Congressman Al Green's Bill to Help Disabled and Low-Income Veterans Passes House as an Amendment

(Washington, DC)--On September 20,2012, the House of Representatives passed as an amendment, Congressman Al Green’s bill, H.R. 6381, the Housing Assistance for Veterans Act of 2012 (HAVEN .Act). The amendment provides 20 million dollars in home modification for low-income, disabled veterans.

“While I am not a veteran, I do care passionately about veterans having all the resources a grateful nation can provide them to maintain their productiveness and role in society,” Congressman Al Green said. “Legislation to support our brave veterans transcends partisanship as well as ideology in Congress and should remain one of the top priorities for a government that asks so much of them.”

According to the Census Bureau, there are 4.3 million veteran homeowners with disabilities. The bill establishes grant awards for installing wheelchair ramps, widening exterior and interior doors, as well as accommodating the functional limitations that result from having a disability. The grants will greatly assist veterans, as nonprofit housing organizations are able to leverage more than $3 for every $1 in federal funding received. The provision also requires participating nonprofits to detail their outreach plans and match a minimum of 50 percent of the grant award.

“I’m proud to have played a role in the bipartisan passage of legislation that will help our veterans,” Congressman Al Green said. “I am especially proud of H.R. 6381, the HAVEN Act, which I introduced and was incorporated into H.R. 6361. The incorporated language from the HAVEN Act offers valuable assistance in rehabilitating and modifying the homes of low-income, disabled veterans.”

H.R. 6361, the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act, sponsored by Congressman Joe Heck, also exempts from consideration as income by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) any expenses related to a veteran’s aid and attendance benefits. The aid and attendance benefit is an enhanced pension program provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to our nation’s wartime veterans, who are severely disabled and have little or no income. Currently, the aid and attendance benefit is counted as income when determining eligibility for housing assistance, thus diverting assistance away from our most vulnerable veterans.