Bipartisan legislation would create tax form check-off for donations to homeless veterans fund to support efforts to take nearly 50,000 veterans off the streets
Washington – June 8, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Representatives Steve Israel (D-NY) and Tim Murphy (R-PA) introduced bipartisan legislation to help improve efforts to end homelessness among our nation’s veterans. H.R. 2591, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund Act of 2015, creates the Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund and offers taxpayers an opportunity to help keep veterans off the streets by making a voluntary contribution to the fund on their federal income tax return form.
Rep. Israel said, “It is simply unacceptable that nearly 50,000 of our nation’s veterans, who have sacrificed so much to defend our country, are forced to sleep on the streets at night. This bipartisan legislation will allow taxpayers to lend a helping hand to our veterans most in need by simply checking off a voluntary box on their tax forms. This bill is a common-sense step to help our American heroes.”
“Homelessness among our nation’s heroes continues to remain a paramount concern despite promises from the VA to end veteran homelessness this year,” said Rep. Tim Murphy. “The brave men and women who served this country should not be cast aside, ill-fed, ill-clothed and without the care and mental health treatment they need. This important legislation enables every American to do their part to give back to those who answered our nation’s call by checking the box and voluntarily contributing to a homeless veterans assistance fund.”
In a 2014 report, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 49,933 veterans are homeless on any given night in the United States, including more than 2,500 veterans in New York. Nationally, 11% of homeless adults are veterans, but in New York, which has the fourth largest number of homeless veterans in the country, only 5% of homeless adults are veterans. Since 2013, veteran homelessness has dropped by 10 percent.
The funds donated by taxpayers to the Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund would be available to the Department of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Departments of Labor and Housing and Urban Development, to provide services to homeless veterans, including developing and implementing new and innovative strategies to end veteran homelessness.
To ensure transparency and accountability in how taxpayer dollars are spent, the legislation would require the President’s annual budget submission to Congress include proposed uses of funds from the Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund and require Congress to be notified 60 days in advance of any expenditure of such funds.
