CONGRESSMAN LIEU INTRODUCES ADVOCATING FOR HOMELESS VETERANS ACT
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Congressman Ted Lieu said, “No woman or man who has fought for their country in uniform should ever have to fight for a roof over their heads or food on their tables. As the Obama Administration works towards ending veteran homelessness, Congress needs to ensure the VA has every tool at its disposal to achieve and maintain that goal. Since 2001, the VA’s Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans has provided valuable analysis of the VA’s efforts while advocating for additional resources from HUD-VASH vouchers to funds for local partnership programs that house veterans.”
Matthew Miller, Chief Policy Officer at the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, also said, “IAVA strongly supports reauthorizing the VA Advisory Committee on Homeless Veteran’s, which has been a key entity in making major progress in ending veteran homelessness. The VA has prioritized reducing the number of homeless veterans but we can’t rest until our nation’s veterans themselves have a safe and secure place to rest. Congressman Lieu’s legislation provides a power tool to accomplish this mission.”
ORIGINAL COSPONSORS
Julia Brownley, Mark Takano, Patrick Murphy, Greg Meeks, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mike Honda, Susan Davis, José Serrano, Mike Quigley, John Conyers, Norma Torres, Raul Grijavla, Grace Meng, Judy Chu, Steve Israel, Al Green, Rick Nolan
ENDORSEMENTS BY VETERAN ADVOCACY GROUPS
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, National Association of County Veteran Service Officers, Military Order of the Purple Heart, The Retired Enlisted Association
INFORMATION ON THE VA ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The VA Advisory Committee was created in 2001 through the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001 and signed in law by President George W. Bush.
- The Advisory Committee is comprised of 15 members with expertise in working with and treating homeless veterans, including representatives from veterans service organizations, community providers, previously homeless Veterans, and state Veterans affairs officials.
- The Advisory Committee advises the Department of Veterans Affairs on benefits and services to homeless veterans by reviewing the VA’s services, recommending actions to address gaps in services, and reporting annually to the Secretary
- Since its inception, the Advisory Committee has helped secure additional HUD-VASH vouchers, increased funding for Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), and the launch of the Veterans Justice Outreach Program
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