Letter to the Hon. David Shulkin, Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Funding For Homeless Veterans

Letter

Dear Secretary Shulkin,

We write to urge continued support and robust funding for the HUD-VASH program. As you continue your process of soliciting input on the program, we'd like to emphasize the importance of HUD-VASH program to veterans in our communities.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's 2017 report to Congress on Homelessness, veterans' homelessness rose by nearly 2 percent for the first time since 2010. Much of this was driven by increases in veterans' homelessness on the West Coast. California had the largest absolute increase in the number of its homeless veterans- there were nearly 1900 more homeless veterans in 2017 than in 2016. Meanwhile, the state of Washington had the largest percentage increase- 41% over the previous year. Oregon has the third highest rate of unsheltered veterans. These are the homeless literally on the street and lack access to safe, temporary housing.

Upon release of the report, HUD Secretary Carson noted that a lack of affordable housing, particularly on the West Coast, was "manifesting itself on our streets" in the form of homelessness. The VA has also noted the connection between a shortage of affordable housing, particularly in cities like Los Angeles and Seattle, and a corresponding rise in veterans' homelessness. As members whose districts face a dearth of affordable housing, and whose communities confront the homelessness that often results, we could not agree more.

While our communities work to address this crisis, we urge you to maintain and prioritize the VA's support for the HUD-VASH program. We have seen firsthand how pivotal these vouchers are. By combining rental vouchers with case management services that address healthcare, substance abuse, mental health and other issues for homeless veterans, the HUD-VASH program provides a sustainable path for keeping our veterans off the street. Since the program began in 2008, the vouchers have provided housing for 138,000 veterans.

But as our communities grapple with a continued lack of affordable housing, and as this year's increase in veterans' homelessness showed, our work is far from over.

Our nation's veterans sacrificed too much for us to turn our backs on them. The HUD-VASH's multipronged approach to addressing the root causes of homelessness offer a solution for at-risk veterans. We owe it to them to continue this critical program- and that is why we urge its continued support and prioritization at all levels of the VA this year and for many years to come.