# Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act

This bill creates a new federal grant program to help communities tackle homelessness by providing money for housing combined with comprehensive support services. The Health Resources and Services Administration would distribute up to $1 billion per year (from 2024 through 2029) to cities, counties, states, Indian tribes, and other local organizations that want to build or expand programs serving homeless people and families.

The bill offers two types of grants. Planning grants give communities up to $100,000 for one year to develop or improve their homelessness strategies with no strings attached. Implementation grants provide up to $25 million over five years to actually run housing and service programs, though organizations receiving these larger grants must contribute 25 percent of the funding themselves from other sources. To qualify for implementation grants, organizations must demonstrate they can provide mental health care, substance abuse treatment, job training, education services, and life skills training like financial literacy. They also need to maintain intensive case management, meaning one caseworker handles no more than 20 clients at a time.

For families with children, the bill requires additional protections and services including children's mental health care, early childhood education, regular activities and play spaces, health screenings, and parenting support. Programs must also train staff to identify and prevent child trafficking and abuse. The bill emphasizes working with the people being served to tailor services to their actual needs, coordinating with local law enforcement and courts to identify people who need help, and using trauma-informed approaches. At least 5 percent of the total funding must go to Native American tribes and tribal organizations, and $5 million annually is reserved for planning grants.

Organizations receiving grants must report annually on whether people they serve maintain stable housing, improve their physical and mental health, and whether children stay enrolled in school. However, the bill clarifies that people won't lose their housing or services based on these outcome reports—the tracking is just to measure how well programs are working.

Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act

Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]

Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration to award grants to local and tribal government&nbsp;entities for the planning and implementation of programs to address homelessness. The program includes five-year implementation grants to assist such entities in carrying out activities and paying capital building costs associated with the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families. Eligible entities must demonstrate the capacity to address areas such as mental health, substance use disorder and recovery services, chronic health conditions, and educational and job training.