REP LIEU APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF BILL ALLOWING DISABLED VETERANS TO ACCESS HOUSING PROGRAMS

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 8340, the Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act. This bill, which Congressman Lieu cosponsored, would amend in statute the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of annual income to ensure that disability benefits do not count against a veteran’s eligibility for housing. Previously, Congressman Lieu and Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) sent a letter to HUD calling for this change in policy to be made. 

“It was outrageous that disabled homeless veterans were penalized for receiving disability benefits and were unable to get housing. When HUD made the long overdue correction to their policy to no longer exclude veterans receiving disability benefits from HUD-VASH this summer, I joined housing and veterans advocates to support the change. Now, with this bill passage, we’re one step closer to codifying this change to ensure vulnerable veterans can access housing. I am grateful to Representative Brad Sherman and Ranking Member Mark Takano for their leadership on this issue.”

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