MADISON – On Thursday, Governor Tony Evers signed Assembly Bills 596 and 597 into law. These new laws create a state matching grant program to aid homeless veterans and redirect $1.9 million to support this new program.
Under federal law, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awards per diem payments to qualifying organizations that provide services to homeless veterans of up to $82.73 per day for each veteran housed. This new state matching grant program provides up to an additional $25 per day, per veteran housed, to any non-state entity that is also receiving federal per diem payments for serving homeless veterans.
“Today is a great day for Wisconsin veterans,” said Rep. Hurd. “This new grant program, when paired with the existing federal per diem payments, will hopefully encourage organizations around Wisconsin to step up and provide care for our state’s homeless veterans.”
Unfortunately, last year the Evers-Rodriguez administration chose to close the Veterans Housing and Recovery Program (VHRP) facilities in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay despite having the funding to keep them open. This decision, propelled legislative Republicans to reimagine how Wisconsin serves our state’s homeless veterans.
“When Governor Evers’ administration chose to close the VHRP facilities in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay last year, I collaborated with my colleagues to come up with a new way forward, “said Rep. Hurd. “The result of that collaboration is the legislation that was signed into law by the governor. While the actions of his administration created the situation, I am grateful that Governor Evers did the right thing and signed these important proposals into law.”
