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Bill Introduced to Reauthorize McKinney-Vento Homelessness Programs

On February 6, Representatives Julia Carson (D-IN), Geoff Davis (R-KY), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rick Renzi (R-AZ) introduced H.R. 840, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH). The bill would consolidate all HUD McKinney-Vento housing programs except Emergency Shelter Grants into one competitive program with a broad set of eligible activities, including homelessness prevention, permanent or transitional housing for any homeless population and supportive services. This is the first time that homelessness prevention would be an eligible activity under the competitive portion of HUD's homeless assistance grants.

HEARTH would also: codify the Continuum of Care (CoC) process, ensuring that local agencies serving all homeless populations participate in the CoC; align the HUD definition of homelessness more closely with the definition used by other federal agencies by including people who are living in doubled-up situations or in hotels/motels due to lack of adequate alternatives; protect victims of domestic violence by prohibiting the disclosure of any information collected by a housing or social service provider that could identify them and by permitting victims of domestic violence who may be in danger to immediately move to a safer living situation; require a 25% match to be met either in cash or with in-kind contributions for all housing and supportive services; require HUD to release its annual Notice Of Funding Availability (NOFA) no later than three months after enactment of each year's appropriations bill; ensure that HUD will make grant awards no later than five months after NOFA applications are due; and instruct HUD to create an official appeals process for grantees who do not receive funding.

Unlike the McKinney-Vento reauthorization bills introduced in the 109^th Congress, the Community Partnership to End Homelessness, S. 1801, introduced on September 24, 2005 by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), and The Homeless Assistance Consolidation Act, H.R. 5041, introduced by Representative Rick Renzi (R-AZ) on March 29, 2006 (see Memo, 9/30/05 and 3/31/06), HEARTH would not codify a definition of chronic homelessness or a set of incentives designed to end chronic homelessness.  

Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is expected to reintroduce the Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act with significant additions including new titles on rural homelessness and prevention in the coming months.