Home for the Brave Act of 2025

This bill aims to exclude disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation received by veterans and their families from being considered as income when determining eligibility and benefits for housing assistance programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The legislation seeks to provide financial relief and increased housing stability for disabled veterans and their families by ensuring that these service-related disability benefits do not negatively impact their access to housing assistance.

The bill amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act to exclude disability compensation under Chapter 11 of Title 38, United States Code, and dependency and indemnity compensation under Chapter 13 of Title 38, United States Code, from being considered as income for HUD housing assistance programs. This exclusion applies to determining eligibility for housing assistance, calculating benefit amounts, and determining rent payments for assisted housing units. The legislation aims to ensure that veterans' disability benefits do not reduce their access to housing assistance or increase their rent burden in assisted housing programs.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development would be responsible for implementing the changes to income calculations across its housing assistance programs. This would likely require updates to program guidelines, application processes, and benefit calculation methodologies. The bill does not specify particular funding mechanisms, reporting requirements, or enforcement provisions, suggesting that implementation would occur within existing HUD administrative structures and processes.

The primary beneficiaries of this legislation would be veterans with service-related disabilities and their families who receive VA disability compensation or dependency and indemnity compensation while also participating in or applying for HUD housing assistance programs. By excluding these VA benefits from income calculations, affected families may become eligible for housing assistance they were previously ineligible for, receive higher levels of assistance, or pay lower rents in assisted housing units. This could lead to improved housing stability and financial security for disabled veterans and their families. The bill does not provide specific cost estimates or discuss administrative burden, but it is likely that HUD would incur some costs in updating its systems and processes to implement the new income exclusion rules.

The bill operates within the existing statutory framework of federal housing assistance programs and veterans' benefits. It amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act, which provides the legal basis for HUD's housing assistance programs. The legislation interacts with Title 38 of the United States Code, which governs veterans' benefits, by referencing specific chapters related to disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation. The bill does not appear to preempt state or local laws or address judicial review provisions. Implementation would likely require updates to HUD regulations and program guidelines to reflect the new income exclusion rules.

While the bill's intent to support disabled veterans and their families is clear, there are potential implementation challenges and unintended consequences to consider. HUD and local housing authorities may face administrative burdens in updating their systems and processes to accommodate the new income exclusion rules. There could be equity concerns if this income exclusion creates disparities between veterans receiving these specific benefits and other low-income individuals or families seeking housing assistance. Additionally, the exclusion of these benefits from income calculations could potentially impact the overall funding and resource allocation for HUD housing assistance programs if it results in a significant increase in eligible participants or benefit amounts. Opposition arguments might focus on the potential costs of implementation, the singling out of specific types of income for exclusion, or concerns about the impact on non-veteran applicants for housing assistance.