‘ 1. Fund established. The Homeless Veterans Housing Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established. The fund is administered by the Maine State Housing Authority as an interest-bearing, nonlapsing fund. The fund may include appropriations, allocations and credits for inclusion in the fund, grants and gifts from outside sources and interest earned from investments from the fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide housing solely for homeless veterans and the immediate families of homeless veterans. For purposes of this section, "immediate family" includes a spouse, domestic partner, dependent children and primary caregiver.
2. Fiscal year 2015-16 credited funds from Treasurer of State. The Maine State Housing Authority shall disburse all funds received from outside sources for the fund and $1 of funds credited to the fund by the Treasurer of State in fiscal year 2015-16 for every $3 received from an outside source to a nonprofit volunteer organization planning to construct housing for homeless veterans and their immediate families on the grounds of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the Town of Chelsea for the purpose of constructing the housing, as long as prior to the construction of the housing the nonprofit volunteer organization enters into a service agreement with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that describes the resources and services that both entities will provide to the homeless veterans who will receive housing funded under this section. The service agreement must also include a commitment by the nonprofit volunteer organization to use the utility services provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The nonprofit volunteer organization may request funds to be disbursed from the fund for the construction of housing for homeless veterans under this subsection on an as-needed basis, as long as the nonprofit volunteer organization enters into a service agreement with each homeless veteran who will receive housing under this section. The service agreement must describe the resources and services that will be provided to the homeless veteran by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the nonprofit volunteer organization.
3. Annual report. Beginning January 15, 2016, a nonprofit volunteer organization that has constructed housing for homeless veterans under this section shall provide an annual report on the quality of the housing and services provided to homeless veterans to the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over veterans affairs.’
