Julia Brownley: “I thank the chairman for yielding this afternoon, and I thank the ranking member of the committee for his support of a…”

“I thank the chairman for yielding this afternoon, and I thank the ranking member of the committee for his support of a very, very important bill for our veterans, the Homeless Veteran Families Act. As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I believe that it is absolutely critical that veterans and their families receive the housing support they need simply to get back on their feet. Since 1994, the VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program has provided homeless veterans with community-based transitional housing and supportive services. This program funds community agencies that provide such services to homeless veterans. In fiscal year 2017 alone, the VA funded 600 community sites that provided housing to more than 23,000 veterans through the use of over 12,000 transitional housing beds nationwide. Unfortunately, many homeless veterans with children are unable to obtain transitional housing and the support assistance they need under the homeless grant program because housing providers only receive payments from the VA for the veteran but not for any minor dependents with their families. Because housing a family requires more resources and beds, many housing providers have been unable to house homeless families without additional financial support.…”