Dec. 11, 2018
In a continuing effort to help end veteran homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced a second round of funding to help provide permanent homes to veterans and their families experiencing homelessness in six states and the District of Columbia.
The funding provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program gives an additional 424 vouchers to local public housing agencies across the country. In October, HUD awarded another $35 million to help more than 4,000 homeless veterans find permanent homes.
Recently, HUD, VA and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) announced the number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the United States has been cut nearly in half since 2010. The data revealed a 5.4 percent decrease in veteran homelessness between January 2017 and January 2018.
“As a nation, it’s our duty to serve the men and women in uniform who sacrificed so much for our country,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “The additional HUD-VASH vouchers awarded today will continue to support the important work of communities across the country that ensures our veterans have a safe and stable place to call home.”
“VA, HUD, and our federal, state and local partners are proud of the significant decline in veteran homelessness achieved in recent years; however, important work remains,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “The housing choice vouchers and wraparound supportive service announced today will improve the lives of many veterans who are currently homeless by helping them find a place to call home and reintegrate back into their families and communities.”
The HUD-VASH program combines rental assistance vouchers from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by VA. Since 2008, more than 93,000 vouchers have been awarded and approximately 150,000 homeless veterans have been served through the HUD-VASH program. More than 600 public housing authorities (PHAs) administer the HUD-VASH program, and this most recent award includes 25 additional PHAs, increasing HUD-VASH coverage to more communities.
In the HUD-VASH program, VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) assess veterans experiencing homelessness before referring them to local housing agencies for these vouchers. Decisions are based on a variety of factors, most importantly the duration of homelessness and the need for long-term, intensive support in obtaining and maintaining permanent housing. The HUD-VASH program includes both the rental assistance the voucher provides and the comprehensive case management that VAMC staff offers.
Veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program rent privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent. VA offers eligible homeless veterans clinical and supportive services through its medical centers across the U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Read more about the HUD-VASH program.
In October, HUD and VA awarded $35 million to help more than 4,000 homeless veterans find homes. The funding ensured communities could provide the critically needed housing assistance and case management services to veterans and their families experiencing homelessness. The agencies also announced an additional $7.4 million through the Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot (VHRMP) Program to assist disabled veterans with modifying or rehabilitating their homes, making them more accessible.
To view a list of where these additional vouchers have been distributed, click here.