Homeless veterans who were wounded, injured or became sick during their time in uniform will no longer have their disability benefits counted against them in the struggle to find affordable housing.
In the face of an ongoing class-action suit brought by veterans in Los Angeles, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, announced Thursday that the rule, which counted service-connected disability benefits as income in deciding whether veterans qualified for housing vouchers, is being scrapped.
In a press release, HUD said that the policy change will help more veterans receive assistance under the HUD-Department of Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) voucher program.
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Before the rule was changed, veterans receiving disability benefits, which can range up to more than $40,000 annually for 100% disability, could be denied HUD-VASH vouchers for exceeding the income threshold accepted by many low-income supportive housing developments.
Not even the Internal Revenue Service rates veteran disability benefits as income, but HUD had been counting the benefits against income thresholds for housing vouchers since the policy was first put in place in 2008.
In announcing the rule change Thursday, HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman said in a statement, “No veteran should ever have to experience homelessness, but when they do, they should not face…
