August 27, 2026
Mr. Meuser introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
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.
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.