Iowa District 4 Representative Randy Feenstra recently put his support behind a bill in Congress to combat a rising trend of homelessness among former servicemen and women. The Housing Our Military Veterans Effectively (HOME) Act passed through the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming support, 408 to 10. If approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden, the bill would increase the per diem rate the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays nonprofit groups that support homeless veterans. Priority would be given to rural communities and other areas with higher-than-average rates of veteran suicide. Additionally, the bill ensures the VA is maximizing its available resources to help feed, clothe, and house veterans by establishing a stipend that can be used to purchase those items, personal hygiene materials, and more. Feenstra says, “No veteran should be homeless in the United States of America. The incredible men and women who answered the call to protect our nation at home and abroad deserve our deepest appreciation and the benefits that they were promised and have earned. I’m proud to support the HOME Act to ensure that we uphold our commitment to our service members and that every veteran has a place to call home. I will always do my part to support and honor our brave veterans.” A link to the bill’s full text is included with this story on our website.
