Washington, DC – Today, Houston area veterans joined Congressman Al Green (TX-09) at the new Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center Domiciliary Facility to urge President Bush to reconsider his threat to veto H.R. 3329, the Homes for Heroes Act, which passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday by a 412-9 vote.  The Homes for Heroes Act, introduced by Congressman Green in August 2007, will provide shelter for homeless veterans and their families and help prevent very low-income veteran families from falling into homelessness.  The bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) in April 2007.

“On Wednesday, the House took an important step in honoring our military men and women by passing this critical legislation that will help eliminate homelessness and provide affordable housing opportunities for our nation’s heroes,” Congressman Green said.  “As the House sponsor of the Homes for Heroes Act, I especially thank Senator Barack Obama for championing this bill in the Senate and commend my colleagues in the House for voting to provide those who have sacrificed for our country with the assistance they deserve and have so richly earned.”

On Wednesday, the White House issued a “Statement of Administration Policy” stating that the Davis-Bacon Act’s prevailing wage requirements included in the bill will make H.R. 3329 subject to a veto by the President.

“I urge the President to reconsider his threat to veto a bill that will ensure a brighter future for our veterans,” Congressman Green said.  “We did not kill the Farm Bill because it contained a Davis-Bacon provision, we did not kill the Energy Bill because it contained a Davis-Bacon provision and we should not kill this bill because it contains a Davis-Bacon provision.  The President should not draw a line in the dirt when it comes to our veterans and deny them the housing and supportive services they need.” 

On any given night in this country, 800,000 persons experience homelessness and, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), nearly 200,000 of these homeless Americans are adult veterans who live on the streets, in shelters or in community-based organizations.  Nearly 400,000 veterans may experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year.  Of these:

·        47 percent of homeless veterans are Vietnam veterans

·        Half have mental illness

·        Two-thirds suffer from alcohol or other substance abuse problems

·        56 percent of all homeless veterans are African-American or Latino

“Unfortunately, approximately 150,000 homeless heroes do not have access to the vital permanent housing and supportive services they need each year,” Congressman Green said.  “This is unacceptable.  We must act to provide for the men and women who have made it possible for us to live in the greatest and richest country in the world.  They were there for us and now we must be there for them.  This is the least a grateful nation can do.”

The Homes for Heroes Act will:

·        Establish a $200 million assistance program for supportive housing and services for low-income veterans;

·        Expand the highly successful Department of Housing and Urban Development - Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program, authorizing 20,000 vouchers annually and making the program permanent;

·        Authorize $1 million in HUD grants to assist housing and service providers with the execution of their housing projects for veterans assisted by HUD, fulfilling the planning and application process, and assisting veterans in obtaining permanent housing or homeless assistance;

·        Establish the position of Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs within HUD to coordinate services to homeless veterans and serve as a liaison to the Department of Veterans Affairs, state and local officials, and nonprofit service organizations; and

·        Require HUD to submit a comprehensive annual report to Congress on the housing needs of homeless veterans and the steps HUD has taken under the programs provided for in the bill.