In this subtitle, “Program” means the Local Housing Grant Program for Homeless Veterans and Survivors of Domestic Violence.

There is a Local Housing Grant Program for Homeless Veterans and Survivors of Domestic Violence. The purpose of the Program is to provide grants for housing voucher funds to counties for use to house homeless veterans and survivors of domestic violence.

The Department shall: distribute grants to counties that may apply under the Program for rapid or permanent housing voucher funds for homeless veterans and survivors of domestic violence; establish procedures for receiving and evaluating grant applications from counties under the Program; monitor the operation of the grants; and adopt regulations to carry out this subtitle.

For fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Governor may include funding in the annual budget for the Program. Money expended from the Program is supplemental to and is not intended to take the place of funding that otherwise would be appropriated by the Department to address homelessness.

The Department may establish preferences under the Program for counties that: enact an ordinance that prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of source of income; adopt a Housing First policy, as defined by the Department; or provide an additional 25% county dedicated funding or voucher match.