The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced it is awarding $46 million in rental assistance and housing vouchers to help veterans at risk of experiencing homelessness. The supportive housing assistance is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program, which combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by the VA. See the local impact.
A component of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, the HUD-VASH vouchers being awarded enable homeless veterans to obtain affordable, decent housing in the private market. These vouchers are critical tools in helping communities effectively end homelessness among veterans.
“Ending veteran homelessness has been a top priority for the Trump Administration since day one,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson in a statement. “We have an obligation to ensure that our nation’s veterans, who have given so much for our country are not left out on the streets. They fought for us, now it’s time for us to fight for them.”
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 longer term, more 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.
Source: HUD
