorize annual funding for the
program at $30 million for FY2004-FY2008. In 2005, the reauthorization of VAWA (P.L. 109-
162) authorized annual funding at $40 million for the Transitional Housing Program for FY2007-
FY2011. Most recently, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-4)
reauthorized the Transitional Housing Program for FY2014-FY2018, decreasing the authorized
annual funding level to $35 million.
The Transitional Housing Program first received appropriations in FY2004 as a separate,
standalone program. For FY2005 through FY2011, Congress appropriated funding for the
program through a set-aside from the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors)
Formula Grant Program. In FY2012 and FY2013, Congress once again funded the Transitional
Housing Program as a separate, standalone program. (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 N. Sacco.)
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. 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, the Supportive Housing Program
(SHP), the Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Assistance for Single-Room Occupancy Dwellings
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(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” (CoC) program. Further, rural
communities may apply separately for funds that otherwise would have been awarded as part of
the Continuum of Care program. The HEARTH Act provides that not less than 5% of Continuum
of Care Program funds be set aside for rural communities. (For more information about the
Homeless Assistance Grants, see CRS Report RL33764, The HUD Homeless Assistance Grants:
Programs Authorized by the HEARTH Act, 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. 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 short-
or 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.
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Continuum of Care (CoC) Program
(42 U.S.C. §§11381-11389) The CoC program continues to provide the same types of assistance
that were available in its three predecessor programs (SHP, S+C, and SRO), including transitional
housing, permanent supportive housing, supportive services, and Homeless Management
Information Systems (HMIS), but without the need for grantees to select among three separate
grant programs depending on the services provided. Grantees may also use funds for rapid
rehousing, a process through which grantees help homeless individuals and families find housing,
and support them for a period of time until they are stable.
CoC funds are distributed through a community process that is also referred to as the “Continuum
of Care.” Through this process, local communities (typically cities, counties, and combinations of
both) establish CoC advisory boards made up of representatives from local government agencies,
service providers, community members, and formerly homeless individuals who meet to establish
local priorities and strategies to address homelessness in their communities. Each Continuum of
Care designates a Collaborative Applicant (either itself or another eligible applicant) to apply for
funds.
Eligible grant recipients are state governments, local governments, instrumentalities of state and
local governments, Public Housing Authorities, and private nonprofit organizations. Grantees
may provide housing and services by acquiring, rehabilitating, or constructing properties; leasing
properties; providing rental assistance, whether tenant-based, project-based, or sponsor-based;
and by paying operating costs. Both grantees and the local Continuum of Care planning entities
may use funds for administrative purposes―10% for grantees and 3% for Collaborative
Applicants (and another 3% for Collaborative Applicants that take on additional responsibility).
Each recipient community must match the total grant funds received with 25% in funds from
other sources (including other federal grants) or in-kind contributions (with an exception for
leasing).
Rural Housing Stability (RHS) Grants
(42 U.S.C. §11408) As of the date of this report, HUD had not yet distributed funds to rural
communities through the RHS 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. A rural community is defined to include (1) a
county where no part is contained within a metropolitan statistical area, (2) a county located
within a metropolitan statistical area, but where at least 75% of the county population is in
nonurban Census blocks, or (3) a county located in a state where the population density is less
than 30 people per square mile, and at least 1.25% of the acreage in the state is under federal
jurisdiction. However, under this definition, no metropolitan city in the state (as defined by the
CDBG statute) can be the sole beneficiary of the RHS grants.
Unlike the Continuum of Care program, rural communities are 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.
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Grantees under the RHS program may use funds to assist people who are experiencing
homelessness in many of the same ways as the CoC program. These include transitional housing,
permanent housing, rapid rehousing, data collection, and a range of supportive services. Funds
may also be used for homelessness prevention activities, relocation assistance, short-term
emergency housing, and home repairs that are necessary to make housing habitable.
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
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
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. 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.
HVRP, initially authorized as part of the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act, was most
recently authorized at $50 million through FY2014 as part of the Department of Veterans Affairs
Expiring Authorities Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-37). (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, through June 30, 2007, with $2 million in funding.39 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’
39 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/FY2006-
2007_Annual_Report_To_Congress.pdf.
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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
12. Most recently the program was authorized through FY2014 as part of the Department of
Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-37).
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.
Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)40
(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 use 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). The HCHV program was most recently authorized through December 31, 2014,
as part of the VA Expiring Authorities Extension Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-59).
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program41
(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 authorized at $250 million for FY2014 and $150 million for
each fiscal year thereafter (P.L. 113-37). Prior to 2011, the program had been permanently
authorized at $150 million per year (P.L. 110-387). However, Congress increased the
authorization level in FY2010 through FY2012 (P.L. 112-37), FY2013 (P.L. 112-154), and
40 Also known as the Homeless Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans (HCMI) program.
41 Formerly called the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Services Programs.
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FY2014 (P.L. 113-37) to comport with amounts that the VA estimated were needed for the
program in each of these fiscal years.42
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,
veterans with children (men and women), frail elderly, terminally ill, or chronically mentally ill.
The program was most recently authorized at $5 million per year through FY2014 as part of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-37).
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 use disorders, or both.43 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.
Compensated Work Therapy Program44
(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
42 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_II-
Medical_Programs_Information_Technology.pdf.
43 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.
44 The CWT program was formerly called the Special Therapeutic and Rehabilitation Activities Fund.
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fund the program. Funding for this program comes from the VA’s Special Therapeutic and
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 use 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 allocated to homeless veterans. The Homeless Veterans
Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-95) 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. Since then, Congress has appropriated funding for new HUD-VASH vouchers in each
appropriations act through FY2014, for a total of about $500 million to fund HUD-VASH
vouchers for one-year terms, bringing the total number of vouchers that are expected to be funded
over the time period to approximately 68,000. Funds for supportive services are allocated through
the VA health appropriation.
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 program from the amount
appropriated for VA medical services. Most recently, the program was authorized at $300 million
for FY2014 as part of the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2013 (P.L.
113-37).
Organizations that assist families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing are
given priority for funding under the law. 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
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individuals transitioning from military to civilian life, and up to four of which were to be in rural
areas.
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 operates much like the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing
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.45 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.46
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
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 was most recently authorized through December 31, 2014, as part of the VA
Expiring Authorities Extension Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-59).
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.47 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
45 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Notice of FY2009 Implementation of the Veterans
Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program, July 14, 2010, pp. 9-11, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/
VetsHomelessPreventionDemo.pdf.
46 Ibid., p. 11.
47 Comprehensive Homeless Centers are located in Anchorage, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Dallas, Little Rock, Pittsburgh,
San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
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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) 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 use disorders who may qualify for Social 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.48 As part of the initiative,
representatives from 34 states received SOAR training between 2005 and 2007.49 Funds through
the PATH program (described earlier in this report) have been used to train providers in SOAR,50
and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) continues to
fund technical assistance to SOAR programs.51 Currently all states participate in SOAR.52
48 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.
49 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.
50 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.
51 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.
52 Ibid.
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In 2011, 71% of SOAR-assisted SSI or SSDI applicants were approved for benefits.53 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%.54 Of all adult
SSI applicants in 2011, 27% were awarded benefits.55 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.56
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.57 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 was 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.”58 The HEARTH Act updated the definition to
include families with a head of household who has a disability.59
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.60 And by 2003, the United States Interagency
Council on Homelessness (USICH) had been re-engaged after six years of inactivity and was
53 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-outcomes-
summary-031212.pdf.
54 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.
55 Social Security Administration, SSI Annual Statistical Report, 2012, July 2013, Table 69, http://www.ssa.gov/policy/
docs/statcomps/ssi_asr/2012/sect10.pdf.
56 Preliminary Outcomes from the SOAR Technical Assistance Initiative, Policy Research Associates, May 2008,
http://www.prainc.com/SOAR/soar101/SOAROutcomes.pdf.
57 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.
58 24 C.F.R. §91.5. The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act (P.L. 111-
22) changed the definition to include families with an adult member who has a disabling condition.
59 42 U.S.C. §11360(2).
60 The report is available at http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/mhc/MHCReport.pdf. See pp. 54-56.
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charged with pursuing the President’s 10-year plan.61 For the balance of the decade, multiple
federal initiatives focused funding and efforts on this goal.
However, the initiative to end chronic homelessness has raised some concerns among advocates
for homeless people that allocating resources largely to chronically homeless individuals is done
at the expense of families with children who are homeless, homeless youth, and other vulnerable
populations.62 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.63
Permanent supportive housing is generally seen as a solution to ending chronic homelessness.64
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 in public accommodations,
such as hospitals, jails, or prisons.65 Based on the research, service providers and HUD began to
devote resources to housing first initiatives.
61 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.
62 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.
63 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.
64 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/.
65 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.
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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.
HUD’s Continuum of Care program requires that 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.
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 homeless individuals, and veterans.66 The council then held regional
meetings to get feedback from various stakeholders, and it accepted public comments on its
website during March 2010.67
On June 22, 2010, the USICH released their report entitled Opening Doors.68 The plan sets out
goals of ending chronic homelessness as well as homelessness among veterans within the next
66 U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Overview,
http://www.usich.gov/PDF/FSPOverviewSummary.pdf.
67 For public comments, see http://fsp.uservoice.com/forums/41991-how-can-the-local-community-contribute-to-the-
visi.
68 U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End
(continued...)
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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.69
The 2012 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.70 The report presented data from HUD’s point-in-time estimates of homelessness in
2012. In the five years since the recession began in 2007, homelessness decreased for people in
families (by 3.7%) and for chronically homeless individuals (by 19.3%).71 While comparison data
do not exist for homeless veterans in 2007, since 2009, homelessness among veterans has
declined by 17.2%. Available permanent supportive housing units across the country reached
205,000 by 2012, increasing each year from 141,000 available in 2007.72 The USICH did not yet
have data on earned income or mainstream benefits to compare to 2009 levels.
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.73 However, the VA has not released a formal written plan, and instead, VA budget
documents outline areas of focus for the new plan.
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.74
In its FY2014 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.
(...continued)
Homelessness, June 2010, http://www.ich.gov/PDF/OpeningDoors_2010_FSPPreventEndHomeless.pdf.
69 Ibid., p 26.
70 U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End
Homelessness, Update 2012, http://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/Update2012_FINALweb.pdf.
71 Ibid., pp. 9-10.
72 Ibid., p. 18.
73 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.
74 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.
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Legislation
Legislation Enacted in the 113th Congress
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013; P.L. 113-4) added
housing rights for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking,
including a provision that states that an applicant may not be denied public housing assistance on
the basis that the person has been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault,
or stalking.
VAWA 2013 also reauthorized the Department of Justice Transitional Housing Program at $35
million annually from FY2014 through FY2018. Among other things, VAWA 2013 ensures that
victims receiving Transitional Housing Program assistance are not subject to prohibited activities,
including background checks or clinical evaluations, to determine eligibility for services. VAWA
2013 also specifies that transitional housing support services may include certain services to help
the victim secure employment, including obtaining employment counseling, occupational
training, job retention counseling, and counseling concerning re-entry into the workforce.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-37) was
enacted on September 30, 2013. The law extended the authorizations for a number of homeless
veterans programs through FY2014: the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, Referral and
Counseling Services for Veterans at Risk of Homelessness Who Are Transitioning from Certain
Institutions, the Grant and Per Diem Special Needs grant, and Supportive Services for Veteran
Families. The law also authorized the Grant and Per Diem program through FY2015 and each
year thereafter.
The VA Expiring Authorities Extension Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-59), enacted on December 20,
2013, reauthorized several homeless veterans programs through December 31, 2014: Healthcare
for Homeless Veterans, Acquired Property Sales for Homeless Providers, and the Advisory
Committee on Homeless Veterans.
Active Legislation in the 113th Congress
The Homes for Heroes Act of 2013 (H.R. 384), passed by the House on May 15, 2013, would
create a position in HUD for a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans have
access to housing within each of HUD’s programs and to coordinate HUD programs and activities
that relate to veterans. The Special Assistant would also serve as liaison between HUD and the
VA, as well as HUD and the Interagency Council on Homelessness, and would coordinate with
state and local agencies and organizations that work with veterans. The bill also calls on HUD
and the VA to report annually to Congress on the number of veterans experiencing homelessness
and on HUD activities related to veterans.
The Helping Homeless Veterans Act of 2013 (S. 287) was passed by the Senate on November 6,
2013. As introduced, the bill would have changed the definition of homeless veteran to
incorporate Section 103(b) of the definition as modified by the HEARTH Act. Section 103(b)
includes anyone who is fleeing a situation of domestic violence or other life-threatening
condition. S. 287 was amended at the committee level to incorporate aspects of S. 825 and S.
1058. As amended, S. 287 would additionally allow grants through the Grant and Per Diem
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program to be used to maintain existing facilities (in addition to expanding or modifying them);
would increase the per diem payments for housing units in which veterans move from transitional
to permanent housing through the Transition in Place option; would authorize use of per diem
payments for the dependents of homeless veterans; and would require the VA to report on the
capacity of Grant and Per Diem providers for future planning purposes. The bill would also
expand the population eligible to receive care through the Dental Care for Homeless Veterans
program; give VA the authority to partner with and provide funding to private or public entities
that give legal representation to veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; require
evaluation of the outreach program for veterans being discharged from institutions who are at risk
of homelessness; and reauthorize various programs with expiring authorities.
H.R. 1305, a bill to provide clarification regarding eligibility for services under the
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, was marked up and approved by the House
Veterans’ Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity on April 25, 2013. The bill
would expand eligibility for HVRP to include veterans receiving rental assistance through the
HUD-VASH program and veterans transitioning from incarceration.
The Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization Act of 2013 (H.R. 2150) was
marked up and approved by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Economic
Opportunity on July 18, 2013. The bill would authorize HVRP at $50 million per year through
FY2018.
The Safe Housing for Homeless Veterans Act (H.R. 2065) was marked up and approved by the
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Health on July 23, 2013. The bill would
require Grant and Per Diem providers to provide VA with certification that they have satisfied
local code requirements.
Funding
Table 1 shows final appropriation levels for FY2007-FY2014 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). Table 2 shows actual obligations for the
Department of Veterans Affairs targeted homeless programs for FY2004-FY2012 and estimated
obligations for FY2013.
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Table 1. Homelessness: Appropriations for Targeted Federal Programs, FY2006-FY2014
(dollars in thousands)
FY2009
Stimulus
Act,
Program Agency
FY2007
FY2008
P.L. 111-5
FY2009
FY2010
FY2011a FY2012 FY2013b FY2014
Education for Homeless Children
& Youth
ED 61,871 64,067c 70,000
65,427
65,427
65,296
65,173 61,771
65,042
DHS/
Emergency Food & Shelter
FEMA
151,470 153,000 100,000
200,000d 200,000e 119,760 120,000 113,805
120,000
Health Care for the Homelessf HHS 167,900 174,700c 160,000g 171,700 171,300 215,800 232,500 260,300h 319,500h
Projects for Assistance in
Transition from Homelessness
HHS 54,261 53,313c —
59,687
65,047
64,917
64,794
61,405
64,794
Consolidated Runaway and
Homeless Youth Program
HHS 87,837 96,128c —
97,234
97,734
97,539
97,355
91,101
97,000
—Runaway and Homeless Youth–
Basic Center
HHS 48,298 52,860
— 53,469 53,744 53,637 53,536 50,097 —i
—Runaway and Homeless Youth–
Transitional Living
HHS 39,539 43,268
— 43,765 43,990 43,902 43,819 41,004 —i
Runaway and Homeless Youth–
Street Outreach Program
HHS 15,027 17,221c —
17,721
17,971
17,935
17,901
16,751
17,141
Homeless Assistance Grants
HUD
1,441,600
1,585,990
—j 1,677,000 1,865,000 1,901,000 1,901,000 1,933,293
2,105,000
—Homelessness Prevention and
Rapid Re-housing
1,500,000
Homeless Veterans
Reintegration Program
DOL 21,809 23,620c —
26,330
36,330
36,257
38,185
36,188
38,109
Transitional Housing Assistance
for Victims of Domestic
DOJ 14,847 17,390 50,000 18,000 18,000 17,964 25,000 23,281
24,750
Violence, Stalking, or Sexual
Assaultk
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.
CRS-28
a. In FY2011, al 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. In FY2013, most accounts were subject to an across-the-board rescission of 0.2% as wel as reductions due to sequestration. Unless otherwise noted, funding levels in
the table have been reduced to reflect both the rescission and sequestration.
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.
d. 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).
e. 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);
al other programs received appropriations as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-117).
f.
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.
CRS relies on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Moyer Material for estimated allocations.
g. 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, $160
million went to serve homeless individuals. See U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Resources and Technology,
FY2012 Moyer Material, April 2011, p. 30.
h. FY2013 and FY2014 funding levels for Health Care for the Homeless are estimates. The FY2013 and FY2014 estimates do not reflect sequestration. In FY2014,
mandatory funding for Health Care for the Homeless program was reduced under the Sequestration Order for FY2014 by 7.2%.
i.
The FY2014 Omnibus Appropriations Act and Joint Explanatory Statement did not provide a breakdown between the Basic Center and Transitional Living programs.
j.
Although funds appropriated through ARRA for homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing were distributed using the Emergency Shelter Grants formula, the funds
were administered according to different rules than those under the Homeless Assistance Grants.
k. Until FY2012, funding was provided as a set-aside under the VAWA STOP grant program.
CRS-29
Table 2. Homelessness: Targeted VA Program Obligations, FY2004-FY2013
(dollars in thousands)
FY2013
Program
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
FY2009
FY2010
FY2011
FY2012
(estimate)
Health Care for
Homeless Veterans
42,905 40,357 56,998 71,925 77,656 80,219 109,727 200,808 118,889 137,013
(HCHV)a
Homeless Providers
Grants and Per Diem
62,965 62,180 63,621 81,187 114,696 128,073 175,057 148,097 208,046 202,468
Programb
Domiciliary Care for
Homeless Veterans
51,829 57,555 63,592 77,633 96,098 115,373 175,979 221,938 218,962 233,983
(DCHV)
Compensated Work
Therapy/Therapeutic
Residence Program
10,240 10,004 19,529 21,514 21,497 22,206 61,205 73,420 73,067 78,250
(CWT/TR)
Services for HUD VA
Supported Housing
3,375 3,243 3,626 7,487 4,854
26,601
71,137
119,603
169,873 244,602
(HUD-VASH)
Supportive Services for
Veteran Familiesc
— — — — —
218
3,881
60,541
99,974
300,000
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 first awards for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program were made in FY2011.
CRS-30
Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation
Author Contact Information
Libby Perl, Coordinator
Gail McCallion
Specialist in Housing Policy
Specialist in Social Policy
eperl@crs.loc.gov, 7-7806
gmccallion@crs.loc.gov, 7-7758
Erin Bagalman
Francis X. McCarthy
Analyst in Health Policy
Analyst in Emergency Management Policy
ebagalman@crs.loc.gov, 7-5345
fmccarthy@crs.loc.gov, 7-9533
Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara
Lisa N. Sacco
Specialist in Social Policy
Analyst in Illicit Drugs and Crime Policy
afernandes@crs.loc.gov, 7-9005
lsacco@crs.loc.gov, 7-7359
Elayne J. Heisler
Analyst in Health Services
eheisler@crs.loc.gov, 7-4453
Key Policy Staff
Program Name
Telephone and
Email
Education for Homeless Children and Youths
Gail McCal ion
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
Elayne Heisler
7-4453
eheisler@crs.loc.gov
HUD programs and Homeless Veterans programs
Libby Perl
7-7806
eperl@crs.loc.gov
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness and Erin Bagalman
7-5345
SAMHSA Grants
ebagalman@crs.loc.gov
Runaway and Homeless Youth programs
Adrienne L. Fernandes-
7-9005
Alcantara
afernandes@crs.loc.gov
Violence Against Women Act programs
Lisa Sacco
7-7359
lsacco@crs.loc.gov
Congressional Research Service
31