Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act
Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act aims to change how VA disability benefits are treated when determining eligibility for HUD-supported housing. The bill would exclude disability benefits received by veterans from the income calculations used to qualify for the supported housing program under section 8(o)(19) and related housing assistance. However, this exclusion would not apply to the calculation of adjusted income. The act also adds a provision to exclude such VA disability benefits from income when evaluating eligibility for a future HUD housing program built on Department property (i.e., properties owned by the Department of Veterans Affairs or other “Department” properties) that is administered by HUD and not yet in existence at the time of enactment. In short, the bill is intended to make VA disability benefits non-countable for certain housing eligibility purposes, with some limitations, to help veterans who are unhoused or at risk of homelessness access housing.
Key Points
- 1Exclusion for 8(o)(19) and related housing aid: Disability benefits received under title 38, chapters 11 or 15 (VA disability benefits) would be excluded from gross income when determining eligibility for the supported housing program under section 8(o)(19) and for eligibility related to other housing assistance tied to that program.
- 2Exception for adjusted income: The exclusion cannot be applied to the definition of adjusted income. This means the VA disability benefits may still influence the calculation of adjusted income in some eligibility formulas.
- 3Statutory redesignation: The bill reorganizes the numbering in the existing statute by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) to (vi) and (vii) and adding new clauses (iv) and (v) to address the exclusions noted above.
- 4Prospective exclusion on Department property housing: For housing assistance programs administered by HUD that are not yet in existence at the time of enactment and involve housing on Department property, HUD must exclude VA disability benefits from income when determining eligibility for such housing.
- 5Department property definition: The term “Department property” is defined according to section 901 of title 38, U.S.C., aligning the provision with VA (or related Department) property for applicability.