Pappas Calls For Passage of the Affordable Housing for Homeless Veterans Act on the House Floor

Today the House passed Congressman Pappas's Affordable Housing for Homeless Veterans Act, following his speech on the House floor calling for the support of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Congressman Pappas, who serves as the Chair of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee for the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, introduced this bipartisan legislation with Ranking Member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Tracey Mann (KS-01) to tackle the issues of veterans' homelessness.

This legislation would reauthorize and amend a program to allow the Secretary of VA to sell, lease, rent, or donate a home which was acquired by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through a default on their VA-guaranteed home loan to a public housing authority, Grant and Per Diem Program provider, or a Supportive Services for Veterans Families service provider.

The public housing authority or providers could then use these homes to shelter veterans and their families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. By allowing VA to sell, lease, rent, or donate these empty homes to veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, they will increase the number of affordable housing options in higher cost areas and reduce homelessness.

You can watch his floor speech here, and read the remarks as prepared below:

Thank you M_ Speaker,

I rise today on behalf of the veterans of our military who, following their service, are now experiencing homlessness.

Although we have made significant strides in combating veteran homelessness, the fact remains that more than 37,000 veterans are still experiencing housing insecurity right now.

That is simply unacceptable.

That is why I am pleased that my legislation - the Affordable Housing and Homeless Veterans Act, which I introduced with Oversight and Investigations Ranking Member Mann, will be included as part of H.R. 2878 today.

This is a crucial step to continuing our efforts to allow VA to sell or lease homes that have been acquired through foreclosing to veterans in need of a home.

This much we know: a veterans who has sworn to give everything - up to and including their life- should not be without a roof over their head and a safe place to sleep when their service ends.

As President Kennedy said of those who have served: "as we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

It is incumbent upon all of us in this chamber to live by the words and commitments we make to our veterans. And we can do that by passing this legislation today.

Thank you and I yield back.

This legislation would build upon the historic investments made by the American Rescue Plan to address veteran homelessness and unemployment

###