Obama Budget Includes Help for Homeless Vets

While spending cuts and tax raises are the most debated budget items nationally, the proposed budget President Barack Obama released on Monday would increase spending for the Department of Veterans Affairs, including spending targeted to end homelessness among veterans.

Stars and Stripes reports that the VA would get $140.3 billion in fiscal 2013 according to the proposed budget, an increase of more than 10 percent over the $126.9 billion the department received last year.

According to the Stars and Stripes article, officials said the VA is focused on three priorities: expanding veterans’ access to its programs, eliminating the disability claims background, and ending homelessness among veterans. The number of homeless veterans dropped 12 percent from 2010 to 2011, but 67,495 veterans remain homeless according to the most recent count.

In Prince William County, veterans account for one of the largest sub-populations of homeless. About , according to the 2011 population count.

A group of four veterans' organizations applauded the president's proposed spending, but called for about $4 billion in additional spending for veterans issues.

The Independent Budget is a report issued by AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Released Tuesday, the report recommends $57.2 billion for health care, $611 million for medical and prosthetic research, $2.1 billion for benefits processing and $3.8 billion for major and minor construction.

"A nation that creates veterans has a sacred responsibility to care for them when they return home wounded, ill and injured," said Richard L. DeNoyer, national commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries. "We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress in the coming days and months to ensure America keeps that promise."