The U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously approved a bill that would help streamline the Section 8 voucher program for both property owners and tenants.
H.R. 3700, the “Housing Opportunities through Modernization Act of 2015,” approved by the lower chamber of Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 2, would change one of the impediments that owners and tenants face in the Section 8 voucher program: the housing inspection.
The legislation provides that if the unit was inspected within the last 24 months that a Section 8 voucher holder can take possession of the unit immediately for an interim period of time until the local housing authority determines, through an inspection, that the unit meets the required housing quality standards.
The legislation includes other valuable housing and assistance provisions:
- PHA project-based assistance: The bill would allow a public housing authority to use up to 20 percent of its authorized voucher allocation to attach vouchers to an apartment, rather than a tenant. It would also enable the housing authority to provide up to an additional 10 percent of its authorized vouchers to create units targeting homeless individuals and families, veterans, elderly households with persons with disabilities, or units in areas where vouchers are difficult to use due to market conditions.
- Family unification program: The bill would extend the period for which a young adult, recently aging out of foster care, can use a Family Unification Program housing voucher from 18 to 36 months and would increase the maximum age for an individual using a Family Unification Program voucher to 24 years of age.
- Housing reforms for the homeless and for veterans: The bill would elevate HUD’s special assistant for Veterans Affairs to report directly to the Office of the Secretary. The special assistant will be responsible for ensuring that veterans have fair access to HUD housing and homeless assistance programs, coordinate all HUD programs and activities relating to veterans, and serve as a HUD liaison with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill also requires the Secretary of HUD and Veterans Affairs to submit annual reports to the appropriate congressional committees on the number of veterans receiving assistance by HUD programs and the cost of administering these programs.