Convening Coalitions

• Buy Now, Pay Later: Market Trends and Consumer Impacts, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
• Financial Readiness Data Dive: 2021 Military Family Support Programming Survey, Military Family Advisory Network

• Equipping military families for tax season
• #GetBanked campaign, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
• A program designed to improve troops’ financial health by offering tailored train-the-trainer content and software, on-demand learning, and short, engaging courses, Life Skills for Soldiers

MFAN collected feedback on a range of topics in 2022, including:

• Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation (QRMC)
• Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
• DoD’s Taking Care of Our People memorandum to inform congressional oversight hearings, Department of Defense personnel, and news media

• Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (Georgia) provided a glimpse into Congress’ efforts to address financial preparedness among military families.
• The Office of Financial Readiness within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, to share financial literacy and counseling program updates.
• The White House’s Executive Office of the President (EOP) offered advice on managing student loan debt for military service borrowers.

• Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP) seeks to simplify banking choices by helping eligible veterans select the right financial institution and services for themselves and their families.
• VetCents, powered by MFAN, helps veterans and their families find valuable financial information, best-in-class resources, advice from financial experts, and more.

• Food Security Among Rural Veterans, Research Service James A. Haley VA Hospital, (Tampa, FL), Department of Veterans Affairs
• Food Insecurity Data Dive, Military Family Advisory Network

• Over 20 organizations authored a letter of to the Biden-Harris Administration, which outlined comprehensive recommendations for the military and veteran community ahead of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.

• Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois) briefed the group on proposed legislation — Military Family Nutrition Access Act — which aims to exclude the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for purposes of eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

• Hunger Action Month, Feeding America
• Free workshop designed for military families who want to learn how to shop for more affordable, healthy foods, and maintain a climate of wellness in their homes that eliminates the need for expensive supplements and unsustainable dieting practices, InDependent

• An update on DoD’s efforts to address oversight challenges in privatized military housing, Government Accountability Office (GAO)
• Bridging the Gap: How Existing Systems of Care Can Collaborate to Address Homelessness Among Veterans, Bob Woodruff Foundation
• America’s Rental Housing 2022, Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
• 2022 Annual Housing Tenant Satisfaction Survey, U.S. Army

• Heard from military families affected by the water contamination crisis in Hawaii and stood up an online resource hub.

• Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) introduced the Ensuring Every Service Member Has A Home legislative package to enhance housing for military families, including bills on BAH restoration, revamping the BAH calculation, and suggesting a study to examine barriers to homeownership.
• Representative Raul Ruiz (CA-36) shared efforts to combat veteran homelessness, including expanding access to Veterans Affairs (VA) homeless outreach services for all veterans.
• Senator Thom Tillis (NC) gave updates around military housing, including a recent Fort Bragg roundtable, the Military Housing Readiness Council Act, and the work of the Senate Armed Services Committee.