Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - July 30, 2009)

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By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. BOND, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. KERRY, and Mr. DURBIN):

S. 1547. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, and the United States Housing Act of 1937 to enhance and expand the assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I introduce the Zero Tolerance for Veteran Homelessness Act. This comprehensive bill enhances and expands the assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of becoming homeless.

It is one of our Nation's great tragedies that on any given night, 131,000 veterans are homeless. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that more than 200,000 veterans experience homelessness each year and that nearly 1/5 of all homeless people in the United States are veterans. These numbers are expected to climb as our servicemembers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan return home to face tough economic conditions.

We know that veterans are often at greater risk of becoming homeless. Some return from deployments to discover that the skills they have honed in their military service can be difficult to transfer to jobs in the private sector. Others struggle with physical or mental wounds of war. Still others return to communities that lack safe, affordable housing.

Our veterans have made great sacrifices to serve our country, and it is especially important to honor our commitment to them. The Department of Veterans Affairs is certainly a part of that commitment, providing benefits, medical care, support, and a sense of community to homeless veterans. However, a number of other federal agencies provide service to veterans, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and this legislation builds on that existing infrastructure.

Many programs through HUD and the VA are already helping homeless veterans with transitional housing, health care and rehabilitation services, and employment assistance. However, a more comprehensive and coordinated approach would strengthen these programs and prevent more at-risk veterans from becoming homeless.

That is why I have joined with my colleagues Senators BOND, MURRAY, and JOHNSON to introduce this much-needed legislation. The Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act seeks to merge housing programs and support services for veterans from the start so that there is an integrated approach to address their risk of homelessness.

First, this bill would create a new Homelessness Prevention program that would enable the VA to keep at-risk veterans in stable housing and offer increased assistance to veterans who have fallen into homelessness. Specifically, the VA could provide short-term rental assistance, housing relocation and stabilization services, services to resolve personal credit issues, payments for security deposits or utility costs, and assistance for moving costs. These up-front expenses can be the major obstacle that puts low-income or unemployed veterans at risk of becoming homeless. These homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing techniques have been successfully used in numerous communities to significantly reduce family homelessness, and this bill would give the VA resources to put these strategies into practice.

Second, this bill would authorize additional housing vouchers through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, VASH, program. This collaborative program provides homeless veterans with vouchers to rent apartments in the private rental market, as well as case management and clinical services at local VA medical centers. In this way, veterans receive the supportive housing they need to recover and thrive.

The HUD-VASH program has grown in recent years. Twenty thousand vouchers were funded in the last two appropriations cycles, and 10,000 more will likely be funded-in Fiscal Year 2010. However, more homeless veterans could benefit from this important resource. As such, the Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness bill authorizes up to 10,000 additional vouchers each year to reach a maximum of 60,000 vouchers by 2013.

Third, this legislation would make it easier for non-profits to apply for capital grants through the VA's grants and per diem program to build transitional housing and other facilities for veterans. This would streamline the process for non-profit organizations to be able to use financing from other sources to break ground on new housing construction. This is particularly important in the current economy, when non-profits are stretched and have to be more creative than ever to fund new capital projects.

The Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act would also create a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs within HUD. The Special Assistant would ensure that veterans have access to HUD's existing programs and work to remove any barriers. The Special Assistant would also serve as a liaison between HUD and the VA, helping to connect and coordinate the services the two departments provide.

Additionally, this legislation recognizes the need to measure progress of efforts to combat homelessness. It establishes a new Homeless Veterans Management Information System, to be developed by the VA, in consultation with HUD and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. This data collection system will be used to provide annual reports to Congress on the number of homeless veterans and they types of assistance they receive. This information will help illustrate how programs are performing and inform future policy.

Finally, the bill would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with other agencies, to analyze existing programs and develop a comprehensive plan with recommendations on how to end homelessness among veterans. Establishing a plan with appropriate benchmarks will enable the VA to more easily track progress towards this important goal.

This bipartisan bill also complements a bill that I am cosponsoring with Senator MURRAY to enable programs at the VA and the Department of Labor to better serve homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children.

Only by working together, across the federal government and in partnership with non-profits and local housing authorities, will we be able to comprehensively help homeless veterans and reach those in danger of becoming homeless. We owe it to our veterans to ensure that they and their families have safe, affordable places to live and to provide the services and benefits they have earned. The nation's brave veterans deserve nothing less.

I hope my colleagues will join in supporting this important, bipartisan legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

S. 1547

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