§2022A Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans at Risk for Homelessness

Summary

The Secretary must use available money to give grants to public or nonprofit groups that offer legal help to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of becoming homeless. The Secretary will set and publish rules for the grants, consider special needs in rural areas, trust lands, and U.S. territories, and talk with experienced groups like veterans service organizations and the Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Veterans Legal Corps. To get a grant, an applicant must show it can run the program, has enough funding, agrees to the rules, and meets the Secretary’s capacity tests. Grant money must pay for legal help with housing (eviction, landlord-tenant, foreclosure), family law (child support, divorce, estate planning, family reconciliation), getting public benefits, criminal matters tied to homelessness (warrants, fines, driver’s license loss) to lower repeat offenses and help reentry, requests to upgrade military discharges under 10 U.S.C. 1553, and other services the Secretary allows. At least 10% of funds each year must serve women veterans. Grants should be spread fairly across regions, including rural, trust lands, and tribal areas. Every two years the Secretary must report to the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees on who was helped, what services were provided, the legal issues handled, and how effective and cost-effective the work was.