Veteran Housing Opportunities and Unemployment Support Extension Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Madam Speaker, San Diego County is home to over 230,000 veterans. Each year thousands of servicemembers exit the military and choose to stay in San Diego. It has been one of my greatest priorities in Congress to support those in the Armed Forces transitioning back into civilian life. The transition can be tougher for some people than for others. Many veterans struggle with mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury, and they may turn to alcohol or drugs to deal with these mental health issues.

Studies have shown that the top two risk factors to becoming homeless are mental health issues and substance use disorders. The next biggest risk factor is economic insecurity. In expensive regions like ours, rising housing costs can exacerbate these risks and drive up the rate of homelessness. In our county we have over 1,000 veterans experiencing homelessness. We have made serious progress, as my colleague, Mr. Hill, said, here in Congress in reducing the number of veterans experiencing homelessness primarily due to the HUD-VA Supportive Housing, or HUD- VASH, voucher program, which aims to serve chronically homeless veterans. HUD-VASH recognizes housing first as the best way to end homelessness and couples rental assistance with case management services from the VA.

Since this partnership was forged between HUD and VA in 2019, the rate of veteran homelessness has been cut in half. HUD-VASH works, and I have spent the past several years supporting the program and looking for ways to improve it.

One of those ways to improve this program is to expand eligibility for those who don't have access to the program.

Currently, veterans with other than honorable discharges are not eligible for HUD-VASH because, generally, they don't have access to VA healthcare. A veteran could receive, I think as Chairwoman Waters mentioned, an other than honorable discharge for administrative or relatively minor reasons.

This eligibility gap prevents thousands of homeless veterans from being housed while receiving critical supportive services. Now, Congress has recognized the value of extending access to veterans for other VA homelessness service programs. Two years ago, we allowed other than honorable veterans to access the grant and per diem program for transitional housing and supportive services for veteran families for rapid rehousing.

This bill, my bill, the bipartisan Veteran HOUSE Act, closes this gap. The legislation expands eligibility for the HUD-VASH program to include veterans with other than honorable, but not dishonorable, discharges.

We know how to end veteran homelessness. Several cities across the country have already achieved functional zero. HUD-VASH is one of the most vital tools we have to accomplish this goal, and we must make sure more homeless veterans have access to this resource.

This bill will see that at least 1,300 additional veterans are eventually served by HUD-VASH and will stop more homeless veterans from falling through the cracks.

Madam Speaker, I thank the Financial Services Committee, particularly Chairwoman Waters, Mr. Heck, and Mr. Stivers, for moving this bill through their subcommittee. I also thank my colleagues on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Chairman Takano and Chairman Levin, for taking swift action on this bill last year. Both committees passed this bill with unanimous support.

Finally, I thank all the local organizations in San Diego for supporting this bill, as well as the National Alliance to End Homelessness and many national veterans service organizations, including The American Legion, the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, and Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the Veterans HOUSE Act, and I call on the Senate to act on this bill to help more homeless veterans.

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