COLLABORATION IN PROVISION OF CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO HOMELESS VETERANS IN SUPPORTED HOUSING PROGRAM.

SEC. 304. COLLABORATION IN PROVISION OF CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO HOMELESS VETERANS IN SUPPORTED HOUSING PROGRAM.(a) In General.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall consider entering into contracts or agreements, under sections 513 and 8153 of title 38, United States Code, with eligible entities to collaborate with the Secretary in the provision of case management services to covered veterans as part of the supported housing program carried out under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) to ensure that the homeless veterans facing the most significant difficulties in obtaining suitable housing receive the assistance they require to obtain such housing.(b) Covered Veterans.—For purposes of this section, a covered veteran is any veteran who, at the time of receipt of a housing voucher under such section 8(o)(19)—(1) requires the assistance of a case manager in obtaining suitable housing with such voucher; and(2) is having difficulty obtaining the amount of such assistance the veteran requires, including because—(A) the veteran resides in an area that has a shortage of low-income housing and because of such shortage the veteran requires more assistance from a case manager than the Secretary otherwise provides;(B) the location in which the veteran resides is located at such distance from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs as makes the provision of case management services by the Secretary to such veteran impractical; or(C) the veteran resides in an area where veterans who receive case management services from the Secretary under such section have a significantly lower average rate of successfully obtaining suitable housing than the average rate of successfully obtaining suitable housing for all veterans receiving such services.(c) Eligible Entities.—For purposes of this section, an eligible entity is any State or local government agency, tribal organization (as such term is defined in section 4 of the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)), or nonprofit organization that—(1) under a contract or agreement described in subsection (a), agrees—(A) to ensure access to case management services by covered veterans on an as-needed basis;(B) to maintain referral networks for covered veterans for purposes of assisting covered veterans in demonstrating eligibility for assistance and additional services under entitlement and assistance programs available for covered veterans, and to otherwise aid covered veterans in obtaining such assistance and services;(C) to ensure the confidentiality of records maintained by the entity on covered veterans receiving services through the supported housing program described in subsection (a);(D) to establish such procedures for fiscal control and fund accounting as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers appropriate to ensure proper disbursement and 126 STAT. 1186 accounting of funds under a contract or agreement entered into by the entity as described in subsection (a);(E) to submit to the Secretary each year, in such form and such manner as the Secretary may require, a report on the collaboration undertaken by the entity under a contract or agreement described in such subsection during the most recent fiscal year, including a description of, for the year covered by the report—(i) the services and assistance provided to covered veterans as part of such collaboration;(ii) the process by which covered veterans were referred to the entity for such services and assistance;(iii) the specific goals jointly set by the entity and the Secretary for the provision of such services and assistance and whether the entity achieved such goals; and(iv) the average length of time taken by a covered veteran who received such services and assistance to successfully obtain suitable housing and the average retention rate of such a veteran in such housing; and(F) to meet such other requirements as the Secretary considers appropriate for purposes of providing assistance to covered veterans in obtaining suitable housing; and(2) has demonstrated experience in—(A) identifying and serving homeless veterans, especially those who have the greatest difficulty obtaining suitable housing;(B) working collaboratively with the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Housing and Urban Development;(C) conducting outreach to, and maintaining relationships with, landlords to encourage and facilitate participation by landlords in supported housing programs similar to the supported housing program described in subsection (a);(D) mediating disputes between landlords and veterans receiving assistance under such supported housing program; and(E) carrying out such other activities as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers appropriate.(d) Consultation.—In considering entering into contracts or agreements as described in subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall consult with—(1) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and(2) third parties that provide services as part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development continuum of care.(e) Technical Assistance for Collaborating Entities.—(1) In general.—The Secretary may provide training and technical assistance to entities with whom the Secretary collaborates in the provision of case management services to veterans as part of the supported housing program described in subsection (a).(2) Grants.—The Secretary may provide training and technical assistance under paragraph (1) through the award of grants or contracts to appropriate public and nonprofit private entities.126 STAT. 1187(3) Funding.—From amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the Secretary in the Medical Services account in a year, $500,000 shall be available to the Secretary in that year to carry out this subsection.(f) Annual Report.—(1) In general.—Not later than 545 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and not less frequently than once each year thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the collaboration between the Secretary and eligible entities in the provision of case management services as described in subsection (a) during the most recently completed fiscal year.(2) Elements.—Each report required by paragraph (1) shall include, for the period covered by the report, the following:(A) A discussion of each case in which a contract or agreement described in subsection (a) was considered by the Secretary, including a description of whether or not and why the Secretary chose or did not choose to enter into such contract or agreement.(B) The number and types of eligible entities with whom the Secretary has entered into a contract or agreement as described in subsection (a).(C) A description of the geographic regions in which such entities provide case management services as described in such subsection.(D) A description of the number and types of covered veterans who received case management services from such entities under such contracts or agreements.(E) An assessment of the performance of each eligible entity with whom the Secretary entered into a contract or agreement as described in subsection (a).(F) An assessment of the benefits to covered veterans of such contracts and agreements.(G) A discussion of the benefits of increasing the ratio of case managers to recipients of vouchers under the supported housing program described in such subsection to veterans who reside in rural areas.(H) Such recommendations for legislative or administrative action as the Secretary considers appropriate for the improvement of collaboration in the provision of case management services under such supported housing program.