Washington, D.C. -— U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) today joined a majority of the House of Representatives in voting for H.R. 3329, The Homes for Heroes Act.
The bill expands housing assistance and supportive services for homeless veterans.
“Our veterans and their families have sacrificed for our country, and it is simply unacceptable to allow men and women who have served America to be homeless,” said Etheridge. “We must honor our commit to our men and women in uniform by ensuring that veterans and their families have a place to call home.”
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that more than 400,000 veterans are homeless at some point during the year, and that 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Approximately one quarter of homeless individuals on any given night are veterans
The bill establishes a $200-million-a-year assistance initiative for supportive housing and services for low-income homeless veterans and their families under the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Specifically, the bill authorizes grants to nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives to expand the supply of permanent housing for low-income veterans and their families and to provide supportive services through such housing. The bill will also authorize 20,000 rental vouchers annually for homeless veterans and their families. Veterans’ families will be able to continue to receive the assistance in the event of the veteran’s death.
The bill will also establish the Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs within HUD to coordinate services to homeless veterans and serve as a liaison to the Department of Veterans Affairs, state and local officials, and nonprofit service organizations. It will require HUD to submit a comprehensive annual report to Congress on the housing needs of homeless veterans and the steps HUD has taken under the programs provided for in the bill.