Fitzpatrick’s bill reauthorizes grant funds supporting housing services for female veterans

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) on May 22 introduced a bipartisan bill focused on supporting stable housing for America’s female military veterans and their families.

“This legislation will help address the needs of our women veterans and their families while also helping us identify areas we can improve services focused on helping homeless veterans,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said last week.

Rep. Fitzpatrick introduced the Housing for Women Veterans Act, H.R. 2924, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA), which would reauthorize funding for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) grant program at $400 million for fiscal years 2020 through 2022.

If enacted, H.R. 2924 also would require that at least $20 million of the overall funding be awarded to organizations that support female veterans and their families, according to a summary of the bill provided by Rep. Fitzpatrick’s office.

“No veteran should be homeless and we must take every action possible to ensure we care for those who stepped up to serve our country,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “Taking care of our veterans should never be a partisan issue.”

H.R. 2924 also would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to analyze its homeless programs for women, determine the shortfalls, and submit a report to Congress within nine months of enactment of the proposed bill, according to the congressman’s summary.

The measure, which has garnered the support of both the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Veterans, has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Additionally, H.R. 2924 is included in the bipartisan Deborah Sampson Act, S. 514, introduced in February by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) to improve the benefits and services provided by the VA to women veterans. The bill has 33 cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Martha McSally (R-AZ).