HR 5997 — Helping Homeless Veterans Act of 2025

(a) In providing care and services under section 1710 of this title to veterans suffering from serious mental illness and to veterans who are homeless, the Secretary may provide (directly or in conjunction with a governmental or other entity)— (1) outreach services; (2) care, treatment, and rehabilitative services (directly or by contract in community-based treatment facilities, including halfway houses); and (3) therapeutic transitional housing assistance under section 2032 of this title, in conjunction with work therapy under subsection (a) or (b) of section 1718 of this title and outpatient care. (b) The authority of the Secretary under subsection (a) expires on December 11, 2026.

(a) (1) To assist homeless veterans and their families in acquiring shelter or permanent housing, the Secretary may enter into agreements described in paragraph (2) with— (A) nonprofit organizations, with preference being given to any organization that is the recipient of a grant under section 2011, 2013, 2044, or 2061 of this title; or (B) any State or tribal entity, or any political subdivision thereof. (2) To carry out paragraph (1), the Secretary may enter into agreements to sell, lease, lease with an option to purchase, or donate real property, and improvements thereon, acquired by the Secretary as the result of a default on a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under this chapter. Such sale or lease or donation shall be for such consideration as the Secretary determines is in the best interests of homeless veterans and the Federal Government. (3) The Secretary may enter into an agreement under paragraph (1) of this subsection only if— (A) the Secretary determines that such an action will not adversely affect the ability of the Department— (i) to fulfill its statutory missions with respect to the Department loan guaranty program and the short- and long-term solvency of the Veterans Housing Benefit Program Fund established under section 3722 of this title; or (ii) to carry out other functions and administer other programs authorized by law; (B) the entity to which the property is sold, leased, or donated agrees to— (i) (I) utilize the property solely as a shelter or permanent housing primarily for homeless veterans and their families; or (II) sell or rent the property directly to homeless veterans or veterans at risk of homelessness; (ii) comply with all zoning laws relating to the property; (iii) make no use of the property that is not compatible with the area where the property is located; and (iv) take such other actions as the Secretary determines are necessary or appropriate in the best interests of homeless veterans and the Federal Government; and (C) the Secretary determines that there is no significant likelihood of the property being sold for a price sufficient to reduce the liability of the Department or the veteran who defaulted on the loan. (4) The term of any lease under this subsection may not exceed three years. (5) An approved entity that leases a property from the Secretary under this section shall be responsible for the payment of any taxes, utilities, liability insurance, and other maintenance charges or similar charges that apply to the property. (6) Any agreement, deed, or other instrument executed by the Secretary under this subsection shall be on such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be appropriate and necessary to carry out the purpose of such agreement. (b) (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the Secretary may make loans to organizations described in paragraph (1)(A) of subsection (a) to finance the purchase of property by such organizations under such subsection. (2) In making a loan under this subsection, the Secretary— (A) shall establish credit standards to be used for this purpose; (B) may, pursuant to section 3733(a)(6) of this title, provide that the loan will bear interest at a rate below the rate that prevails for similar loans in the market in which the loan is made; and (C) may waive the collection of a fee under section 3729 of this title in any case in which the Secretary determines that such a waiver would be appropriate. (c) The Secretary may not enter into agreements under subsection (a) after December 11, 2026.

(a) Distribution of Financial Assistance.— (1) The Secretary shall provide financial assistance to eligible entities approved under this section to provide and coordinate the provision of supportive services described in subsection (b) for very low-income veteran families occupying permanent housing. (2) Financial assistance under this section shall consist of grants for each such family for which an approved eligible entity is providing or coordinating the provision of supportive services. (3) (A) The Secretary shall provide such grants to each eligible entity that is providing or coordinating the provision of supportive services. (B) The Secretary is authorized to establish intervals of payment for the administration of such grants and establish a maximum amount to be awarded, in accordance with the services being provided and their duration. (4) In providing financial assistance under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to entities providing or coordinating the provision of supportive services for very low-income veteran families who are transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. (5) The Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, financial assistance under this subsection is equitably distributed across geographic regions, including rural communities and tribal lands. (6) Each entity receiving financial assistance under this section to provide supportive services to a very low-income veteran family shall notify that family that such services are being paid for, in whole or in part, by the Department. (7) The Secretary may require entities receiving financial assistance under this section to submit a report to the Secretary that describes the projects carried out with such financial assistance. (b) Supportive Services.— The supportive services referred to in subsection (a) are the following: (1) Services provided by an eligible entity or a subcontractor of an eligible entity that address the needs of very low-income veteran families occupying permanent housing, including— (A) outreach services; (B) case management services; (C) assistance in obtaining any benefits from the Department which the veteran may be eligible to receive, including, but not limited to, vocational and rehabilitation counseling, employment and training service, educational assistance, and health care services; and (D) assistance in obtaining and coordinating the provision of other public benefits provided in Federal, State, or local agencies, or any organization defined in subsection (f), including— (i) health care services (including obtaining health insurance); (ii) daily living services; (iii) personal financial planning; (iv) transportation services; (v) income support services; (vi) fiduciary and representative payee services; (vii) legal services to assist the veteran family with issues that interfere with the family’s ability to obtain or retain housing or supportive services; (viii) child care; (ix) housing counseling; and (x) other services necessary for maintaining independent living. (2) Services described in paragraph (1) that are delivered to very low-income veteran families who are homeless and who are scheduled to become residents of permanent housing within 90 days pending the location or development of housing suitable for permanent housing. (3) Services described in paragraph (1) for very low-income veteran families who have voluntarily chosen to seek other housing after a period of tenancy in permanent housing, that are provided, for a period of 90 days after such families exit permanent housing or until such families commence receipt of other housing services adequate to meet their current needs, but only to the extent that services under this paragraph are designed to support such families in their choice to transition into housing that is responsive to their individual needs and preferences. (c) Application for Financial Assistance.— (1) An eligible entity seeking financial assistance under...

(a) Establishment.— The Secretary shall carry out a program to make grants to health care facilities of the Department and to entities eligible for grants and per diem payments under sections 2011 and 2012 of this title in order to encourage development by those facilities and entities of programs for homeless veterans with special needs. (b) Homeless Veterans With Special Needs.— For purposes of this section, homeless veterans with special needs include homeless veterans who are— (1) women; (2) frail elderly; (3) terminally ill; (4) chronically mentally ill; or (5) individuals who have care of minor dependents. (c) Provision of Services to Dependents.— A recipient of a grant under subsection (a) may use amounts under the grant to provide services directly to a dependent of a homeless veteran with special needs who is under the care of such homeless veteran while such homeless veteran receives services from the grant recipient under this section. (d) Funding.— (1) From amounts appropriated to the Department for “Medical Services”, the following shall be available for the purposes of the program under this section: (A) For each of fiscal years 2007 through 2026, $5,000,000. (B) For the period beginning on October 1, 2026, and ending on December 11, 2026, $986,302. (2) The Secretary shall ensure that funds for grants under this section are designated for the first three years of operation of the program under this section as a special purpose program for which funds are not allocated through the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation system.

(a) Establishment.— (1) There is established in the Department the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Committee”). (2) The Committee shall consist of not more than 15 members appointed by the Secretary from among the following: (A) Veterans service organizations. (B) Advocates of homeless veterans and other homeless individuals. (C) Community-based providers of services to homeless individuals. (D) Previously homeless veterans. (E) State veterans affairs officials. (F) Experts in the treatment of individuals with mental illness. (G) Experts in the treatment of substance use disorders. (H) Experts in the development of permanent housing alternatives for lower income populations. (I) Experts in vocational rehabilitation. (J) Such other organizations or groups as the Secretary considers appropriate. (3) The Committee shall include, as ex officio members, the following: (A) The Secretary of Labor (or a representative of the Secretary selected after consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment). (B) The Secretary of Defense (or a representative of the Secretary). (C) The Secretary of Health and Human Services (or a representative of the Secretary). (D) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (or a representative of the Secretary). (E) The Executive Director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness (or a representative of the Executive Director). (F) The Under Secretary for Health (or a representative of the Under Secretary after consultation with the Director of the Office of Homeless Veterans Programs). (G) The Under Secretary for Benefits (or a representative of the Under Secretary after consultation with the Director of the Office of Homeless Veterans Programs). (4) (A) The Secretary shall determine the terms of service and allowances of the members of the Committee, except that a term of service may not exceed three years. The Secretary may reappoint any member for additional terms of service. (B) Members of the Committee shall serve without pay. Members may receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence for travel in connection with their duties as members of the Committee. (b) Duties.— (1) The Secretary shall consult with and seek the advice of the Committee on a regular basis with respect to the provision by the Department of benefits and services to homeless veterans. (2) In providing advice to the Secretary under this subsection, the Committee shall— (A) assemble and review information relating to the needs of homeless veterans; (B) provide an on-going assessment of the effectiveness of the policies, organizational structures, and services of the Department in assisting homeless veterans; and (C) provide on-going advice on the most appropriate means of providing assistance to homeless veterans. (3) The Committee shall— (A) review the continuum of services provided by the Department directly or by contract in order to define cross-cutting issues and to improve coordination of all services with the Department that are involved in addressing the special needs of homeless veterans; (B) identify (through the annual assessments under section 2034 of this title and other available resources) gaps in programs of the Department in serving homeless veterans, including identification of geographic areas with unmet needs, and provide recommendations to address those gaps; (C) identify gaps in existing information systems on homeless veterans, both within and outside the Department, and provide recommendations about redressing problems in data collection; (D) identify barriers under existing laws and policies to effective coordination by the Department with other Federal agencies and with State and local agencies addressing homeless populations; (E) identify opportunities for increased liaison by the Department with nongovernmental organizations and individual groups providing services to homeless populations; (F) with a...