[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 40 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E538-E539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE DISABLED VETERANS' SPECIAL HOUSING IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 1998--H.R. 
                                  3619

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LANE EVANS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 1998

  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing the Disabled 
Veterans' Special Housing Improvements Act of 1998. This legislation 
will provide our most severely disabled veterans with a much needed 
increase in the amount of the one-time grant they may receive in order 
to obtain or adapt special housing to meet their unique needs. Only a 
small number of service-connected veterans are so disabled that they 
qualify to receive a grant to obtain suitable housing. Most are 
required to use a wheelchair for mobility. During the past ten years, 
the purchasing power of this grant has been allowed to erode by almost 
one-third.
  The Disabled Veterans' Special Housing Improvements Act of 1998 was 
prompted by a call to my office from a severely disabled veteran. This 
veteran reported that while he had been approved for a one-time grant 
from the Department of Veterans Affairs to modify his home to meet the 
requirements of his service-connected disabilities, the cost of the 
needed adaptations far exceeded the amount of the grant. There was a 
simple reason for this fact. The grant amount for veterans which had 
been regularly increased between 1969 and 1988 has been frozen since 
1988.
  The grant available under this program amount is limited to 50% of 
the actual cost of the modifications or purchase. Nonetheless, almost 
95% of the veterans who qualify for this benefit receive the maximum 
grant. The legislation I am introducing today makes up for years of 
neglect. It will restore the purchasing power of the grant to reflect 
the current cost of housing. In order to avoid repeating the neglect of 
the past ten years, the legislation will also index the grant to the 
cost of new construction in future years.
  In addition, this legislation has been recommended by the Independent 
Budget and the many veterans service organizations who participate in 
preparing that document. Our most severely disabled veterans have 
earned the right to live in a safe, secure home, specially adapted to 
meet their needs. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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