Blumenthal Applauds Unanimous Senate Passage of Homeless Veterans Protection Act

Press Release

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, today applauded unanimous Senate passage of the Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act of 2015, which he cosponsored and championed. The legislation will authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue to furnish benefits to homeless veterans and eliminate inequitable access to case management services for homeless veterans nationwide. The bill includes an amendment that will increase the availability of care by reimbursing facilities providing grants for homeless veterans with children and prioritizing services for women veterans and their families.

"This critical bill that I championed brings us closer to fulfilling our sacred promise to America's veterans -- no one who served our nation in uniform should be without a roof over his or her head. We must bolster our services to homeless veterans, and allow essential VA homeless programs to provide funding and services to local providers in the field. Without this legislation, a potential change in VA policy could force homeless shelters and providers to close their doors to the many veterans and their families who depend on these lifesaving services and have nowhere else to turn. This possibility is unacceptable and the Homeless Veterans Protection Act is a critical measure to protect a vulnerable cohort of veterans from an intolerable outcome.

"In August, Connecticut became the first state in the country to end chronic veteran homelessness, a milestone that is an important first step in ending veterans homelessness nationwide. I remain committed to serving our homeless veterans and will continue to work with my colleagues on the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs to provide additional support and federal funding to help veterans experiencing homelessness on the path to permanent housing."

The Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act of 2015 was introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and cosponsored by Blumenthal and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI). This legislation will waive the minimum period of continuous active duty requirements for receipt of benefits for homeless veterans and authorize VA to furnish benefits to homeless veterans discharged with other than dishonorable conditions. This legislation is critical to prevent a potential change in VA policy from narrowing eligibility for veterans to benefit from VA homeless grants.

In June 2015, the VA Office of Inspector General published a report on the Audit of Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Case Management Oversight. This audit determined that VA had not yet established a clear and consistent legal position on eligibility for veteran participation in the VA Homeless Providers Grant Per Diem Program (GPD) and noted discrepancies in VA's distribution of homelessness services for veterans nationwide. GPD grants have been awarded nationally since 1994 to Government agencies and nonprofit organizations and provide crucial services in the form of outreach, rehabilitative services, case management, counseling, and transitional housing.

Due to conflicting VA guidance, some medical facilities were excluding veterans who did not meet active duty or discharge characterization requirements necessary for access to VA health care, while other facilities were interpreting requirements to provide GPD grants for veterans regardless of VA health care eligibility. VA plans to release an updated policy to reconcile discrepancies, which threatens to force homeless providers to stop serving certain homeless veterans. This legislation will align the law with the status quo in order to ensure continuity and equity in the provision of services and resources to homeless veterans.

Source