Homeless Veteran Families Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 95) to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that children of homeless veterans are included in the calculation of the amounts of certain per diem grants.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 95

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Homeless Veteran Families Act''. SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF CALCULATION OF AMOUNTS OF PER DIEM GRANTS.

Section 2012(a)(2)(B) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) in clause (i), by inserting ``or (iii)'' after ``clause (ii)''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new clause:

``(iii) With respect to a homeless veteran who has care of a minor dependent while receiving services from the grant recipient or eligible entity, the daily cost of care shall be the sum of the daily cost of care determined under subparagraph (A) plus, for each such minor dependent, an amount that equals 50 percent of such daily cost of care.''.

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Mr. TAKANO. 95.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 95, the Homeless Veteran Families Act.

H.R. 95 was introduced by Representative Julia Brownley, chair of the Subcommittee on Health and a tireless advocate for women veterans and their children.

This bill would ensure that children of homeless veterans are included in the calculation of per diem grants to organizations supporting homeless veterans and their families. By including children in this calculation, homeless veterans and their children will receive much-needed housing and supportive services, which will reduce the rate of homelessness among the veteran population.

Mr. Speaker, since 1994, VA's homeless grant and per diem program has provided homeless veterans with community-based transitional housing and supportive services. The grant per diem program annually offers funding to community agencies that provide supportive services to homeless veterans. It promotes the development and provision of supportive housing and supportive services, with the goal of helping homeless veterans achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and income, and obtain greater self-determination.

However, many homeless veterans with children are unable to obtain transitional housing and support assistance through the program because providers only receive payments from VA for the veteran, not their dependent children. Many housing providers have been unable to house homeless veterans who are accompanied by their dependent children without additional financial support.

Mr. Speaker, current law limits VA's authority to reimburse the additional costs associated with sheltering the dependent children of homeless veterans, which has resulted in many grant per diem service providers not accepting homeless veterans with dependent children.

This has resulted in a lack of access to supportive housing and services for veterans with children, as these veterans are forced to choose between receipt of housing assistance and supportive services and caring for their children. This is especially true for many women veterans who have children and who are also homeless.

This legislation would authorize VA to pay a partial per diem to grant per diem service providers supporting our Nation's homeless veterans with children. For each child accompanying a homeless veteran, the service provider would receive per diem at a 50 percent rate for each child.

This committee is committed to addressing and ending homelessness, and this legislation is one step toward this end.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Chairman Levin and Ranking Member Bilirakis held two field hearings in San Diego, California, and Tampa, Florida, to learn more about how VA can better coordinate with local organizations to end veteran homelessness. This bill is the first of many solutions, some of which have been identified from these bipartisan hearings of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee.

The full committee will continue to work together to find bipartisan solutions to end veteran homelessness. H.R. 95 has 301 cosponsors, which demonstrates this Chamber's commitment to ending veteran homelessness and to working together to improve the lives of the veterans we represent.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 95, the Homeless Veteran Families Act. This bill would amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program to provide payments to GPD providers for the services they provide to the children of homeless veterans.

Mr. Speaker, while VA and other partners have been very successful in decreasing the number of homeless veterans in the country by almost 50 percent since 2010, we still have an unacceptable number of veterans on the streets every night.

The GPD program is a tool in VA's arsenal to help community organizations provide services to homeless veterans by reimbursing them for providing temporary housing and supportive services that promote health and self-sufficiency among homeless veterans.

However, under current rules, community partners are not authorized funding for providing services and shelter to the dependents of the homeless veterans who they serve. This forces these organizations to make a difficult choice of turning away homeless veterans with children or finding another source of funding to provide services for them.

H.R. 95 would address this issue by amending current law to authorize grant and per diem payments for the children of homeless veterans at half the amount paid for each homeless veteran.

While I have some concerns about using medical care dollars to provide these services, as they may detract from the already limited resources available for providing services for homeless veterans themselves, I am not going to oppose this approach today. I want what is best for our veterans, and if this change helps community partners provide the services they need to homeless veteran families, then it is worthy of our support.

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Mr. TAKANO. Brownley), my good friend, the chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee, and the author of this bill.

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Mr. TAKANO. I yield the gentlewoman from California an additional 1 minute.

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I certainly also want to congratulate and thank Congresswoman Brownley, the Chair of our Health Subcommittee, for bringing this legislation forward. And I also want to also express my gratitude to Ranking Member Roe, former Chairman Roe. We both made a commitment to the territory of Puerto Rico, and we want the people of Puerto Rico to know that on a bipartisan basis the Veterans' Affairs Committee cares about the service and the benefits that are owed to the veterans of Puerto Rico.

So I urge all of my colleagues to pass H.R. 95, which addresses a critical need for veterans that have children and who are in need of housing to prevent them from being homeless. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 95, the ``Homeless Veteran Families Act.''

H.R. 95 updates the Department of Veterans Affairs per diem payment calculation for entities furnishing services to homeless veterans to include funding for a minor dependent.

The rate for per diem payments is the daily cost of care as estimated by the grant recipient or eligible entity.

This bill would expand the per diem payment amount for a homeless veteran who has care of a minor dependent to the daily cost of care, plus, for each minor dependent, an amount that equals 50 percent of such daily cost of care.

This bill is an intrinsic part of a much greater national movement to recognize the transitional needs of all Veterans and their families nationwide.

Our Veterans are America's indispensable asset; their dedication to the United States Military and protecting the lives of the American people is to be commended.

Lack of access to childcare presents a unique safety hazard to homeless veterans' families, and puts a unique pressure on the shelters and facilities in Houston.

Less than 3 percent of Veterans experiencing homelessness (2.9 percent) were in families with children.

Veteran women experiencing homelessness are more likely to be a part of a family with children, compared to Veteran men.

Because of a lack of affordable health treatment and job prospects, veterans represent about 12 percent of America's homeless population, and approximately 50,000 veterans are homeless each night.

This bill will allow homeless veterans with children to receive enhanced child care services.

When enacted, H.R. 95 will alleviate the financial burdens homeless veterans experience with child care and assist them to transition into the workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 95 to expand resources for homeless veterans with children.

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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