USICH Testifies Before Congress: “It Is Possible to End Veteran Homelessness”

Anthony Love, interim executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), testified before Congress on June 16 in a virtual hearing entitled “Veteran Homelessness in the Wake of COVID-19.”

Love appeared before the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity alongside representatives from two of USICH's federal member agencies: the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Here are some highlights from Love's oral testimony. It appears in full below.

“USICH believes that housing should be a right and not a privilege and that all people should have access to safe and affordable housing.”
“The billions of dollars invested in addressing homelessness over the last year have made USICH more vital than ever. ... The American Rescue Plan presents a massive opportunity to not only help people survive this pandemic but to secure long-term housing if they currently lack it. Our job is to ensure that opportunity is not missed. ”
“USICH, HUD, and the VA have developed specific criteria and benchmarks to help states and local governments end veteran homelessness. As of today, 82 communities and 3 states have ended veteran homelessness. ”
” Since 2010, there's been a nearly 50% decrease in veterans experiencing homelessness. This is significant, but it's by no means a time to take our foot off the gas.”
“The 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report revealed a rise in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness. Although the rise was slight, less than 1%, it represents more than 37,000 veterans who put their lives on the line to serve our nation – and came home to eventually not have a place to call home. This is unacceptable. ”
” Every statistic represents a person – someone’s son, daughter, father, mother, brother, sister – and their unique story. It's essential to learn about each individual’s struggles and dreams.”
“We know that with a collaborative, compassionate, and evidence-based approach, it is possible to end veteran homelessness.”
“Our veterans deserve our best, and we're grateful to be one part of an effort that helps them achieve the American dream: a place to call home.”

Read the full oral testimony:

"Good morning, Chairman Levin, Ranking Member Moore, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. I’m Anthony Love, interim executive director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, otherwise known as USICH. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the topic of veteran homelessness. This is an issue I’ve dedicated my career to addressing. Before joining USICH, I served as the senior advisor and director of community engagement for the Department of Veterans Affairs VHA Homeless Programs Office.

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

First, let me explain the role of USICH. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency with the sole goal of ending homelessness. Our council consists of leaders from 19 other federal agencies, including Veterans Affairs (VA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

We all share a vision of what it means to end homelessness. That vision means creating a world where homelessness is a rare, brief, and one-time experience. USICH believes that housing should be a right and not a privilege and that all people should have access to safe and affordable housing.

We work directly with states, communities, and private partners across the country to implement evidence-based practices and to make the most efficient and effective use of all the resources at their disposal. The billions of dollars invested in addressing homelessness over the last year have made USICH more vital than ever.

Our regional coordinators are in constant communication with governors, mayors, continuum of care leaders, and other stakeholders who are eager to use the American Rescue Plan to spur long-lasting change in the lives of people experiencing homelessness. The American Rescue Plan presents a massive opportunity to help people not only survive this pandemic but secure long-term housing if they currently lack it. Our job is to ensure that opportunity is not missed.

Our Criteria and Benchmarks to End Veteran Homelessness

In our work over the last decade, we’ve achieved notable progress. USICH, HUD, and the VA have developed specific criteria and benchmarks to help states and local governments end veteran homelessness. As of today, 82 communities and 3 states have ended veteran homelessness. Since 2010, there’s been a nearly 50% decrease in veterans experiencing homelessness.

This is significant, but it’s by no means a time to take our foot off the gas.

The 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report revealed a rise in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness. Although the rise was slight, less than 1%, it represents 37,000 veterans who put their lives on the line to serve our nation – and came home to eventually not have a place to call home.

This is unacceptable. To achieve our goal of ending veteran homelessness, any increase in this number must be treated with concern and action.

Our Essential Strategies Driving Progress

USICH uses a multi-pronged strategy to ending veteran homelessness:

We build closer partnerships between federal agencies and state and local governments;
We define what it means to end homelessness;
We set ambitious goals and ask state and local leaders to publicly commit to them;
We adhere to the Housing First approach, which means removing obstacles to help people access housing as quickly as possible;
We prioritize people with the greatest needs and high-cost users of emergency care and public systems; and
We recognize that some people just need short-term rental assistance in order to re-stabilize their housing situation.

Our Role in Pandemic Relief

The pandemic has presented communities with added urgency. During this time, USICH has provided a wide range of technical assistance to federal, state, and local stakeholders.

We disseminated guidance through our website and emails. We hosted a series of webinars for state and local officials focused on real-time lessons learned. We worked with the IRS to ensure that people experiencing homelessness could access their Economic Impact Payments. We held virtual meetings to create a space to connect emergency shelter providers with federal agencies. We also plan to publish guidance on the American Rescue Plan’s provisions that impact people experiencing homelessness.

Conclusion

You’ll hear a lot of numbers today, but it’s important to never lose sight of the faces behind them. Every statistic represents a person – someone’s son, daughter, father, mother, brother, sister – and their unique story. It’s essential to learn about each individual’s struggles and dreams.

Veterans have given Americans the opportunity to dream. We owe it to them to provide them with the human right of housing. We know that with a collaborative, compassionate, and evidence-based approach, it is possible to end veteran homelessness.

We also know that by ending veteran homelessness, we can end all homelessness. The approach we’ve used to help veterans can help all Americans. Our veterans deserve our best, and we’re grateful to be one part of an effort that helps them achieve the American dream: a place to call home."

Photo: Screenshot of House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity hearing on “Veteran Homelessness in the Wake of COVID-19.”