GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- Two separate bills being proposed by state Democratic and Republican lawmakers are trying to save housing for Wisconsin veterans.
The Veterans Housing and Recovery Program has three total locations in Union Grove, Green Bay and Chippewa Falls, all of which provide housing and other amenities and programs for veterans. However, the latter two facilities are slated to close Sept. 30 as funds for the two branches runs out.
"These are people who have done more than most of us for our country, and I think we should help them when they need it," State Sen. Jamie Wall, D-Green Bay, said.
The facilities provide safe housing, substance abuse counseling and job training for veterans. It's a program that moves them on a path towards success and out of homelessness.
Now, a pair of bipartisan bills are being introduced by state lawmakers to try and save the facilities.
"Homeless veterans are a pretty deserving group, and people of both parties ought to be able to come together on this one," Wall said.
Democratic State Senators Jeff Smith and Wall co-authored the bill, saying theirs is simple and clean. It asks for $1.9 million to continue to fund the Veterans Housing and Recovery Program, ultimately keeping the Green Bay and Chippewa Falls locations open.
This discussion comes after the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee did not approve Gov. Tony Evers' request for $1.9 million in funding in the new state budget.
A similar bill is also being proposed by Republican State Senator Andre Jacque, R-New Franken.
"I just think that anything that we can do to build capacity, you know, we want to connect people with resources. We want to keep people in the communities that they've been a part of," Jacque said.
Jacque's bill asks for the same amount of money, but says it's more of an all-encompassing veterans package. It contains eligibility for property tax credit for surviving spouses and disabled vets, and expands the UW's Missing In Action recovery project.
"Hopefully it's something that we'll be able to address legislatively outside the budget later this session," Jacque said.
Wall and Smith like Jacque's proposal, but worry it may be harder to get passed. The deadline is sneaking up fast, so the program is already in the process of finding new homes for about two-thirds of its veterans.
"We really do have to confine ourselves to the math in front of us, and what we have right now is a limitation with funding that means that we really do need to move forward," Division Administrator of the Division of Veterans Benefits for Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Jeremy Lyon said.
Lyon said if a bill is passed, they'll work with the legislature on how to move forward.
Currently, veterans are slated to fully move out of the facilities by Sept. 12. The Green Bay facility has a capacity of 17 and Chippewa Falls has 48 beds.