Veterans at risk of homelessness have expanded access Friday to rental assistance and affordable housing programs thanks to changes by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Rep. Mike Levin, D-Dana Point, announced the changes this week, which end HUD's practice of counting veterans' disability benefits as income for the purposes of rental assistance.
"These policy changes will make a tremendous impact in getting homeless veterans off the streets and into affordable housing units for a stable future," Levin said. "We know that having a stable home produces better life outcomes and our veterans deserve nothing less.
"Now, veterans will not have their disability benefits held against them when applying for rental assistance. I thank HUD for acting and heeding my call to do more to help homeless veterans. Our nation's heroes should never go hungry, unemployed or without a place to call home."
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California is home to around one-third of all homeless veterans in the United States. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs' point-in-time count from January 2023, there were nearly 11,000 homeless veterans in California. As of the January 2024 point-in-time count, there were 865 homeless veterans in San Diego County.
Before HUD's changes, service-connected disability benefits were counted as income when determining eligibility for housing assistance -- causing some veterans to exceed the income eligibility threshold for housing programs.
"Our PATH teams frequently encounter veterans who must be turned away because they have too much income from their service-connected disability benefits to qualify for lifesaving programs -- leaving some to choose between needed benefits and housing opportunities," said Jonathan Castillo, chief regional officer of nonprofit PATH, or People Assisting the Homeless. "Thankfully, this policy shift will allow more veterans not only in San Diego County, but across the country, to get connected to housing and supportive services."
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According to Levin's office, going forward, veterans will not be denied admission to supportive housing subsidized by HUD due to their service- connected disability benefits.
"I was called to serve my country after September 11th and when I came home from Iraq, I was not the same," said Isaac Estevez, U.S. Army veteran. "My PTSD caused me to fall into homelessness, substance abuse and I committed crimes just to survive. Then I connected with the VA and PATH, and thanks to HUD-VASH, I was provided the support I needed to achieve sobriety and get connected to housing.
"The HUD changes announced today will help more Veterans like me find the support and stability they deserve," he said.
In Dec. 2022, Levin sent a letter to HUD and the Office of Management and Budget requesting implementing the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 include language excluding veteran disability compensation from income calculations for the purposes of HUD programs.
While it was not including in the final rule published in Feb. 2023, Levin continued to advocate for the change. In May 2024, Levin and Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, introduced the Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act, a bipartisan bill to exclude disability compensation and pension benefits received by a veteran from HUD's definition of income for the purposes of housing assistance.
