U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Alex Padilla, Dave McCormick, Ruben Gallego Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help House Disabled Veterans

‘I will always work to ensure our veterans and servicemembers are treated like the heroes that they are’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure disabled veterans experiencing homelessness maintain access to crucial housing support. 

The Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act (HUDVA) would permanently exclude disability payments received by veterans from annual income for housing assistance eligibility purposes under the Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program.

The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 400,000 veterans live across the state.

“Our nation’s veterans made tremendous sacrifices to serve our country and protect their fellow Americans, and they deserve our utmost support to help access housing opportunities,” said Senator Britt. “This commonsense bill would simply exclude disability benefits from HUD’s annual income calculation, so disabled veterans are not unfairly disqualified from accessing these vital services. I will always work to ensure our veterans and servicemembers are treated like the heroes that they are.”

The HUD-VASH program plays a pivotal role in addressing homelessness among veterans by providing rental assistance from HUD along with supportive services from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Unfortunately, some of our country’s most disabled veterans have historically been unable to access veterans’ housing programs, like HUD-VASH, because HUD included disability benefits as part of their total income in determining eligibility. 

“Veterans who have given so much for our country’s freedom deserve the right to a stable roof over their heads,” said Senator Padilla. “Outdated income definitions shouldn’t mean that some of our country’s most disabled veterans are unable to access the housing assistance they need to survive. This simple, bipartisan fix would permanently exclude disability benefits from the HUD-VASH income eligibility calculation to ensure our most vulnerable veterans have a safe place to sleep at night.”

Often, the more severe a disability, the greater disability benefits a veteran receives, and the less likely they could access veterans housing assistance due to being considered over-income. As a result, many homeless disabled veterans have been unjustly disqualified from accessing this vital support. 

“As an Army veteran, I’ve seen firsthand how difficult the return to civilian life can be for so many servicemembers. Making this small correction would be a huge step toward helping our nation’s heroes obtain the support they have earned and finally tackle the epidemic of veteran homelessness,” said Senator McCormick. “I’m proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on behalf of those who have sacrificed so much for America.”

Last year, HUD finally changed its policies to exclude VA disability benefits from income for purposes of eligibility for the HUD-VASH program. Now that homeless veterans with disabilities can finally access this assistance, HUDVA would codify this important policy change to ensure that access continues permanently.

“It is devastating when I see fellow veterans on the streets. Arizona is in the midst of a housing crisis, and it is too often our disabled veterans who are impacted most,” said Senator Gallego. “This bipartisan bill makes a simple, commonsense fix to get more disabled veterans into safe, affordable housing, and I’m proud to give it my support.”

The bill is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). Representatives Brad Sherman (D-Calif.-32) and Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas-15) are leading companion legislation in the House.

Full text of the bill is available here.

Earlier this year, Senator Britt emphasized her support when voting to confirm Doug Collins for Secretary of the VA, saying, “I am confident Secretary Collins will do everything in his power to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs to better care for the heroes who have protected America. As a veteran himself, the mission of the VA is personal. He will put our nation’s veterans first. I look forward to working with him to make meaningful changes to support veterans across Alabama and our nation.”

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