Homeless veterans would receive access to employment and training services to help them secure jobs under legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) on Oct. 27.
The bipartisan Reaching Every Homeless Veteran Act of 2021, S. 3094, was sponsored by Sen. Moran, the ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), among others.
The bill, if enacted, would expand the Department of Labor (DOL) Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) to all states and U.S. territories. Currently, not all states have organizations receiving HVRP grants for fiscal year 2021, but the legislation would ensure that grants are awarded in all 50 states.
The employment services the program provides to homeless or veterans at risk of becoming homeless include occupational, classroom and on-the-job training, and job search and job placement assistance, according to a bill summary.
“Our nation’s veterans who are at risk or currently dealing with homelessness deserve access to employment training no matter which state they reside in,” Sen. Moran said.
If a state is without eligible applicants, the DOL would be mandated to coordinate an outreach and education program in coordination with the state director of Veterans’ Employment and Training to increase awareness of the HVRP program, Sen. Moran’s office added.
“As we continue our work to drive down the veteran unemployment rate, I introduced the Reaching Every Homeless Veteran Act to make certain veterans living in every state and territory have access to the specialized employment services supported by the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program,” the senator said.
The bill is supported by Kathryn Monet, CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, who said, “Employment services for homeless and recently homeless veterans are crucial to maintain an avenue out of housing insecurity.”