No veterans should be homeless in America

Every night, across our country, tens of thousands of veterans – our nation’s most cherished and honorable citizens – sleep on the streets. It’s wrong and unacceptable. The men and women who answered the call to serve our country in uniform deserve better, including a safe, warm place to call home. As a strong supporter of our veterans, I remain committed to ensuring that our veterans receive the high-quality healthcare and benefits that they have earned because no veteran should be homeless in the United States of America.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that there are nearly 70,000 homeless veterans nationwide. In my book, one homeless veteran is one too many. We owe our veterans an immense debt of gratitude for their service and ensuring that they are housed and cared for is a top priority for me.

To help reduce homelessness among Iowa veterans, I recently voted for the Housing our Military Veterans Effectively (HOME) Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 408 to 10. This legislation – which takes real action to support homeless veterans – is three-fold. First, it would increase the per diem rate that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays nonprofit organizations that support homeless veterans from 115% to as high as 200% for rural communities and other areas with higher-than-average rates of veteran suicide. Second, the HOME Act would establish a stipend for homeless veterans to pay for food, clothes, personal hygiene items, transportation, and housing. Third, this legislation ensures that the VA is efficiently deploying its resources to help feed, clothe, and find permanent homes for veterans.

This three-pronged approach helps our veterans afford everyday necessities while delivering the financial assistance that they deserve to live with dignity and respect. By making this meaningful investment in our veterans, we can help those who served our country at home and abroad stand on their own two feet again and weather the crushing impact of inflation – all while working to end veteran homelessness.

Homeless veterans are also more likely to face behavioral-health challenges. I’ve been at the forefront of this issue and have supported legislation over the last several years to connect our veterans with the resources that they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives. Last year, I voted for the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022. This bill included an amendment that I sponsored, which requires the Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office – whose creation is authorized as part of this comprehensive package – to include the Veterans Crisis Line as an entity to provide rapid, post-crisis follow-up care to veterans who need it. More broadly, this comprehensive legislation reauthorizes and strengthens federal programs and grants to support mental and behavioral wellbeing, while also expanding access to opioid treatment and recovery services.

I also supported the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act – which was signed into law – to expand mental healthcare in our rural communities. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish three new centers of the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) program in rural areas that are in dire need of additional resources for veteran mental healthcare. It further encourages the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study and report to Congress on whether the VA has sufficient funds and tools to properly serve rural veterans and address their brain-health needs.

I firmly believe that mental health should be treated just like physical health, and I am glad to have worked to expand critical programs that support our children, our families, and our veterans. It’s my promise that I will continue to advocate for greater investments in our mental healthcare infrastructure – particularly in rural Iowa – so that every American who needs lifesaving support can get it as quickly as possible. 

As a grateful American, I’m proud to support the HOME Act, and other legislation that benefits our veterans, to uphold our commitment to our servicemembers, fund mental healthcare for those in need, and ensure that every veteran has a place to call home. I will always do my part to support and honor our brave veterans.

This op-ed was originally published in the Northwest Iowa Review on December 18, 2023.