Deal to extend Housing for Veterans with Brain Injuries

This past Monday, congressional negotiators decided to extend government funding that pays for assisted-living facilities for US veterans who have suffered brain injuries. This agreement is actually part of a larger, $17 billion bill that is aimed at fixing some of the recent VA controversies that have surfaced in recent months.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the VA had started evicting veterans from these housing facilities because the program was set to expire in October. The WSJ said it’s unclear whether the VA will stop discharging veterans from the homes given this new agreement. Many of these veterans served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and suffered severe brain injuries because of roadside bombs.

It’s also currently unclear exactly how far into the future the program will be extended. WSJ says maybe three more years. Congress originally created the program to last five years.

Traumatic brain injuries can cause serious problems, which can affect cognition, behavior, memory, emotional health and physical abilities. Oftentimes brain injury victims need a significant amount of assistance and rehabilitation following their injuries, and the VA-funded program has been provided just this type of care for brain-injured veterans.