KOTA Territory NewsSen. Johnson tours homeless shelter

Sen. Johnson tours homeless shelter

Makenzi Henderson

Last week, US Sen. Tim Johnson helped pass a Veteran's Affairs funding bill.

It provides more than $3 billion for homeless veteran healthcare.  And, now Johnson is in Rapid City to look at one of the facilities where the money will go, and the faces it will help.

Johnson tours the Cornerstone Rescue Mission, and talks with homeless veterans.

The mission can serve up to 60 veterans nightly because of two grant provisions through the Department of Veteran Affairs.  Still, shelters in Rapid City have a very hard time finding funding, and housing homeless because there aren't other larger cities in the area that broaden the tax base.

But, in the bill the democrat authored, $500 million go to direct programs to assist homeless veterans.  And, another $50 million go to create housing on VA campuses.

But, he says just giving out more money isn't enough.

"We must back up Eric Shinseki who is the secretary of the VA.  And, his highest concern is the homeless vets," Johnson said.

The mission can house as many as 160 homeless men, and can feed up to 400 at holiday time.