Tribal Continuum of Care Participation Grant Program

(a) In general Title VII of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4211 et seq.), as amended by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following: 708. Tribal Continuum of Care Participation Grant Program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means an Indian tribe and a tribally designated housing entity. (2) Program The term Program means the program established under subsection (b). (b) Establishment (1) In general The Secretary shall establish and administer a grant program, to be known as the Tribal Continuum of Care Participation Grant Program, to provide competitive grants to eligible entities for participating in a continuum of care program under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.), either as a collaborative applicant or as a project applicant through a local continuum of care competition. (2) Purpose The purpose of the Program is to ensure dedicated funding is available to eligible entities working to address homelessness and housing instability affecting Indian tribes and tribal communities through participation in the continuum of care program under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.), including as a collaborative applicant or as a project applicant within a continuum of care. (3) Authorization (A) In general Of the amounts made available for competitive grants under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.) each fiscal year, $25,000,000 shall be available to carry out this section. (B) Hold harmless Amounts made available under subparagraph (A) shall only be available for a fiscal year in which the total amount appropriated for competitive grants under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.) exceeds the amount appropriated for such grants for fiscal year 2026. (C) Limitation The Secretary may not reserve amounts under subparagraph (A) if doing so would reduce the amount available for competitive grants under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.) below the amount appropriated for fiscal year 2026. (4) Administrative costs An eligible entity may use not more than 10 percent of grant amounts received under the Program for administrative costs. (c) Certification Notwithstanding section 106 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12706), with respect to applications for projects to be carried out on reservations or trust land using grants awarded under this section— (1) the applications shall contain a certification that the applicant consulted with each recipient required to submit an Indian housing plan developed under section 102 of this Act; and (2) Indian tribes and tribally designated housing entities that are recipients of awards for projects on reservations or trust land from such funds shall certify that they have consulted with the recipients required to submit an Indian housing plan developed under section 102 of this Act. (d) Consolidated plan exemption A collaborative applicant for a Continuum of Care whose geographic area includes reservation or trust land is not required to meet the requirement described in section 402(f)(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360a(f)(2)) in order to be eligible for assistance under the continuum of care program under title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360 et seq.). (e) Waiver authority for Tribal participation In administering the amounts made available under this section, the Secretary may waive, or specify alternative requirements for, any provision of any statute or regulation that the Secretary administers in connection with the obligation by the Secretary or the use by the recipient of these amounts (except for requirements related to labor standards and the environment), if the Secretary finds that— (1) good cause exists for the waiver or alternative requirement; and (2) such waiver or alternative requirement is necessary to modify any requirements preventing the participation of eligible entities in the continuum of care program under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.) or would expedite or facilitate the use of funds.. (b) Technical and conforming amendment The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–330; 110 Stat. 4016) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 707, as added by this Act, the following: 708. Tribal Continuum of Care Participation Grant Program..