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Welcome Home Program
Homes for Heroes Act - (S. 3475/H.R.
5561)
Statement by Hispanic War Veterans of America on Senate
event on Protecting Vet's Data
VETERAN AND FAMILY CARE ACT
National Senior Advisory Letter
Resolution To Promote American Indian And
Hispanic Veterans, To Appoint Them To Areas Where Their
Ethnicity Is In The Majority, And Create Special Assistant
Positions Within The United States Department Of Veterans
Affairs
Welcome Home Program
Welcome Home is a special Internet-based training and
employment program designed to prepare bi-lingual military
service members and their family members for careers in the
mortgage banking industry.
For more information
click here or go to the website at
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Homes for Heroes Act
The
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) is pleased
to report that Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and
Representatives Rob Andrews (D-NJ) and Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
introduced the Homes for Heroes Act on June 7 and June 8.
The bill numbers are S. 3475 & H.R. 5561.
The Homes for Heroes Act is
comprehensive legislation to expand permanent affordable
housing opportunities targeted to the nation’s 1.5 million
low-income veterans and their families, including 634,000
veterans living below 50 percent of the federal poverty
level. A one-page overview and a section-by-section summary
are attached. The bill text may be accessed at
http://thomas.loc.gov/ once they
are posted.
NCHV contributed greatly to shaping
the content of the Homes for Heroes Act. In addition, the
legislation responds to the permanent housing for low-income
veterans recommendations contained within the FY 2007
Independent Budget of Veterans Organizations (see pages 45
and 46 of 69 of
http://www.pva.org/independentbudget/pdf/IB_07_medcare.pdf).
The
bill sponsors and NCHV would appreciate your organization’s
endorsement of the legislation. The sponsors will be
listing endorsers in future Dear Colleague letters, floor
statements, and educational materials. A brief e-mail
communication of support to the sponsors will suffice,
although follow-up letters of support are preferred.
Endorsements are welcome at any time, but preferred as soon
as possible, as Dear Colleague letters may begin circulating
soon. Template letters of support are attached for your
convenience.
Please contact Nick Bauer (Obama) at
nick_bauer@obama.senate.gov or 224.2152 or Robert Knotts
(Andrews) at
robert.knotts@mail.house.gov or
225.6501 to endorse the Homes for Heroes Act or to comment
on the legislation.
Please also apprise NCHV of actions
your organization takes on the Homes for Heroes Act so that
we may track the bill’s supporters. Of course, if you have
questions or comments on the legislation, please let me know
at
bob.reeg@verizon.net or
202.265.7271.
We
look forward to your organization’s support as we work to
ensure Homes for Heroes. Bob Reeg
Bob Reeg, MPA
Public Policy Consultant, National Coalition for Homeless
Veterans
2219 12th PL NW, Washington DC 20009-4405
202.265.7271 (voice)
202.460.9029 (mobile)
202.265.5973 (fax)
bob.reeg@verizon.net
Homes
for Heroes Act - (S. 3475/H.R. 5561)
Homes for Heroes Act
(S. 3475/H.R. 5561)
Section-by-Section Summary prepared June 9, 2006 by the
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
Short Title (Section 1 in Senate and House)
The
short title of the bill is the Homes for Heroes Act of 2006.
Supportive Housing for Very Low-Income Veteran Families
(Section 3 in Senate/Section 2 in House)
(a) Purpose
– Expand the supply of permanent housing for low-income
veteran families and to provide supportive services through
such housing to support the needs of such families.
(b) Authority
– Authorizes the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide
assistance to private nonprofit organizations and consumer
cooperatives to expand the supply of supportive housing for
very-low income veteran families. Such assistance shall be
made available for use to plan for and finance the
construction, reconstruction, or moderate or substantial
rehabilitation of a structure or a portion of a structure,
or the acquisition of a structure, to be used as supportive
housing for very low-income veteran families. Assistance
may also cover the cost of real property acquisition, site
improvement, conversion, demolition, relocation, and other
expenses determined necessary by the Secretary. (Senate bill
also requires the HUD Secretary to consult with the VA
Secretary and the HUD Special Assistant for Veterans in
executing this authority.)
(c) Forms of Assistance
– Planning grants, capital advances, and project rental
assistance.
(d) Tenant Rent
Contribution
– A very-low income veteran family shall pay as rent the
highest of the following: 30 percent of the family’s
adjusted family income; 10 percent of the family’s monthly
income; or the part of such welfare payments designated for
housing, if the family is receiving welfare assistance from
a public agency.
(e) Term of Commitment
– All assisted housing units shall be made available for
occupancy by very low-income veteran families for not less
than 15 years. The initial contract term is 60 months. The
Secretary shall extend any expiring contract for a term of
not less than 12 months.
(f) Applications
– The Secretary shall establish a process for receiving
applications for funding. The application shall contain a:
description of the proposed housing; description of
assistance sought; description of supportive services to be
provided, including description of how such services will be
provided to frail elderly persons and the public or private
sources that can be reasonably expected to fund or provide
such services; certification by a public official of the
application’s consistency with the comprehensive housing
strategy of the jurisdiction in which the housing will be
located; such other information as determined necessary by
the Secretary.
(g) Selection Criteria
– Application selection criteria shall include:
1)
criteria based on:
the ability of the applicant to develop and operate the
housing; the need for supportive housing for very low-income
families in the area to be served; the extent to which the
proposed size and mix of housing will enable the applicant
to manage and operate the housing efficiently and in an
economical fashion; the extent to which the housing meets
the physical needs of very low-income veteran families; the
extent to which the applicant has demonstrated that
supportive services will be provided on a consistent
long-term basis; the extent to which the proposed housing
design will accommodate the provision of supportive
services; and such other factors as determined by the
Secretary.
2)
a preference in
such selection for applications proposing housing to be
reserved for occupancy by very low-income families who are
homeless.
3)
criteria
appropriate to consider the need for supportive housing for
very low-income veteran families in nonmetropolitan areas
and among Indian tribes.
(h) Provision of
Supportive Services to Veteran Families
– The Secretary shall ensure that a range of supportive
services are provided to very low-income veteran families.
Supportive services may include: outreach; health;
habilitation and rehabilitation; case management; daily
living; personal financial planning; transportation;
vocation; employment and training; education; assistance in
obtaining veterans benefits and public benefits; assistance
in obtaining income support; assistance in obtaining health
insurance; fiduciary and representative payee; legal aid;
child care; housing counseling; service coordination; and
other services necessary for maintaining independent living.
The
Secretary shall ensure that owners of such housing have the
managerial capacity to: assess the service needs of
residents; coordinate the provision of services and tailor
such services to the individual needs of residents; and seek
on a continuous basis new sources of assistance to ensure
the long-term provision of supportive services.
(i) Financial Assistance
for Services
– The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) shall provide
financial assistance for the provision of services and
coordinating the provision of such services. Such
assistance shall be made through payments to owners of such
housing for each resident of the housing based on a formula
to be established by the VA Secretary. (Senate bill
authorizes $25 million in FY 2007 and such sums as necessary
each year thereafter to provide financial assistance for
services.)
(j) Development Cost
Limitations
– The HUD Secretary shall establish development cost
limitations by market area for various types and sizes of
supportive housing for very low-income veteran families.
The cost limitations shall be adjusted annually to reflect
changes in cost.
Owners which incur actual development costs that are less
than the amount of financing shall retain 50 percent of the
savings in a special housing account, increased to 75
percent of such savings for owners which add energy
efficiency features. Funds in the owner’s housing account
may be used to provide services to residents of the housing
or funds set aside for replacement reserves or for such
other purposes as determined by the Secretary.
Owners may use funds from other sources for amenities and
other features of appropriate design and construction
provided that the amenity is not financed with the capital
advance and is not taken into account in determining the
amount of Federal assistance or of the rent contribution of
tenants.
(k) Tenant Selection
– Owners shall adopt written tenant selection procedures.
The
HUD Secretary shall provide to the VA Secretary and the
Secretary of the Department of Labor information regarding
the availability of housing assisted under this section.
The VA and DOL Secretaries shall provide this information to
agencies in the area of the housing that receive VA and DOL
funds for providing medical care, housing, supportive
services, or employment and training services to homeless
veterans.
(l) Miscellaneous
Provisions
–
1)
The Secretary
shall make technical assistance available to assist
prospective applicants in applying.
2)
Owners shall
certify compliance with federal, State, and local laws
prohibiting discrimination and promoting equal opportunity.
3)
Owners shall be
required to deposit $15,000 in a special escrow account to
ensure the owner’s commitment to the housing.
4)
The Secretary
shall notify an owner not less than 30 days prior to
canceling any reservation of assistance. During the 30 day
period following notice, an owner may appeal the proposed
cancellation. The Secretary shall review the appeal within
45 days of filing.
5)
The Secretary
shall take action to ensure that all laborers and mechanics
employed by contractors and subcontractors in the
construction of housing with 12 or more united shall be paid
prevailing wages.
6)
Owners may use any
residual receipts held for the project in excess of $500 per
unit for retrofit and renovation activities or to provide
supportive services.
7)
Owners shall
comply with federal occupancy standards and obligations.
8)
Owners may use
project reserves for costs for reducing the number of
dwelling units in the project, provided the Secretary
ensures that the use is designed to retrofit units that are
currently obsolete or unmarketable.
(m) Definitions
–
1)
“Very Low-Income
Veteran Family” is a veteran family whose income does not
exceed 50 percent of the median area income for the area.
The Secretary may make adjustments for smaller and larger
families, prevailing levels of construction costs or fair
market rents, or unusually high or low family incomes.
2)
“Supportive
Housing for Very Low-Income Veteran Families” means housing
that is designed to accommodate the provision of supportive
services that are expected to be needed, either initially or
over the useful life of the housing, by the veteran families
that the housing is intended to serve.
3)
“Veteran Family”
includes a veteran who is a single person, a family
(including families with children) whose head of house (or
whose spouse) is a veteran, and one or more veterans living
together with one or more persons.
4)
Definitions are
also provided for “consumer cooperative,” “owner,” “private
nonprofit organization,” “Secretary,” “State,” and
“veteran.”
(n) Allocation of Funds
– Allocates funds made available among planning grants (not
more than 2.5%), capital advances (such sums), project
rental assistance (such sums), and technical assistance (1
%).
(o) Funding –
1)
Authorization of
Appropriations for Housing Assistance – $200 million in FY
2007 and such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year
thereafter.
2)
Set Aside of
Veterans Medical Services Amounts for Supportive Services –
Of any amounts made available in appropriations Acts for
fiscal year 2007 and each fiscal year thereafter to the VA
for medical services for veterans, there shall be available
for financial assistance for supportive services such sums
as may be necessary to provide payments at the full rate
under the formula established under this section. (Senate
authorizes $25 million in FY 2007 at subsection (i))
Housing Choice Vouchers for Homeless Veterans
(Section 4 in Senate/Section 3 in House)
Amends current law (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)), popularly known
as the HUD-VASH program, as follows:
A.
Requires the HUD
Secretary to set aside and transfer to the VA Secretary from
amounts made available for rental assistance under the
Housing Choice Voucher program the amount necessary for use
only for providing such assistance to homeless veterans.
B.
The amount to be
transferred each year is the amount necessary to provide at
least 20,000 rental assistance vouchers for homeless
veterans.
C.
The VA Secretary
may use the transferred amounts only for funding contracts
for rental assistance to be administered by entities that
receive grants under the VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per
Diem program. The VA Secretary shall provide to each
grantee funding for the entity to provide at least two
rental assistance vouchers for each unit of transitional
housing being made available by the entity at such time.
(Senate bill does not include this subsection.)
D.
The budget
authority under the Housing Choice Voucher program for
fiscal year 2007 and each year thereafter is authorized to
be increased in each fiscal year by such sums as may be
necessary to provide at least 20,000 rental assistance
vouchers for homeless veterans.
Inclusion of Veterans in Housing Planning
(Section 5 in Senate/Section 4 in House)
(a) Public Housing Agency
Plans –
Includes “veterans” as a special needs population to be
considered in the development of public housing agency
plans.
(b) Comprehensive Housing
Affordability Strategies
– Includes “veterans” as a special needs population to be
considered in the development of comprehensive housing
affordability strategies. Requires officials to consult
with veteran service providers in the development of
comprehensive housing affordability strategies.
(c) Consolidated Plans
– Requires HUD Secretary to revise the Consolidated Plan
regulations to conform to changes made to the comprehensive
affordable housing strategies section of law.
Exclusion of Veterans Benefits from Assisted Housing Rent
Considerations
(Section 6 in Senate/Section 5 in House)
(a) In General
– For purposes of determining the amount of rent paid by a
family for occupancy of a dwelling unit assisted under a
federally assisted housing program or in housing assisted
under a federally assisted housing program, the income and
the adjusted income of the family shall not be considered to
include any amounts received by any member of the family
from the VA Secretary as compensation, dependency and
indemnity compensation, and pension.
(b) Federally Assisted
Housing Program
– Lists the federally assisted housing programs to which the
exclusion of veterans benefits applies.
Technical Assistance Grants for Housing Assistance for
Veterans
(Section 7 in Senate/Section 6 in House)
(a) In General
– Authorizes the HUD Secretary to make grants to eligible
entities to provide technical assistance to nonprofit
organizations to assist them in: sponsoring housing projects
for veterans assisted under programs administered by HUD;
fulfilling planning and application processes and
requirements under HUD programs; and assisting veterans in
obtaining housing or homeless assistance under HUD programs.
(b) Eligible Entities
– Nonprofit organizations having such expertise as the
Secretary determines necessary for providing technical
assistance to providers of services to veterans.
(c) Selection of
Recipients
– Requires Secretary to establish selection criteria and to
make selection using such criteria.
(d) Funding
– $1 million in fiscal year 2007 and each fiscal year
thereafter from the amounts made available to HUD for
salaries and expenses.
Annual Report on Housing Assistance to Veterans
(Section 8 in Senate/Section 7 in House)
(a) In General
– Requires HUD to submit an annual report to Congress on its
activities related to veterans.
(b) Contents
– The report shall include information on: the supportive
housing program for very-low income veteran families; the
housing choice vouchers for homeless veterans program; a
summary description of public housing plan and comprehensive
housing affordability strategies contents pertaining to
veterans; a description of the technical assistance provided
to veteran service providers; a description of the
activities of the Special Assistant for Veterans; a
description of HUD’s coordination efforts with federal
departments and agencies regarding delivery of housing and
services to veterans; the cost to the department of
administering programs and activities related to veterans;
and other information determined relevant by the HUD
Secretary.
(c) Assessment of Housing
Needs of Very Low Income Veteran Families
– For the first year and each fifth year, the annual report
shall include an assessment of the housing needs of very
low-income veteran families, including a representative
sample survey of such families to determine: socioeconomic
characteristics; housing barriers; levels of homelessness;
levels of participation in rental housing and homeownership
assistance programs; and other information determined useful
by the HUD Secretary, in consultation with the VA Secretary
and with national nonprofit organizations.
(d) Conduct
– Permits the HUD Secretary to contract with a
non-governmental organization to conduct the assessment.
Establishes qualifications for such non-governmental
organization.
(e) Funding
– $1 million for each year in which an assessment is
required from funds appropriated to HUD for programs of
research, studies, testing, or demonstration.
Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs in Office of
Secretary of HUD
(Section 2 in Senate/Section 8 in House)
(a) In General
– Establishes a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs
within the Office of the HUD Secretary. The position is to
be filled by appointment based solely on merit. The Special
Assistant is responsible for: ensuring veterans have access
to housing and homeless assistance under each program of the
Department; coordinating programs and activities of the
Department relating to veterans; serving as a liaison for
the Department with state, local, regional, and
nongovernmental organizations concerned with veterans;
providing information and advice regarding sponsoring
housing projects for veterans and assisting veterans in
obtaining housing or homeless assistance; administering the
technical assistance grants for housing assistance for
veterans; preparing the annual report on housing assistance
to veterans; and carrying out other duties as assigned by
the Secretary.
Click here to view pdf version of
Heroes Act
If you would like to support
this Act please download the following two documents that
are template support letters for the House and Senate.
Click on the link to download
the template
Homes for Heroes Act - House
Template Support Letter
Homes for Heroes Act - Senate
Template Support Letter
2006 Public Policy Recommendation
Permanent Housing for Low-Income Veterans
Recommendations
Enact the Homes for
Heroes Act, legislation to develop and expand permanent
housing opportunities for very low-income veterans.
U.S. Senators—Co-sponsor
of the Homes for Heroes Act (S. 3475).
U.S. Representatives—Co-sponsor
the Homes for Heroes Act (H.R. 5561).
Issue Status
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Rob Andrews (D-NJ) and Rick
Renzi (R-AZ) have introduced comprehensive legislation to
develop and expand permanent housing opportunities for very
low-income veterans. The legislation, the “Homes for Heroes
Act,” would establish new programs and activities pertaining
to veterans within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD).
NCHV is presently seeking co-sponsors to the legislation in
both the Senate and the House of Representatives, with the
aim of building momentum for the legislation.
Congress included in the FY 2006 appropriations measure for
military construction and veterans’ affairs a requirement
that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a
study on the permanent housing needs of low-income veterans.
The study is currently underway.
Why this Matters
·
There is a
nationwide shortage of at least 4.5 million rental units
affordable for households with incomes below 30 percent of
area median.
·
According to data
from the U.S. Census Bureau, one and a half million veterans
have incomes that fall below the federal poverty level,
including 634,000 living below 50 percent of the federal
poverty level.
·
The U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that about
200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night; more than
400,000 veterans experience homelessness over the course of
a year.
·
While the federal
government makes a sizeable investment in homeownership
opportunities for veterans, its investment in rental housing
targeted to low-income veterans is near non-existent.
·
Veterans are not a
national priority population for federally assisted housing.
·
Veterans who are
working, single, and without disabilities, but low-income,
are not well-served through existing housing assistance
programs due to those programs’ eligibility criteria.
·
There is no
national rental housing assistance program targeted to
veterans.
·
HUD has
discontinued its contribution of rental assistance vouchers
to the HUD-VASH program, the only housing assistance program
that was targeted to any veteran population. (HUD-VASH set
aside a share of vouchers for veterans with disabilities,
matched with supportive services provided by the Department
of Veterans Affairs).
·
HUD has not filled
a long-standing vacancy in the position of special assistant
for veterans programs within the Office of Community
Planning and Development.
·
Community-based
and faith-based nonprofit housing developers seek additional
opportunities to finance the development and operation of
permanent affordable housing targeted to low-income
veterans, including homeless veterans.
Background
The
Homes for Heroes Act consists of eight sections. Section 1
establishes the measure’s short title. Section 2 (House) and
3 (Senate) authorizes the HUD Secretary to establish a
supportive housing program for very low-income veteran
families. HUD would provide housing assistance to such
veteran families via planning grants, capital advances,
project rental assistance, and technical assistance to
nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives proposing
to develop such housing. VA would provide funding for
supportive services to residents. Section 3 (House) and 4
(Senate) authorizes an increase in budget authority under
the project rental assistance component of the Housing
Choice Voucher program to finance 20,000 rental assistance
vouchers for homeless veterans. Section 4 (House) and 5
(Senate) requires states and localities to include veterans
as a special needs population in their public housing agency
plans and their comprehensive housing affordability
strategies. Section 5 (House) and 6 (Senate) exempts from
calculation of a family’s rental payment for federally
assisted housing the amount of income the family receives
from VA compensation and benefits. Section 6 (House) and 7
(Senate) authorizes the HUD Secretary to establish a
technical assistance program to assist veteran service
providers on federally assisted housing matters. Section 7
(House) and 8 (Senate) requires HUD to issue an annual
report on its programs and activities pertaining to
veterans. Section 8 (House) and 2 (Senate) establishes a
position of Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs within
HUD.
Committees of Jurisdiction
Senate—Banking,
Housing and Urban Affairs, Housing and Transportation
Subcommittee. Chair, Wayne Allard (R-CO); Ranking Member,
Jack Reed (D-RI). Veterans’ Affairs. Chair, Larry Craig
(R-ID); Ranking Member, Daniel Akaka (D-HI).
House—Financial
Services, Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee.
Chair Robert Ney (R-OH); Ranking Member Maxine Waters
(D-CA). Veterans’ Affairs. Chair, Steve Buyer (R-IN); Acting
Ranking Member Bob Filner (D-CA).
HISPANIC
WAR VETERANS OF AMERICA
STATEMENT
BY THE HISPANIC WAR VETERANS OF AMERICA ABOUT TODAY'S SENATE
EVENT ON PROTECTING VETS' DATA
Jess Quintero, President of the Hispanic War Veterans of
America, issued the following statement today in response to
Senate and House activity on consumer privacy protections
for veterans. "I commend Senators Akaka, Salazar, Schumer,
Murray and Clinton for highlighting the need for additional
protections for our nation's veterans due to the increased
risk of identity theft they now face. Unfortunately, a bill
moving forward in the House threatens to undermine
protections many veterans already enjoy.
This is especially troublesome for Hispanic veterans, who
are disproportionately affected by identify theft, with
recovery, when possible, often taking twice as long. "The
Financial Data Protection Act, H.R. 3997, would create a
federal consumer protection standard that weakens the strong
credit protection options like credit freeze that eighteen
states already provide to approximately 130 million veterans
and other consumers.
Three of those states - Colorado, New York and Washington -
are represented by those senators leading today's event.
"H.R. 3997 would limit veterans' access to options like
credit freeze until after they have been victimized and
would subject them to unacceptable delays in trying to
exercise more control over their own credit. Congress can do
better than that for the men and women who wore our nation's
uniform. "Veterans deserve our nation's strongest support.
I appreciate the leadership demonstrated by Senators Akaka,
Salazar, Schumer and Clinton today as well as the that of
Rep. John Salazar and 150 members of the House who have
called for further protections of veterans and active duty
troops now facing increased risk of identity theft. I
strongly urge the full House to make sure than any
legislation it passes does nothing to undermine privacy
protections for our veterans as H.R. 3997 would."
Jess Quintero
HWVA President
jaq100@verizon.net
202-439-8028
VETERAN AND FAMILY
CARE ACT
Congresswoman Solis introduced H.R.
5007, the Culturally Competent Veteran and Family Care Act
last Thursday. This bill addresses two issues - that the
growing needs of diverse Veterans are not being served and
that families are not receiving the mental health counseling
they need.
Specifically --
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