Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick Introduces Bill to Provide Housing for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness in the United States
Washington – Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) introduced the Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Act to provide housing for the estimated 33,000 veterans experiencing homelessness in the United States. This legislation would make permanent the temporary flexibilities granted to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address veterans' homelessness by providing shelter, transportation, and communication devices to veterans in need.
The bill is cosponsored by Ranking Member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee Mark Takano (D-CA), Cathy Castor (D-FL), Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Ed Case (D-HI), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), and Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC).
"Our veterans have sacrificed their health, safety, and welfare to serve and protect the United States," said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick. "We must not stop until every veteran has a roof over their head and the phrase 'homeless veteran' is a thing of the past. As a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I remain committed to advocating for and lifting up the needs of all veterans across the country, especially those who are most vulnerable and marginalized. My colleagues and I will not leave our veterans behind on the very soil they volunteered to protect and defend."
"I am proud to be an original cosponsor of Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick's Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Act," said Ranking Member Takano. "Last week, VA announced it housed over 40,000 veterans experiencing homelessness in 2022, surpassing its goal of housing 38,000 veterans. That tremendous accomplishment can be directly attributed to the authorities Congress put in place during the pandemic. Rolling back efforts now would mean more veterans would go without the basic resources they need to transition out of homelessness successfully. We cannot expect veterans experiencing homelessness to transition into permanent housing and a stable livelihood if we are unwilling to ensure they have access to basic resources like food, clothing, and transportation."
The bill is endorsed by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. (JWV), and Minority Veterans of America (MVA).
NAEH said, "The Alliance greatly appreciates the strong leadership of Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick and her colleagues in continuing to press for making permanent the emergency flexibilities for supplies, transportation, and communications. Providing these supplies and services to veterans experiencing homelessness has been a significant part of VA's much-celebrated success in reducing veteran homelessness."
NCHV said, "The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) cheers Representative Cherfilus-McCormick's introduction of the Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Actin the 118th Congress. The legislation would make permanent the flexibility granted to the Supportive Service for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, which the VA has utilized during the public health emergency, making strides in reducing veteran homelessness and housing over 40,000 veterans in 2022. NCHV looks forward to collaborating with Congress and the VA to pass this and other important initiatives until no veteran is homeless."
READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE BILL
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