Veterans Housing Opportunity Act

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affaris, shall establish a pilot program to be known as the HUD-VASH National Pool Pilot Program.

Under the pilot program, the Secretary—

(A) shall identify public housing agencies with chronically underutilized HUD-VASH voucher assistance, as determined by the Secretary;

(B) may recapture such voucher assistance; and

(C) may reallocate such assistance to redistribute HUD-VASH voucher assistance to public housing agencies through a process established by the Secretary.

Upon a finding that a public housing agency is chronically underutilizing HUD-VASH voucher assistance as described in paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall—

(A) notify such public housing agency of the underutilization; and

(B) provide such public housing agency with a period of time, as determined by the Secretary, to utilize such voucher assistance before recapturing and reallocating pursuant to subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1).

The HUD-VASH voucher assistance that is reallocated pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(C) shall be made available to veterans that are—

(1) homeless; or

(2) at risk of homelessness, as determined by the Secretary.

Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report that describes—

(1) HUD-VASH voucher utilization rates;

(2) housing outcomes for veterans;

(3) impacts of the pilot program on the administration of HUD-VASH vouchers; and

(4) whether the pilot program has improved the efficiency of the HUD-VASH voucher program.

The pilot program established by this section shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this section, except as provided in subsection (f).

Any individual that receives a HUD-VASH voucher under the pilot program, and retains such voucher after the sunset described in subsection (d), shall retain such voucher under the standard HUD-VASH program described in section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) and any implementing regulations.

In this section:

The term chronically underutilized means sustained underutilization over a meaningful period of time, as determined by the Secretary.

The term HUD-VASH voucher assistance means rental assistance provided—

(A) under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)); or

(B) any similar assistance made under an appropriations Act.

The term public housing agency has the meaning given the term in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)).

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

The term veteran has the meaning given the term in section 2002 of title 38, United States Code.