OC Register: Lawmakers push to prevent veterans from losing housing aid over disability benefits
By Hanna Kang
A new bipartisan effort in Washington, D.C., aims to ensure disabled veterans experiencing homelessness won’t lose access to federal housing support because of income from their disability benefits.
The Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act, introduced on Thursday, April 10, would codify a recent policy change by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that excludes disability payments from income calculations used to determine eligibility for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program, known as HUD-VASH.
It was introduced by Sens. Alex Padilla, D-California; Dave McCormick, R-Pennsylvania; Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona; and Katie Britt, R-Alabama.
“Veterans who have given so much for our country’s freedom deserve the right to a stable roof over their heads,” Padilla said. “Outdated income definitions shouldn’t mean that some of our country’s most disabled veterans are unable to access the housing assistance they need to survive.”
The HUD-VASH program provides rental assistance through HUD and connects eligible veterans with case management and clinical services through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Prior to a policy revision by HUD last year, some veterans were denied assistance under the program because their VA disability benefits pushed their income above eligibility thresholds.
Last year, California accounted for 28% of all homeless veterans in the U.S., and more than 60% of those veterans in the state were unsheltered, according to HUD.
A September 2023 study surveying more than 3,000 Southern California veterans found serious housing challenges among veterans. Researchers at USC said 83% of veterans reported facing housing problems, and only 24% were able to rent a place on their own. More than a third reported leaving the military without a job or housing plan in place.
The bipartisan bill would amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 to exclude VA disability compensation from income calculations for the HUD-VASH program. However, this exclusion does not apply to adjusted income, which is used to determine the veteran’s rent payment.
Despite uncertainty over federal funding as the Trump administration proposes cuts and freezes to various programs it deems wasteful, Edgar Rodriguez, a spokesperson for Padilla, said the bill has a strong chance of becoming law since codifying the policy change comes at no cost.
A companion bill introduced in the House by Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, passed the House in February. It has been referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
McCormick, an Army veteran, said he’s witnessed firsthand how challenging the transition to civilian life can be for many veterans.
“Making this small correction would be a huge step toward helping our nation’s heroes obtain the support they have earned and finally tackle the epidemic of veteran homelessness,” he said.
Similar efforts aimed at reducing veteran homelessness are being made at the local level, too.
In January, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and VA Secretary Denis McDonough announced a new program to reduce veteran homelessness in L.A.
The program has three main goals: reducing wait times for veterans to qualify for and receive housing vouchers; expanding the number of housing options by working with local organizations, including the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, and partnering with U.S. VETS, a nonprofit that advocates for ending veteran homelessness, to connect veterans with available housing.
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