Political Quotes

“I rise today to offer legislation that would improve the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, Multifamily Transitional Housing Loan program. This program, established in 1998 and supported with a $48 million appropriation in 1999, was intended to encourage additional development of transitional housing units for homeless veterans. Despite the good intention, the program was viewed as too rigid by community providers who turned elsewhere for assistance. In fact, only one loan was ever guaranteed under the program until VA discontinued it 2 years ago. The legislation I am introducing today would modify the program to give it the flexibility that community providers say is needed. The bill is cost neutral, relying only on money that Congress already has appropriated. According to VA more than 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, including an estimated 1,589 in my home state of North Carolina. Many veterans are considered homeless or at risk due to their poverty, lack of support systems, and poor living conditions. Even though we have seen a decrease in the number of homeless veterans from previous years, there is still work to be done. Make no mistake; the goal is not only to end homelessness but provide sustainable solutions to prevent veterans from, again, falling through the cracks.”