Reducing Homelessness Through Program Reform Act

The Reducing Homelessness Through Program Reform Act is a comprehensive reform bill aimed at modernizing and expanding federal programs that address homelessness, primarily through the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) and Continuum of Care (CoC) programs under the McKinney-Vento Act. Key changes include increased administrative funding for ESG, structural reforms to how CoC funds are designated and awarded (including multi-year funding and the possibility of replacing underperforming projects), and new authorities to test health-care–linked housing strategies. The bill also introduces a stronger governance framework—an Advisory Committee on Homelessness with strong lived-experience representation—and a set of processes to streamline coordinated entry and improve data coordination between housing and health services. Additionally, it authorizes targeted investments in technology and IT management to support grant administration and service delivery, and expands certain flexibility around Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program operations and a public housing agency use of deposits and holding fees. Overall, the bill seeks to reduce homelessness by making funding more stable and long-term where possible, encouraging innovative collaborations between housing providers and health-care systems, improving data and coordination, and boosting the infrastructure (technology, staff support, and governance) needed to implement these programs more effectively. It also introduces some policy changes that shift risk and responsibilities—such as potential civil rights carve-outs for certain tribal lands and new requirements for advisory input from people with lived experience of homelessness.