Senate Passes Legislation to Provide Housing for Homeless Veterans

November 18, 2009
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Category: News || Homeless & Crisis Assistance | 5 Comments


Washington, DC – November 17, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Today the Senate passed legislation that will increase funding for housing and supportive services for veterans. Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley voted in favor of the measure which was passed as part of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act.

“After serving our nation selflessly and putting their lives on the line for the safety of our citizens, it is completely unacceptable that veterans are sleeping on the streets and not receiving the care and services they deserve,” said Merkley “This funding is an important step forward in helping veterans get off the streets and back on their feet.”
The legislation will provide $50 million in additional funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs to renovate unused and under-utilized VA buildings and pursue public/private partnerships to help provide homeless veterans with housing, health and supportive services.

The amendment, introduced by Senator Tim Johnson (D-ND), was adopted as part of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. The bill must now go to conference committee and be adopted by the full Senate and House before being sent to the President.

Last week, Senator Merkley co-sponsored two bills to help provide housing assistance for veterans. The Homes for Heroes Act and the Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act would provide additional assistance to reduce homelessness among veterans and make it easier for community and nonprofit organizations to better assist homeless veterans currently out of work. In addition, Senator Merkley sponsored S.1366 to allow taxpayers to designate a portion of their income tax payment for the Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund.



 


 

Comments
Comment by Javin Porcha on November 18, 2009 @ 8:13 pm

i am about to be a homeless vet an will be in need of temp. housing can u help me

Comment by August on November 19, 2009 @ 4:14 pm

IT’S NOT HOUSING! IT’S JAMMED-Packed PRISON-LIKE SHELTERS where the homeless veterans are THREATENED HOURLY if one rule is broken they are back to the streets.

The homeless veterans need REAL HOUSING with keys to lock the door, REAL TRAINING for a trade/career, and a REAL JOB with that training that lets them pay rent! They do not need any of that insane 12-step religious cult nonsense or mandatory Evangelical Christianity Insanity!

Comment by Cindy on November 21, 2009 @ 11:15 am

August, you are 100% correct. It is not housing and there is no privacy allowed. The homeless veterans are watched 24/7, even more so than prisoners.

Comment by USNVET on June 9, 2010 @ 1:24 pm

Your not serious that these shelters are this bad to veterans. i will need temp shelter for at least 3 months. an now i hear that the facilities are prison-like.

Comment by August on June 9, 2010 @ 3:02 pm

USNVET, don’t think you can just go in and get housing; you have to be diagnosed seriously mentally ill, addicted, alcoholic, convert to the 12-step Religious Cult, attend never-ending group therapy non-sense, take handfuls of Psycho-Wacko meds, attend Goodwill’s “Sorting Clothes” or VA mopping floor/cleaning hospital toilets programs as “Job Training” and then get a dead-end min-wage job in the community; if you can’t get a REAL JOB then you have to wait, maybe years, in a horrifying 12-Step Religious Cult shelter with bunk beds & shared showers with released sex offenders and chores all day long until you qualify for Social Security/SSI/Va income supports.

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