Rangel Applauds Decrease in Veteran Homelessness

Statement

Congressman Charles B. Rangel, who represents the 13th Congressional District of New York that includes upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx, released the following statement after the Obama Administration announced that the number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has been cut nearly in half since 2010:

"As a Korean War veteran, I am very proud of our nation as we make strong progress against chronic veteran homelessness. The men and women who fought bravely for our country should not have to struggle to put a roof over their heads.

I applaud the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), for their successful efforts to significantly reduce veterans homelessness, under President Barack Obama's leadership. Democrats in Congress have fought to invest in the Supportive Services for Veterans Families and the HUD Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing initiatives, which have proved invaluable to veterans in New York and communities across America. Our state has taken 1,151 veterans off the street since 2015 -- cutting veteran homelessness in half.

Many of our military heroes are still counting on us for help. To increase the housing supply for veterans, I co-sponsored the Housing Our Heroes Act, which directs the VA to begin a three-year pilot program awarding grants to homeless advocacy organizations and non-profits to purchase and renovate abandoned homes for veterans. I have been supporting legislation which aims to assist military personnel with adequate resources and training to successfully transition into civilian life upon leaving active duty.

No veteran should be left on the streets when they come home. They fought for our safety, and we have an obligation to fight for theirs."

Through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD's annual Point-in-Time (PIT) estimate of America's homeless population, communities across the country reported that fewer than 40,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness on a given night in January 2016. The January 2016 estimate found just over 13,000 unsheltered homeless veterans living on their streets, a 56 percent decrease since 2010. View local estimates of veteran homelessness.

This significant progress is a result of the partnership among HUD, VA, USICH, and other federal, state and local partners. These critical partnerships were sparked by the 2010 launch of Opening Doors, the first-ever strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. The initiative's success among veterans can also be attributed to the effectiveness of the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program, which combines HUD rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the VA. Since 2008, more than 85,000 vouchers have been awarded and more than 114,000 homeless veterans have been served through the HUD-VASH program.

In 2014, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness with the goal of accelerating progress toward the ambitious national goal of ending veteran homelessness. More than 880 mayors, governors, and other local officials have joined the challenge and committed to ending veteran homelessness in their communities. To date, 27 communities and two states have effectively ended veteran homelessness, serving as models for others across the nation.

HUD and VA have a wide range of programs that prevent and end homelessness among veterans, including health care, housing solutions, job training and education. In FY 2015, these programs helped more than 157,000 people--including 99,000 veterans and 34,000 children--secure or remain in permanent housing. Since 2010, more than 360,000 veterans and their families have been permanently housed, rapidly rehoused or prevented from becoming homeless through programs administered by HUD and VA.

More information about VA's homeless programs is available at www.va.gov/homeless. More information about HUD's programs is available here or by calling the HUDVET National Hotline at (877) 424-3838. Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless should contact their local VA Medical Center and ask to speak to a homeless coordinator or call 1-877-4AID-VET.

Source