|
HOMELESS VETERANS COMMITTEE REPORT
BY SANDY MILLER, CHAIR
HTF-1-07 Homeless Veterans as a “Special Needs Population”:
Resolved, That: Vietnam Veterans of America urges the Presidential
Interagency Council on Homelessness to recognize homeless
veterans as a Special Needs Population. Further, we urge
Congress to require all entities and agencies, including
nonprofit or governmental, that receive or use federal program
funding dollars to report statistics on the number of veterans
they serve, their residential status, and the services needed.
VVA
strongly urges its members, at the chapter and state council
level, to work with their state and federal legislators to
enhance services to homeless veterans and encourage them
to recognize these veterans as a Special Needs Population.
Additionally, VVA supports legislation that would incorporate
a Fair Share approach for the federal funding of all homeless
programs and services to target homeless veterans.
The Homeless
Veterans Committee continues to argue that homeless veterans
are indeed a Special Needs Population with special and unique
experiences and mental health and medical needs that the
VA is charged with addressing.
HTF-4-07 Homeless Veteran HUD
Transitional and Supportive Services Only Funding: Resolved,
That: VVA urges HUD to communicate the importance of transitional
residential and supportive-service-only programs in their
approach to placing the homeless in permanent housing. This
approach will discourage local continuums from eliminating
these entities as viable components to a successful transition
to permanent housing.
Additionally, that HUD reiterates the
sense of Congress in its proposal process and seeks set-aside
HUD funding in its McKinney-Vento grant cycle for transitional
housing, supportive-service-only, and supportive-service
dollars within the Shelter Plus Care grant programs. The
committee continues to work toward the goal of transitional
and supportive-services-only funding for veterans in programs
such as Shelter Plus Care.
HTF-5-07 Homeless Veteran HUD/VA
Supportive Housing Funding: Resolved, That: VVA urges HUD
to comply with Section 710 of PL 109-461 by requesting the
allocation of funds at the level necessary to provide for
the total number of rental assistance vouchers for homeless
veterans.
The committee applauds the Senate Appropriations
Committee for funding the HUD VASH voucher program for homeless
veterans at $75 million. This committee has championed HUD
VASH funding as a major legislative issue for years. Through
hard work and persistence, these vouchers are now a reality.
HTF-6-07
VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem Funding: Resolved, That: VVA
urges the Department of Veterans Affairs, Homeless Grant
and Per Diem Program to provide payment for services rather
than the reimbursement for services it presently provides.
Additionally, VVA supports and seeks legislation to establish
Supportive Services Assistance Grants for VA Homeless Grant
and Per Diem Service Center Grant Awardees.
The Homeless Veterans
Committee continues to encourage the VA Homeless Grant and
Per Diem Program offices to address the issue of payment
for services. We continue to work in the direction of establishing
Supportive Services Assistance Grants for the non-profit
Service Center Grant awardees.
I would like to remind those
interested in nominating someone for the Bobby J Award to
forward the nomination letter to me through the VVA National
Office.
Committee members: Sandy Miller, Chair; Marsha
Four, Vice Chair; Tom Berger, Pat Bessigano, Cheryl Beversdorf,
Ed Chow, Terry Hubert, John Neuman; Special Advisers: Kathleen
Aylward-Barnes, Melvin Colston, Diane Nicholson, Suzanne
Weber; Staff Liaison: Sharon Hodge.
|
©2006-
2008, Vietnam Veterans of America. All Rights Reserved. 8605 Cameron
Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910