Panel recommends $300,000-per-year grants to shelters serving homeless veterans

House Bill 2620 would appropriate $300,000 from the state general fund in fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to the Arizona Department of Veterans Services to distribute grants to emergency shelters that have at least 100 beds and do not require prescheduled intake appointments.

Nicole Pena, testifying on behalf of Central Arizona Shelter Services (CAST), told the committee the funding would be used to hire dedicated case managers for veterans, provide small, flexible financial assistance to remove barriers to housing, and shorten shelter stays so veterans can transition to permanent supportive housing.

"At any given time, there are roughly 1,000 homeless veterans in Arizona. Around 50 percent of those vets are in Maricopa County, and roughly 30 percent of them come into CAST in a year," Pena said, explaining the shelter’s need for stable, veteran-focused case management.

The bill text requires each grant recipient to inquire about additional federal services for veterans and report grant expenditures, metrics, and the discharge status of sheltered veterans; the appropriation and related requirements would be repealed on Jan. 1, 2032. Pena and other witnesses emphasized that dedicated, trauma-informed caseworkers are essential because shelter budgets often start each year at zero, making multi-year grant support important for staff retention.

Raymond Perez returned to the podium to describe his experience at CAST, saying the shelter provided immediate intake, case management, mental health services and a path toward stable housing. Committee members asked how the appropriation would be targeted to veterans rather than general shelter clients, and Pena described use of intake screening in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and assignment of flagged veterans to dedicated case managers.

A motion to give HB 2620 a due-pass recommendation passed by voice vote; the clerk announced 6 ayes, 0 nos, 1 not voting. The bill will proceed with the committee’s recommendation and includes annual reporting requirements and a statutory repeal date of Jan. 1, 2032.