PVA issues statement on House passage of Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Bill
Post Date: July 26, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Liz Deakin, lizd@pva.org
WASHINGTON (July 26, 2019) — Paralyzed Veterans of America Executive Director, Carl Blake, issued the following statement regarding the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Ryan Kules Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019 (H.R. 3504, as amended):
“PVA applauds this bill since it would prioritize grants for seriously ill veterans, including those with ALS. We fought hard for this inclusion because it is imperative that these veterans have accessible housing and the opportunity for an increased quality of life,” said Blake. “We are also pleased that this legislation includes increases in the overall amount of the Specially Adapted Housing grant to $98,492, and the number of times it can be used from three to six. PVA thanks Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) for introducing this important legislation, and Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) and Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) for being original co-sponsors. We now call on the U.S. Senate to take up this bill so it will be addressed in this Congress,” stated Blake.
H.R. 3504, as amended, makes other improvements such as providing a supplemental grant that will be available to future users of the Specially Adaptive Housing program who first apply to the program after October 1, 2020. The legislation also provides expanded access to the Specially Adaptive Housing program to veterans who are blind.
Improvements to the Specially Adaptive Housing program of the Department of Veterans Affairs is one of PVA’s 2019 policy priorities. For more information, visit www.pva.org/PVAadvocates.
