Swords to Plowshares

Army Times: House approves aid bill for homeless vets

A bill aimed at helping low-income veterans avoid homelessness passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday by a 214-9 vote.

The Homes for Heroes Act would create a $200 million assistance program for veterans making less than 50 percent of the median income for the area where they live, and also would authorize $20,000 in annual rental assistance vouchers for veterans.

About one-quarter of the estimated 800,000 homeless people in the U.S. are veterans, said Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, chief sponsor of the bill, HR 3329.

The legislation also would create a new post at the Department of Housing and Urban Development solely to oversee veterans’ programs. The new special assistant for veterans’ affairs would coordinate programs within the federal government and with state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations, Green said. Read on…