Wounded Warrior Project Calls for Reforms to Adapted Housing Grant Program
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) testified before the House Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity today as part of its ongoing advocacy efforts to improve the lives of warriors and their families. Speaking on behalf of WWP, Army veteran and Combat Stress Recovery Program director Ryan Kules called for improvements to the current structure of the Specially Adapted Housing Grant Program.
"We urge the subcommittee to eliminate the three-time use cap that restricts the full and intended potential of this program," Kules said. "Under current rules, veterans and servicemembers may only use Specially Adapted Housing Grants a total of three times. The total of these grants, regardless of how many times they are used, cannot exceed $81,080. As disabilities worsen, and families move, a veteran will likely need to use this program more than three times in their lifetime."
To resolve these challenges, WWP urged the subcommittee to consider removing the condition that the grant can only be utilized three times over a lifetime, and to allow previous beneficiaries to refresh their grant history every 10 years.
"In order to help the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) meet these veterans' needs, we suggest the full benefit be reinstated to those in the program every 10 years to accommodate moving and a progression of disability needs," Kules said. "This benefit is already reserved for those catastrophically injured, and Specially Adapted Housing Grants should be a lifelong program for lifelong injuries."
WWP has been a longtime advocate for numerous public policies that assist wounded warriors and their families. Two substantial bills championed by WWP have created more than $3 billion in financial assistance, training, and health care coverage. Some of our recent advocacy efforts have focused on improving care options for veterans, both within the VA and in the community. According to the most recent survey (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/survey) of the veterans WWP serves, almost 7 in 10 warriors use the VA as their primary health care provider.
To learn more about how WWP works with our nation's leaders to improve the lives of wounded veterans and their families, visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs/policy-government-affairs.
About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers – helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more: http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.
SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project
