HB 1003 — An Act establishing the Veterans' Housing Assistance Program; and imposing duties on Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

PRINTER'S NO.    1090

                    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        HOUSE BILL
                        No. 1003
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, GIRAL, FREEMAN, McNEILL,
        PIELLI, MADDEN, HOHENSTEIN, PROBST, GUENST, KHAN, GALLAGHER,
        CERRATO, MALAGARI, DOUGHERTY AND KENYATTA, MARCH 24, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,
        MARCH 24, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Establishing the Veterans' Housing Assistance Program; and
 2      imposing duties on Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and
 3      Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Preventing
 8   Veterans' Homelessness Act.
 9   Section 2.   Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12   context clearly indicates otherwise:
13      "Agency."   The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.
14      "Costs associated with the rental."   The total costs of rent
15   and utilities, per month, for a residential rental unit.
16      "Department."   The Department of Military and Veterans
17   Affairs of the Commonwealth.
 1      "Financial assistance."     The rental voucher established under
 2   section 5(a).
 3      "Homeless veteran."     A veteran identified and determined by
 4   the department to be homeless or at imminent risk of becoming
 5   homeless according to guidelines established by the department.
 6      "Housing ombudsman."     An individual designated by the agency
 7   to carry out the duties and responsibilities under section 3(c)
 8   (1).
 9      "Program."     The Veterans' Housing Assistance Program
10   established under section 3.
11      "Veteran."     An individual who served on active duty in the
12   United States Armed Forces, including any of the following:
13            (1)   A reservist or member of the National Guard who was
14      discharged or released from the service under honorable
15      conditions.
16            (2)   A reservist or member of the National Guard who
17      completed an initial term of enlistment or qualifying period
18      of service.
19            (3)   A reservist or member of the National Guard who was
20      disabled in the line of duty during training.
21   Section 3.     Veterans' Housing Assistance Program.
22      (a)   Establishment.--The Veterans' Housing Assistance Program
23   is established and shall be administered by the agency in
24   coordination with the department.
25      (b)   Duties of department.--The department shall do all of
26   the following:
27            (1)   Implement a program to identify homeless veterans
28      for purposes of enrolling them in the program.
29            (2)   Coordinate with the agency to ensure that homeless
30      veterans are provided the opportunity to receive assistance

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 1      from the agency's housing ombudsman or financial assistance
 2      from the agency.
 3            (3)   Establish guidelines to assist with the
 4      implementation of this act.
 5      (c)   Duties of agency.--The agency shall do all of the
 6   following:
 7            (1)   Establish a housing ombudsman or contract with a
 8      nonprofit organization to provide housing location,
 9      relocation and stabilization services to homeless veterans,
10      including negotiating lease agreements with public agencies
11      or private landlords on behalf of a homeless veteran.
12            (2)   Provide or contract with a third party to provide
13      credit counseling services to homeless veterans to resolve
14      personal credit issues that may have resulted in a negative
15      credit report.
16            (3)   Award financial assistance to eligible homeless
17      veterans determined to be in need of financial assistance to
18      obtain housing.
19            (4)   Establish guidelines to assist with the
20      implementation of this act.
21   Section 4.     Enrollment.
22      (a)   Procedure.--A veteran may enroll in the program by
23   filing an application with the department or the agency. A
24   veteran shall be eligible for enrollment if the veteran:
25            (1)   is homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless
26      as defined in departmental guidelines established under
27      section 3(b); and
28            (2)   cannot obtain adequate housing without the
29      assistance of the department and the agency.
30      (b)   Conditions.--The department may require an eligible

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 1   veteran to engage in or complete any of the following activities
 2   as a condition of acceptance into the program:
 3            (1)   Mental health counseling, including treatment and
 4      recovery support.
 5            (2)   Substance abuse treatment and recovery support,
 6      including counseling, treatment planning, recovery coaching
 7      and relapse prevention.
 8            (3)   Integrated, coordinated treatment for co-occurring
 9      disorders.
10            (4)   Health education, including referrals for medical
11      and dental care.
12            (5)   Services or activities designed to promote self-
13      sufficiency, including:
14                  (i)    Job training.
15                  (ii)    Assistance in seeking employment.
16                  (iii)    Job placement services, including job
17            readiness, literacy and skills training.
18                  (iv)    Credit counseling services and remediation.
19                  (v)    Benefits advocacy.
20                  (vi)    Money management.
21                  (vii)    Parental skills and family support programs.
22                  (viii)    Other self-help programs deemed necessary by
23            the department.
24   Section 5.     Financial assistance.
25      (a)   Rental voucher.--The agency may award financial
26   assistance under section 3(c) to a veteran deemed to be in need
27   of the assistance based on the veteran's personal finances.
28   Financial assistance shall be awarded to an eligible veteran in
29   the form of a housing rental voucher payable to the lessor named
30   in a leasing document executed between the veteran and a

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 1   landlord.
 2      (b)   Amount.--The monthly amount of the rental voucher may
 3   not exceed the costs associated with the rental or $1,000,
 4   whichever is less.
 5      (c)   Term.--Financial assistance shall be awarded to a
 6   veteran for the term of the lease executed between the veteran
 7   and the lessor or for 12 months from the effective date of the
 8   lease, whichever is less.
 9   Section 6.     Renewal.
10      A veteran receiving financial assistance under section 5 may
11   seek an extension of the term of the financial assistance by
12   filing an application with the department. In determining
13   whether to extend the term of the financial assistance, the
14   department shall consider the following concerning the veteran:
15            (1)   Employment status.
16            (2)   Personal finances.
17            (3)   Compliance with conditions of enrollment placed on
18      the veteran under section 4(b).
19   Section 7.     Cooperation.
20      The department and the agency may cooperate with the United
21   States Department of Veterans Affairs or local public housing
22   authorities to carry out the provisions of this act. At the
23   discretion of the department and the agency, the cooperation may
24   include coordinating the program with an existing Federal
25   program that provides funding for housing for homeless veterans,
26   including the United States Department of Housing and Urban
27   Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program.
28   Section 8.     Effective date.
29      This act shall take effect in 60 days.



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