'Housing Our Heroes' Bill Would Replace Blight With Housing For Vets

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL — A bipartisan proposal to help veterans groups turn abandoned housing into homes for veterans without them was reintroduced in Congress Thursday.

The Housing Our Heroes Act was introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield), Tom Rooney (R-Okeechobee, FL), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-Cold Spring, NY), and Elise Stefanik (R-Willsboro, NY).

The law would authorize a three-year pilot program to provide grants to veterans service organizations and other non-governmental organizations to buy and upgrade vacant properties in order to provide housing for homeless veterans.

The goal is to assist putting some of the country's estimated 40,000 homeless vets on the path to home ownership, while at the same time improving blighted neighborhoods by restoring abandoned properties.

“This bipartisan legislation will help us honor the commitment we have made to those who have bravely defended our nation,” said Stefanik. “The Housing Our Heroes Act will ensure our veterans have a roof over their head and a bed to sleep in at night. Taking care of our veterans strengthens our communities, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this important bill.”

“These guys fought so we can sleep soundly at night and they deserve the same,” said Maloney. “We’ve got vets who need a home, and we’ve got homes sitting vacant and attracting crime – this bill kills two birds with one stone – it’s really a no-brainer.”

“I am proud to introduce this legislation with my colleagues and provide veterans experiencing homelessness with a true path to homeownership,” said Rooney, an Army veteran. “We must continue working to ensure that no veteran—no matter where they live—is left out in the cold.”

“Our responsibility to those who served in our armed forces does not end when they hang up the uniform. No one who has put their life on the life for our country, and may still bear the physical and mental scars of that service, should be forced to live unsheltered on the streets,” said Schneider, the father of an active duty sailor and the bill's lead sponsor. “This bipartisan bill presents a win-win commonsense solution to help both our veterans find a safe place to call home, while also supporting the revitalization of our communities by renovating previously abandoned properties.”

Since 2009, the number of homeless veterans has declined by more than 46 percent, according to a 2016 report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

A similar bill, sponsored by former New York Congressman Steve Israel, died in committee in 2015.

Top photo via Patch file