SENIOR ASSEMBLY PROPOSAL NO. 12

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER SERRIN

(COAUTHOR: SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER DUFF)

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AP 12: SENIOR VETERAN'S BENEFITS

UNDER EXISTING LAW, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFERS A PENSION BENEFIT TO VETERANS THROUGH ITS VETERANS PENSION PROGRAM, AND THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROVIDES RENTAL ASSISTANCE, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND CLINICAL SERVICES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS THROUGH ITS VETERANS AFFAIRS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD CREATE THE STATE CAL-VET PROGRAM TO (1) RAISE AWARENESS OF PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT CALIFORNIA’S SENIORS WHO ARE HOMELESS VETERANS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE VETERANS PENSION PROGRAM AND THE VETERANS AFFAIRS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING (VASH) VOUCHER PROGRAM, AND (2) PROVIDE RENTAL HOUSING BENEFITS TO CALIFORNIA’S SENIORS WHO ARE HOMELESS VETERANS, AS SPECIFIED.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

AP 12: RELATING TO VETERANS' BENEFITS

WHEREAS, IN LAUNCHING A NEW PROGRAM TO BENEFIT VETERANS, CALLED “OPERATION WELCOME HOME,” GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER IDENTIFIED HOUSING AS A PRIMARY ONGOING ISSUE FOR VETERANS WITHIN THE STATE; AND

WHEREAS, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 29,400 HOMELESS VETERANS IN CALIFORNIA IN 2007, MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN THE NATION; AND

WHEREAS, VETERANS MAKE UP A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF HOMELESS PEOPLE, APPROXIMATELY COMPRISING 26 PERCENT OF HOMELESS PEOPLE NATIONWIDE, BUT ONLY 11 PERCENT OF THE CIVILIAN POPULATION THAT IS 18 YEARS OR OLDER. THIS IS TRUE DESPITE THE FACT THAT VETERANS ARE BETTER EDUCATED, MORE LIKELY TO BE EMPLOYED, AND HAVE A LOWER POVERTY RATE THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION; AND

WHEREAS, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, THROUGH ITS VETERANS PENSION PROGRAM, OFFERS A PENSION BENEFIT TO ELIGIBLE VETERANS. IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM A VETERAN MUST (1) HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED FROM SERVICE UNDER OTHER THAN DISHONORABLE CONDITIONS, (2) HAVE SERVED 90 DAYS OR MORE OF ACTIVE DUTY WITH AT LEAST ONE DAY DURING A PERIOD OF WAR TIME, (3) HAVE A “COUNTABLE FAMILY INCOME” BELOW A YEARLY LIMIT SET BY LAW, AND (4) BE 65 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, OR BE PERMANENTLY OR TOTALLY DISABLED; AND

WHEREAS, MANY VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II, THE KOREA CONFLICT, AND THE VIETNAM ERA WHO WERE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT THE TIME OF ENTERING SERVICE ARE NOW SENIOR CITIZENS, POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE FOR, BUT UNAWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF, THE VETERANS PENSION PROGRAM; AND

WHEREAS, A RECENT STUDY BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FOUND THAT CITIES, STATES, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PAY MORE TO PROVIDE THE HOMELESS WITH SHORT-TERM SHELTER AND SERVICES THAN WHAT IT WOULD COST TO RENT ONE- OR TWO-BEDROOM APARTMENT HOUSING, AND FURTHER RENTAL SAVINGS AND “SHARED HOUSING SAVINGS” ARE AVAILABLE UNDER ASSEMBLY BILL 123 (CHAPTER 82 OF THE STATUTES OF 2009); AND

WHEREAS, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, THROUGH ITS VASH VOUCHER PROGRAM, PROVIDES RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS VETERANS ALONG WITH CASE MANAGEMENT AND CLINICAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SENIOR SENATE, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 2010 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR ENACT LEGISLATION THAT ESTABLISHES THE STATE CAL-VET PROGRAM, TO BE FUNDED THROUGH THE FEDERAL VASH PROGRAM, THE STATE OPERATION WELCOME HOME PROGRAM, AND OTHER AVAILABLE FUNDING SOURCES, TO (1) RAISE AWARENESS OF EXISTING PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT THE STATE’S SENIORS WHO ARE HOMELESS VETERANS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE VETERANS PENSION PROGRAM AND THE VASH PROGRAM, AND (2) PROVIDE RENTAL HOUSING BENEFITS TO THE STATE’S SENIORS WHO ARE HOMELESS VETERANS IN A MANNER THAT REDUCES THE TOTAL COST OF PROVIDING THESE BENEFITS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

RN 10 13522

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