Brindisi Helps Homeless Veterans in Need, Supports Homeless Veteran Families Act

Press Release

Congressman Votes for Bill to Increase Benefits for Homeless Veterans to Ensure Children Are Included

Brindisi: Any Veteran On The Street Is Unacceptable; We Cannot Let Veterans' Children Bear The Burden Of Homelessness

Congressman Anthony Brindisi continued his fight for Upstate New York Veterans. Brindisi supported the Homeless Veteran Families Act. The Brindisi-backed legislation will increase the amount that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays to nonfederal entities to shelter and care for homeless Veterans. Female Veterans are the fastest growing segment of homeless Veterans and often have dependent children.

"Any Veteran living on the street is unacceptable, and we cannot let Veteran's children bear the burden of homelessness as well," Brindisi said. "Our Veterans sacrificed so much for our country, and making it easier for Veterans with children to find a place to live honors that sacrifice."

The VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program funds community housing agencies that provide transitional services to homeless Veterans. Currently, the VA does not have the authority to provide the reimbursements for the costs of services for children of homeless Veterans. This legislation allows the VA to reimburse providers for 50 percent of the costs of housing minor dependents of homeless Veterans. Local Veterans advocates praised Brindisi.

"The CNY Veteran's Outreach Center understands better than anyone the many demographics associated with Veteran Homelessness, long passed are the days of only single male Veterans being homeless," said Executive Director of the Central New York Veterans Outreach Center, Vincent Scalise. "Today we are faced with a much more diverse population, which includes single fathers and single mothers with custody of minor children. We are pleased with the passage of this bill as it brings us another step closer to breaking the cookie cutter model of homelessness and brings in another asset to the fight to end homelessness in this county."

"Passage of the Homeless Veteran Families Act is another positive step in recognizing the complexity and needs of veteran homelessness by providing financial assistance to veterans with dependents," said Broome County Director of Veterans Services Brian Vojtisek. "This Bill will assist in many areas such finding affordable, safe housing."

"We here in Oneida and Madison County have made tremendous progress with regard to identifying and effectively serving homeless Veterans in the past 10 years," said Mohawk Valley Housing and Homeless Assistance Coalition Chair, Stephen Darman. "This modest investment in homeless Veterans with dependent children is a welcome recognition that our homeless Veterans with children should have the support needed to maintain their family unit during their journey from homelessness to housing stability and community integration. We applaud Congressman Brindisi for his work to support this bill."

This bill is supported by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the American Legion, The Wounded Warrior Project, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Got Your 6, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart, and American Veterans (AMVETS).

As a member of the bipartisan Women Veterans Task Force, Brindisi fights for female Veterans. In September, he introduced legislation that would increase accessibility and efficiency for women Veterans at the VA.

In recent years, New York state has made progress in addressing the homeless Veteran crisis. As of January 2018, there were 1,224 homeless Veterans in New York State.

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