Every Veteran Housed Act
The Every Veteran Housed Act would broaden who can receive homelessness benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Specifically, it expands the legal definition of “veteran” for purposes of VA homelessness programs, to include individuals who left uniformed service under conditions other than dishonorable or due to a general court-martial, and it removes several traditional limits related to length of service, active vs. reserve status, and whether someone is currently serving. The bill also includes conforming amendments to count certain service as active and to reference a broader chapter in the active-duty eligibility framework, rather than specific listed sections. In short, more people with uniformed-service backgrounds would qualify for VA homelessness assistance.
Key Points
- 1Expands the definition of “veteran” for homelessness benefits to include someone discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable or due to a general court-martial, and removes several qualifiers about service length, active vs. reserve status, current service, and prior discharges from other periods.
- 2Uses the uniformed services definition from 10 U.S.C. §101, thereby including all services covered there (including branches like the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and NOAA Commissioned Corps).
- 3Repeals subsection (b) of Section 2002 in Title 38 (removing previous limitations tied to that subsection).
- 4Conforming amendments:
- 5- Section 106(b) would be amended to deem more service as “active service,” inserting "20" after "19" in the relevant provision.
- 6- Section 5303A(b)(3)(F) would be amended to replace references to specific sections (2011, 2012, 2013, 2044, 2061) with a reference to “chapter 20,” aligning active-duty service requirements with a broader chapter framework.