House Passes Hahn Legislation to Aid Homeless Veterans

Washington, DC—Today, the House of Representatives passed a measure introduced by Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-44) to extend federal aid to homeless veterans fleeing domestic violence.

”Veterans have put their lives on the line for our country and should never find themselves without a safe home to come back to. By making a small yet significant policy change, we are providing veterans fleeing domestic violence access to the resources they need to stay safe and avoid having to choose between staying with an abuser and becoming homeless,” said Congresswoman Hahn.

Homeless veterans seeking assistance have long relied on an outdated definition of “homeless veteran,” which excluded victims of domestic abuse fleeing their homes. Because of this, many of these victims have been unable to access the aid they need and could be forced to stay with their abuser, leaving themselves in harm’s way. The legislation will correct and expand the definition of homeless veterans to include those fleeing domestic violence and other life threatening situations, finally allowing them to qualify for assistance.

Congresswoman Hahn has been fighting for this legislation since she first introduced the bill in 2012.  In the last two years, Congresswoman Hahn has been able to help veterans in these circumstances through one year fixes.  Her legislation, passed today as part of a larger bill, HR 2256 the Veterans Information Modernization Act, provides a permanent solution.

“I have been fighting for this important legislation for a long time, and its passage is a real victory for these veterans, many of whom are women. I appreciate the bipartisan support that I have gotten from many of my colleagues, most importantly Michigan Congressman Dan Benishek, who sponsored the legislation and fought for these victims as the Chair of his subcommittee.”

Women veterans are more likely than non-veterans to experience domestic violence. In fact, more than 30 percent of women veterans accessing care at the VA have reported being victims of domestic violence.  Women veterans also make up a growing percentage of homeless veterans. 

Congresswoman Hahn represents Los Angeles which has the largest population of homeless veterans. This spring, she participated in the ribbon cutting for the Blue Butterfly Village Housing Program in her district, which provides housing to homeless women veterans and their families and will serve as a national model of providing services for veteran families at-risk of homelessness.

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