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House approves aid bill for homeless vets

A bill aimed at helping low-income veterans avoid homelessness passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday by a 214-9 vote.

The Homes for Heroes Act would create a $200 million assistance program for veterans making less than 50 percent of the median income for the area where they live, and also would authorize $20,000 in annual rental assistance vouchers for veterans.

About one-quarter of the estimated 800,000 homeless people in the U.S. are veterans, said Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, chief sponsor of the bill, HR 3329.

The legislation also would create a new post at the Department of Housing and Urban Development solely to oversee veterans’ programs. The new special assistant for veterans’ affairs would coordinate programs within the federal government and with state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations, Green said.

Many current programs try to provide temporary and permanent housing for low-income veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs, for example, has 19,000 beds available for homeless veterans and several outreach programs to try to provide medical and financial help and counseling.

Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., said the fact that veterans make up just 11 percent of the population over age 18 but comprise one-quarter of the homeless is troubling.

“This is clearly unacceptable,” he said.

Addressing homelessness among veterans is a bipartisan issue. One of the strongest supporters of the bill is Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Fla., an active member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, who said lawmakers working on veteran-related legislation sometimes overlook the simplest things — like making sure returning combat veterans have someplace to live.

“When some of our veterans return from battle, their fight continues,” she said. “Whether it is wrestling with the effects of PTSD or struggling to integrate into civilian live, it is Congress’ responsibility to help them.”

The bill now goes to the Senate, where it could be wrapped into a package of other veterans-related legislation lawmakers hope to pass before the November general elections.