[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6823 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6823
To expand the housing choice voucher program of the Department of
Housing and Urban Development to provide temporary housing during the
COVID-19 health crisis, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 12, 2020
Mr. Huffman (for himself, Ms. Johnson of Texas, and Mr. Hastings)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand the housing choice voucher program of the Department of
Housing and Urban Development to provide temporary housing during the
COVID-19 health crisis, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``COVID-19 Serving the Homeless by
Expanding the List of Tenant Eligible Residences Act of 2020'' or the
``SHELTER Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. COVID-EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020 to fund
500,000 incremental vouchers for tenant-based assistance under the
housing choice voucher program under section 8(o) of the United States
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)), to be made available in
accordance with such section 8(o) except to the extent otherwise
provided in this section.
(b) Eligible Families.--Housing voucher assistance under this
section may be provided on behalf only of low-income families who, as
of the creating a disaster recovery voucher recovery program for
individuals who were unsheltered or living in shelters as of the
declaration on March 13, 2020, by the President under the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 4121
et seq.) of the emergency relating to the Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic.
(c) Eligible Dwelling Units.--In addition to dwelling units
eligible to be rented using assistance under section 8(o) of the United
States Housing Act of 1937, rental assistance under this section may be
used to rent dwelling units that meet the following requirements:
(1) Types of housing.--The dwelling unit is of one of the
following types:
(A) Special housing types.--All special housing
types identified in section 982.601 of the Secretary's
regulations (24 C.F.R. 982.601).
(B) Junior accessory dwelling units.--A dwelling
unit that--
(i) does not exceed 500 square feet in
size; and
(ii) is contained entirely within an
existing single-family structure.
Such a unit may include separate sanitation facilities
and or may share sanitation facilities with the
existing structure.
(C) Recreational vehicles.--Recreational vehicles
that are equipped with a bathroom and cooking facility.
(D) Hotel and motel rooms.--Vacant rooms in hotels
and motels, except that in the case of a hotel or motel
that has an existing contract with a public housing
agency providing rental assistance with respect to any
rooms occupied by eligible families under subsection
(b)--
(i) the hotel or motel may, at its
discretion, extend its existing contract with
the applicable public housing agency to allow
the families residing in the rooms to extend
their occupancies under such contract using
such voucher; or
(ii) in the case of a hotel or motel that
elects not to extend such contract, at the
discretion of the hotel or motel, the eligible
family may use such a voucher to continue
occupying such room.
(E) Short-term rental units.--A dwelling unit made
available for short-term rental by the owner of the
dwelling unit, including by an online marketplace such
as Airbnb or HomeAway.
(F) Temporary emergency shelter.--A temporary
emergency shelter that under the 10th proviso under the
heading ``Department of Housing and Urban Development--
Community Planning and Development--Homeless Assistance
Grants'' in title XII of subtitle B of the CARES Act
(Public Law 116-136) is eligible to be assisted with
amounts made available under such heading.
(2) Owner agreement.--The owner of the dwelling unit is an
individual and voluntarily agrees to rent the dwelling unit in
connection with assistance under this section.
(3) Kitchen.--The dwelling unit--
(A)(i) contains a kitchen or cooking facility; or
(ii) has access to a communal kitchen or cooking
facility; or
(B) is exempted from the requirement under
subparagraph (A) on a case-by-case basis by the State
or local government agency, public housing agency, or
other entity administering such assistance.
(d) Waiver of Eligibility Requirements.--In providing assistance
under this section, the Secretary shall waive the requirements under
the following provisions of section 8 of the United States Housing Act
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f)--
(1) Tenant rent contribution.--Subsection (o)(2) of such
section, relating to tenant contributions towards rent, except
that any such waiver shall expire on an individual's return to
work.
(2) Eligible families.--Subsection (o)(4) of such section,
relating to the eligibility of individuals and families to
receive assistance.
(3) Verification of income.--Subsections (k) and (o)(5),
relating to verification of income.
(4) Lease term.--Subsection (o)(7)(A), relating to the
requirement that leases shall be for a term of 1 year.
(5) Portability.--Subsection (r)(1)(B), relating to
restrictions on portability.
(e) Use of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
funds available for assistance under this section--
(1) shall be available to cover the cost of--
(A) rent;
(B) security and utility deposits;
(C) relocation expenses, including expenses
incurred in relocating back to an assisted family's
original area of residence; and
(D) such additional expenses as the Secretary
determines necessary; and
(2) shall be used by the Secretary--
(A) for payments to public housing agencies, State
or local government agencies, or other voucher
administrators for voucher assistance under this
section; and
(f) Payment Standard.--For purposes of assistance under this
section, the payment standard for each size of dwelling unit in a
market area may not exceed 150 percent, or such higher percentage that
the Secretary may approve, of the fair market rental established under
section 8(c) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 for the same size
dwelling unit in the same market area, and shall be not less than 70
percent of such fair market rental.
(g) Authority To Contract With PHAS and Others.--The Secretary may
contract with any State or local government agency or public housing
agency, or in consultation with any State or local government agency,
with any other entity, to administer assistance payments under this
section and ensure that such payments are provided in an efficient and
expeditious manner.
(h) Nondiscrimination.--In selecting individuals or families for
tenancy, a landlord or owner may not exclude or penalize an individual
or family solely because any portion of the rental payment of that
individual or family is provided under this section.
(i) Duration.--A voucher under this subsection for rental
assistance shall provide such assistance for a period of 24 months,
except that such period may be extended if the Secretary considers
necessary to respond to the public health emergency relating to
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) or for other reasons.
(j) Allocation.--Amounts made available for assistance under this
section shall be allocated to public housing agencies based on the
Secretary's most recent point-in-time count of the extent of
homelessness in the area served by such public housing agencies.
(k) Direct Administration by Secretary.--If the Secretary
determines that a State or local government agency, public housing
agency, or other entity is unable to implement this section due to the
effects of the public health emergency relating to COVID-19, the
Secretary may--
(1) directly administer a voucher program under this
section for the area affected; and
(2) perform the functions in connection with such
administration that are assigned by this subsection to a State
or local agency, public housing agency, or other entity.
(l) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a study to determine the
feasibility of permanently authorizing the types described in
subparagraphs (B) through (D) of subsection (c)(1) as special housing
types for purposes of the housing choice voucher program under section
8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) and
identify permanent housing opportunities for families and individuals
assisted under this section. Not later than the expiration of the 12-
month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress specifying the results
of and recommendations from the study pursuant to this subsection.
(m) Notice of Availability of Assistance.--The Secretary shall
establish procedures for State and local agencies, public housing
agencies, and other entities administering assistance under this
section to provide notice of the availability of assistance under this
section to individuals or families that may be eligible for such
assistance.
(n) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act, the following
definitions shall apply:
(1) COVID-19 emergency period.--The term`` COVID-19
emergency period'' means the period beginning on the date of
the enactment of this Act and ending upon the date of the
expiration of the 18-month period that begins upon the
termination by the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the
emergency declared on March 13, 2020, by the President under
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 4121 et seq.) relating to the Coronavirus
Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
(2) Public housing agency.--The term ``public housing
agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 3(b) of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS.
In addition to amounts authorized to be appropriated under section
2(a), there is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal year 2020 to fund 200,000 incremental vouchers for
tenant-based assistance under the housing choice voucher program under
section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437f(o)).
<all>
SHELTER Act of 2020
#6823 | HR Congress #116
Policy Area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory healthCongressional oversightEmergency medical services and trauma careGovernment studies and investigationsHomelessness and emergency shelterHousing and community development fundingInfectious and parasitic diseasesLandlord and tenantLow- and moderate-income housingPublic housingState and local government operations
Last Action: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. (5/12/2020)
Bill Text Source: Congress.gov
Summary and Impacts
Original Text