(Hartford, CT) – At 1 p.m. Friday, July 31 at Harkness House for homeless veterans in New Haven, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) will announce new legislation to combat veteran homelessness. The Veteran Housing Stability Act of 2015 would modernize and strengthen existing Department of Veterans Affairs’ housing programs for homeless and at-risk veterans—increasing access to safe, affordable and permanent housing options.

“This measure will address the egregious, abhorrent problem of veteran homelessness with several common-sense, effective steps to increase housing for homeless and at-risk veterans,” said Blumenthal. “This statistic is staggering – 49,000 veterans are homeless in America today, one in ten of all homeless men and women – a searing failure in the greatest, strongest nation in the world’s history.  It reflects a failure to keep faith that this legislation will help correct. We cannot allow another veteran to slip through the cracks. We must give communities the flexibility and tools they need to create housing systems that can maximize existing resources collaboratively in order to identify and sustain appropriate housing placements for vulnerable veterans.”

Connecticut is on track to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015.

WHO

• U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal

• Lisa Tepper Bates, Executive Director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness

• Letticia Brown-Gambino, Director of Programs and Services at Columbus House

• Homeless veterans

WHERE

Harkness House

138 Davenport Avenue

New Haven, CT

WHEN

1 p.m.

Friday, July 31

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