On the recordJune 8, 2018
My amendment is an amendment to ensure that we will focus the VA on its obligation to provide our veterans the assistance needed to avoid homelessness. It will help to ensure the rate of homelessness among veterans in the United States does not increase, because I believe in reducing and eliminating homelessness among veterans. Those who risked their lives to protect our freedom should also be one of the Nation's highest priorities. I am grateful that this particular legislation, likewise, recognizes the importance of dealing with homelessness and working with the VA and its public housing assistance. That is where these individuals were able to find housing, through the grant for the permanent housing for homeless veterans. It is important to recognize that perhaps twice as many, 200,000, experience homelessness at some point during the course of the year. Today, in our country, there are approximately 107,000 veterans, male and female, who are homeless on any given night, even though communities are working very hard. I know in my hometown of Houston, we work hard to reduce the numbers of homeless veterans. Many of us work with homeless veterans, attend what we call stand down, where we provide them with the maximum support on the street. We want them to get off the street, but we want to bring the services to them. In 2012 alone, 35,905 veterans lived in public housing provided by the VASH program.…
