2:02 PM 11 Jun 1999
VA has a demonstration project that would allow them to sell 30
properties, keep 90 percent of the proceeds, and give the remaining 10
percent to the homeless. Currently, the homeless receive property, not
cash, through the McKinney Act process. Both the House and Senate
Veterans committees have included their own versions of this VA
proposal. While the homeless groups prefer to receive property not cash,
there are a few reasons why we should let this demonstration go forward.
First, the Veterans Committees on the Hill are very favorable on this
proposal. (In fact, both the House and the Senate have already introduced
their own versions of this and we would like to replace the Hill version
with the Administration version). Second, VA, unlike most other agencies,
does give property to the homeless through other programs. In fact, VA
has conveyed more properties to homeless groups than the entire government
in the past 12 years.
HUD, while initially objecting to this proposal, has agreed to it on the
condition that a more broad-based GSA proposal to reform the Property Act
include the homeless groups "right of first refusal" to receive actual
property. I am working to make sure that happens.
However, Reps. LaFalce, Vento, and Frank (all of the House Banking
Committee) have written a letter, expressing their support for the
homeless groups to maintain a "right of first refusal" to receive surplus
government property. Legislative Affairs is checking whether these
congresspeople would be OK to let us send up the VA demo because we will
preserve the right of homeless groups to receive property in the broader
proposal.
7:03 PM 15 Jun 1999
Following up on letting the Administration comment on the VA Property
Disposal demonstration project where the homeless groups will get cash,
not property, we have heard back from the Hill. Vento is strongly
opposed; Frank and Waxman are ambivalent; and LaFalce's staffer on this
issue has left so we weren't able to get an opinion from him. The
homeless groups are opposed to this demonstration project, including the
homeless veterans group (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans). Both
the House and the Senate have submitted their own versions of this
proposal, and the Senate Mark-up of the VA Property bill is Tuesday, June
22. Both OMB and VA would like to comment on the proposal in the bill (at
least to correct some administrative details). In light of this
opposition, do you think we should comment to at least make the proposal
better in the details or remain silent? Let me know, Mary
---------------------- Forwarded by Mary L. Smith/OPD/EOP on 06/15/99
06:47 PM ---------------------------
Mary L. Smith
06/11/99 02:02:29 PM
Record Type: Record
To: Bruce N. Reed/OPD/EOP@EOP, Elena Kagan/OPD/EOP@EOP, Thomas L.
Freedman/OPD/EOP@EOP, Paul J. Weinstein Jr./OPD/EOP@EOP
cc: Courtney o. Gregoire/OPD/EOP@EOP
Subject: VA Property Disposal
VA has a demonstration project that would allow them to sell 30
properties, keep 90 percent of the proceeds, and give the remaining 10
percent to the homeless. Currently, the homeless receive property, not
cash, through the McKinney Act process. Both the House and Senate
Veterans committees have included their own versions of this VA
proposal. While the homeless groups prefer to receive property not cash,
there are a few reasons why we should let this demonstration go forward.
First, the Veterans Committees on the Hill are very favorable on this
proposal. (In fact, both the House and the Senate have already introduced
their own versions of this and we would like to replace the Hill version
.
with the Administration version). Second, VA, unlike most other agencies,
does give property to the homeless through other programs. In fact, VA
has conveyed more properties to homeless groups than the entire government
in the past 12 years.
HUD, while initially objecting to this proposal, has agreed to it on the
condition that a more broad-based GSA proposal to reform the Property Act
include the homeless groups "right of first refusal" to receive actual
property. I am working to make sure that happens.
However, Reps. LaFalce, Vento, and Frank (all of the House Banking
Committee) have written a letter, expressing their support for the
homeless groups to maintain a "right of first refusal" to receive surplus
government property. Legislative Affairs is checking whether these
congresspeople would be OK to let us send up the VA demo because we will
preserve the right of homeless groups to receive property in the broader
proposal.
