Torres Urges Increased Funding to End Veteran Homelessness, Boost Homelessness Prevention Efforts
WASHINGTON, DC – In letters to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of several subcommittees of the House Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) called for full funding of the programs under the umbrella of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness' Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, and for $65 million in funding for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Counseling Assistance program.
"Homelessness is one of the biggest challenges facing the Inland Empire. No one who protected our freedoms overseas should be forced to live under a bridge when they return home. As the mother of an Air Force veteran and a former State Senator, I know that tackling this issue requires comprehensive, cooperative approaches," said Torres. "Funding these programs will help ensure our veterans and families in need have access to the essential services they depend on and a path to improve their lives."
Through the Opening Doors programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs is able to assist homeless veterans transition to permanent housing, access appropriate health care, benefits, and rehabilitation and treatment services, among other resources. The Housing Counseling Assistance program supports high quality, independent non-profit housing counselors to work directly with consumers—especially those from low and moderate incomes and communities of color—to empower them to make informed financial decisions that lead to increased homeownership and reduced foreclosures.
Torres is a member of the Poverty, Income Inequality, and Opportunity Task Force and the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Budget Task Force. During her time in Congress, California has been the largest recipient of federal homelessness program assistance, as Southern California looks to address the estimated 60,000 homeless individuals in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties.