U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser has introduced legislation aimed at expanding access to housing assistance for veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
The Veterans Housing Opportunity Act, introduced as H.R. 10168, would establish a five-year pilot program within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to identify underused funding in the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program and redirect it to communities where demand is greater.
The HUD-VASH program combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and supportive services provided through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The program is intended to help veterans experiencing homelessness obtain and maintain stable housing.
According to Meuser’s office, the program assists tens of thousands of veterans each year, but current rules limit HUD’s ability to move unused vouchers from one area to another, even when other communities have a greater concentration of veterans in need of housing assistance.
The proposed pilot program would give HUD greater flexibility to reallocate underutilized assistance. Meuser’s office said the change would allow more veterans to receive help by making better use of existing federal resources.
“No veteran who has proudly served our country should be without a safe and stable home,” Meuser said. “The Veterans Housing Opportunity Act will help ensure that HUD has the flexibility and ability to direct housing assistance and supportive services to the communities across the country where veterans need it most.”
Meuser worked with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation while drafting the legislation. The national nonprofit provides housing assistance and other support to veterans, first responders, Gold Star families, and families of fallen first responders with young children.
In addition to working with HUD and the Department of Veterans Affairs through HUD-VASH, Tunnel to Towers operates its Veterans Villages program, which develops residential communities intended to house veterans and combat veteran homelessness.
Meuser also recently attended the Tunnel to Towers Steel Across America event at the White House, where steel recovered from the World Trade Center site following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was displayed.