§ 12351 — Transitional Housing Assistance Grants For Victims Of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Or Stalking

(a) The Attorney General, acting in consultation with the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women of the Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Health and Human Services, shall award grants under this section to States, units of local government, Indian tribes, and other organizations, including domestic violence and sexual assault victim service providers, domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations, population-specific organizations, or community-based and culturally specific organizations, that have a documented history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking (referred to in this section as the “recipient”) to carry out programs to provide assistance to minors, adults, and their dependents— (1) who are homeless, or in need of transitional housing or other housing assistance, as a result of a situation of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and (2) for whom emergency shelter services or other crisis intervention services are unavailable or insufficient. (b) Grants awarded under this section may be used for programs that provide— (1) (2) short-term housing assistance, including rental or utilities payments assistance and assistance with related expenses such as payment of security deposits and other costs incidental to relocation to transitional housing for persons described in subsection (a); and (3) support services designed to enable a minor, an adult, or a dependent of such minor or adult, who is fleeing a situation of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to— (A) locate and secure permanent housing; (B) the workforce; and (C) integrate into a community by providing that minor, adult, or dependent with services, such as transportation, counseling, child care services, case management, and other assistance. Participation in the support services shall be voluntary. Receipt of the benefits of the housing assistance described in paragraph (2) shall not be conditioned upon the participation of the youth, adults, or their dependents in any or all of the support services offered them. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a minor, an adult, or a dependent, who receives assistance under this section shall receive that assistance for not more than 24 months. (2) The recipient of a grant under this section may waive the restriction under paragraph (1) for not more than an additional 6 month period with respect to any minor, adult, or dependent, who— (A) has made a good-faith effort to acquire permanent housing; and (B) has been unable to acquire permanent housing. (1) Each eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Attorney General may reasonably require. (2) Each application submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall— (A) describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought; (B) provide assurances that any supportive services offered to participants in programs developed under subsection (b)(3) are voluntary and that refusal to receive such services shall not be grounds for termination from the program or eviction from the victim’s housing; and (C) provide such additional assurances as the Attorney General determines to be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section. (3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require— (A) victims to participate in the criminal justice system in order to receive services; or (B) domestic violence advocates to breach client confidentiality. (1) A recipient of a grant under this section shall annually prepare and submit to the Attorney General a report describing— (A) the number of minors, adults, and dependents assisted under this section; and (B) the types of housing assistance and support services provided under this section. (2) Each report prepared and submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include information regarding— (A) the purpose and amount of housing assistance provided to each minor, adult, or dependent, assisted under this section and the reason for that assistance; (B) the number of months each minor, adult, or dependent, received assistance under this section; (C) the number of minors, adults, and dependents who— (i) were eligible to receive assistance under this section; and (ii) were not provided with assistance under this section solely due to a lack of available housing; (D) the type of support services provided to each minor, adult, or dependent, assisted under this section; and (E) the client population served and the number of individuals requesting services that the transitional housing program is unable to serve as a result of a lack of resources. (1) The Attorney General, with the Director of the Violence Against Women Office, shall prepare and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate a report that contains a compilation of the information contained in the report submitted under subsection (e) of this section not later than 1 month after the end of each even-numbered fiscal year. (2) In order to coordinate efforts to assist the victims of domestic violence, the Attorney General, in coordination with the Director of the Violence Against Women Office, shall transmit a copy of the report submitted under paragraph (1) to— (A) the Office of Community Planning and Development at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; and (B) the Office of Women’s Health at the United States Department of Health and Human Services. (1) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), unless all qualified applications submitted by any States, units of local government, Indian tribes, or organizations within a State for a grant under this section have been funded, that State, together with the grantees within the State (other than Indian tribes), shall be allocated in each fiscal year, not less than 0.75 percent of the total amount appropriated in the fiscal year for grants pursuant to this section. (B) The United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands shall each be allocated not less than 0.5 percent of the total amount appropriated in the fiscal year for grants pursuant to this section. (I) Not less than 10 percent of the total amount available under this section for each fiscal year shall be available for grants under the program authorized by section 10452 of this title. (II) The requirements of this section shall not apply to funds allocated for the program described in subclause (I). (ii) Priority shall be given to projects developed under subsection (b) that primarily serve underserved populations. (D) In this paragraph, the term “qualified application” means an application that— (i) has been submitted by an eligible applicant; (ii) does not propose any activities that may compromise victim safety, including— (I) background checks of victims; or (II) clinical evaluations to determine eligibility for services; (iii) reflects an understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and (iv) does not propose prohibited activities, including mandatory services for victims.