Legislative priorites for the 109th Congress

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) urges Congress and the Administration to take the following actions to continue their commendable support of programs designed to end homelessness among America’s veterans:

Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Appropriations

Appropriate $50 million in FY 2007 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

Enact the Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere Act. 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.  Among its provisions, the Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere Act (bill number forthcoming) would:

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 supports continuation of the GPD program for a five-year period and doubling 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 a reduction in 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. NCHV supports continuation of HVRP for a five-year period and maintaining its current authorization level, which has yet to be reached.

Transition Assistance for Separating Servicemembers

Enact the Servicemembers’ Enhanced Transition Services Act and the HEROES 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 servicemembers to the civilian sector.  Unit commanders, rather than the servicemember himself/herself, make the determination as to whether the servicemember may participate in TAP.  Some servicemembers are denied the opportunity to participate in TAP because the unit commander does not wish to temporary relieve the servicemember 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.

The Servicemembers’ Enhanced Transition Services Act (HR 2074) and the Help Extend Respect Owed to Every Soldier (HEROES) Act (HR 2411) each include 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.

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 US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) devotes minimal attention to housing needs of low-income veterans. And the long-term viability of VA institutional nursing care for frail veterans is under threat.

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 its decision-making; authorize capacity-building technical assistance to veteran service providers on developing federally assisted housing and ensuring veterans’ access to low-income housing; and require annual reports on veterans housing.

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 urges Congress to enact legislation to close loopholes that permit federal agencies to exempt themselves from participation in these surplus property programs.