Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act
The Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act aims to improve housing access for homeless or at-risk disabled veterans by changing how certain VA disability benefits are counted in income for housing eligibility. Specifically, it would exclude disability benefits paid under VA chapters 11 and 15 from income when determining eligibility for the HUD-supported housing program under section 8(o)(19), and also when households receive rental assistance under that program for other housing types. Additionally, for veterans renting a unit on Department (VA) property built after enactment, the Secretary would exclude those same VA disability benefits from income in determining eligibility. The bill also clarifies definitions and how these exclusions interact with the calculation of adjusted income.
Key Points
- 1Excludes disability benefits received under chapter 11 or chapter 15 of title 38 (VA benefits) from income when determining eligibility for the supported housing program under section 8(o)(19).
- 2Applies the same exclusion to households receiving rental assistance under the 8(o)(19) program as it relates to eligibility for other types of housing assistance, with the exclusion not applying to the income used in the definition of adjusted income.
- 3For veterans renting a unit on Department property (VA housing) constructed on or after enactment, requires the Secretary to exclude VA disability benefits under chapters 11 or 15 from income for eligibility.
- 4Statutory redesignation: the bill reorganizes the sequence of the sub-clauses in section 3(b)(4) to insert new provisions (iv) and (v) after clause (iii).
- 5Definitions: the bill defines “Secretary” as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and “Department property” as property described in section 901 of title 38, U.S.C., to ensure consistent application of the rule.