Veterans Housing Opportunity Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10168 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10168

    To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to 
establish a pilot program to recapture and reallocate rental assistance 
                 for veterans, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 27, 2026

  Mr. Meuser introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
    To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to 
establish a pilot program to recapture and reallocate rental assistance 
                 for veterans, 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 ``Veterans Housing Opportunity Act''.

SEC. 2. HUD-VASH NATIONAL POOL PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--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''.
    (b) Recapture and Reallocation.--
            (1) In general.--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.
            (2) Notice to phas with underutilization.--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).
    (c) Availability of Vouchers.--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.
    (d) Report.--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.
    (e) Sunset.--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).
    (f) Participants After Termination.--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.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Chronically underutilized.--The term ``chronically 
        underutilized'' means sustained underutilization over a 
        meaningful period of time, as determined by the Secretary.
            (2) HUD-VASH voucher assistance.--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.
            (3) Public housing agency.--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)).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development.
            (5) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 2002 of title 38, United States Code.
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