|
BIA Southern California Pursues New Policy Platform To Address Veterans Housing Issues.
Entering their centennial year, BIASC has introduced a Veterans Housing Policy Framework featuring key reforms needed to expand housing opportunities for those that have served to protect our country. Specifically, BIASC support the following key legislation and reforms:
- Assembly Bill 1474 (Reyes)
AB 1474 requires that the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) consider and incorporate the housing needs of veterans into the statewide housing plan and requires that HCD consult with the State Department of Veterans Affairs when developing the plan. As noted by the author, over the past decade, veteran homelessness has decreased in the United States and in California. However, California continues to have the highest population of homeless veterans in the country. Approximately 31 percent of the nation’s homeless veterans are located in California. According to the 2022 point-in-time-count, 10,395 veterans in California were homeless.
- Assembly Bill 1386 (Gabriel)
Ensures available beds for homeless veterans do not go empty. This bill would allow the State Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program (VHHP) program to expand its housing resources to veterans who do not typically qualify for the existing program while first ensuring that lower-income veterans are prioritized. Through removing this administrative barrier, AB 1386 seeks to maximize the impact of existing services and programs by decreasing vacancy rates, helping to reduce the population of homeless Veterans.
| 
