The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) urges Congress and the Administration to take the following actions in 2005 to support community- and faith-based organizations working to end and prevent homelessness among America's veterans:

Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Appropriations

Appropriate $50 million in FY 2006 for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP).  Homeless veterans have many additional barriers to employment than non-homeless veterans due to their lack of housing.  HVRP grantees remove those barriers through specialized supports unavailable through other employment services programs.  An appropriation at the authorized level of $50 million would enable HVRP grantees to reach approximately 24,000 homeless veterans, more than double the current number served.

Specialized Homeless Veteran Programs Reauthorization

Congress has established a small set of programs to address homelessness among veterans. Many of these programs are scheduled to sunset in 2006 and merit extension.  The most important of these programs to community- and faith-based organizations are the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program and the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.

Reauthorize the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program for a five-year period at the $200 million level annually.  The GPD Program provides competitive grants to community-based, faith-based, and public organizations to offer transitional housing or service centers for homeless veterans.  The GPD program is an essential component of the VA’s continuum of care for homeless veterans, assuring the availability of social services, employment supports, and direct treatment or referral to medical treatment.  Nearly 100 GPD providers offer nearly 10,000 transitional housing beds.  More than 150 outreach and transportation vans are supported.  

NCHV recommends that Congress continue the GPD program for a five-year period and double its authorization level to $200 million annually.  The current authorization level for GPD of $99 million is simply insufficient to enable VA to meet the demand for transitional housing assistance expressed by homeless veterans.  Without an increase in the authorization level, VA will not be able to add new beds.  Furthermore, as the per diem rate to cover the daily cost of care rises annually, there could be an actual reduction in the number of beds if the authorization level is not increased.

Reauthorize the U.S. Department of Labor’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) for a five-year period at the $50 million level annually.  HVRP is the primary employment services program accessible by homeless veterans and the only targeted employment program for any homeless subpopulation. 

Permanent Housing for Low-Income Veterans

Enact the Veterans’ Housing Equity Act.  While the federal government makes a sizable investment in homeownership opportunities for veterans, its commitment to housing for low-income veterans is non-existent.  There is no national rental housing assistance program targeted to veterans.  Veterans are not well-served through existing housing assistance programs due to their program designs.  Low-income veterans in and of themselves are not a priority population for subsidized housing assistance.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) devotes minimal attention to housing needs of low-income veterans.

In response, NCHV has developed a major low-income veterans’ permanent housing measure.  Among its provisions, the bill would:

• Establish a supportive housing program for very low-income veterans, with housing assistance financed by HUD and supportive services financed by VA.
• Establish a pool of housing choice vouchers (Section 8 vouchers) specifically for homeless veterans.
• Remove veterans’ benefits from calculations of income for purposes of setting rental payment levels in federally assisted housing.
• Require states and localities to consider the needs of veterans in their housing plans.
• Establish a special assistant for veterans within HUD to ensure a veteran perspective in all of the department's decision-making.
• Authorize capacity-building technical assistance to veteran service providers on developing federally assisted housing and ensuring veterans’ access to low-income housing.
• Require annual reports on veterans housing.

Transition Assistance for Separating Service Members

Enact the Veterans’ Enhanced Transition Services Act.  Individuals leaving the military are at high risk of homelessness due to a lack of job skills transferable to the civilian sector, disrupted or dissolved family and social support networks, and other risk factors that preceded their military service.  The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) has been established to ease the transition of separating service members to the civilian sector.  Unit commanders, rather than the service member himself/herself, make the determination as to whether the service member may participate in TAP.  Some service members are denied the opportunity to participate in TAP because the unit commander does not wish to temporary relieve the service member from duty responsibilities for the few days necessary to participate in TAP. The TAP curriculum, which is developed and administered by the Department of Labor, does not currently include a component on homelessness.

NCHV seeks enactment of a service member transition measure that includes provisions to: make participation in the TAP program mandatory for persons separating from active duty in the Armed Forces (with some limited exceptions) and provide them information about homelessness prevention.

Disposition of Federal Surplus Property to Homeless Service Providers

Strengthen Laws Governing Disposal of Surplus Property to Homeless Organizations.  Nonprofit and public homeless service providers have encountered significant problems when they have attempted to acquire surplus federal real property under the programs Congress established expressly for the purpose of disposing such property to homeless groups.  NCHV requests federal agencies to fully implement the statutory authorities and requests Congress to elevate their oversight of federal agencies on surplus property disposal matters.

For Further Information – Visit the NCHV website at www.nchv.org for detailed statements on these policy recommendations and other policy materials developed by NCHV.

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