HUD and VA Make $78 Million Available to Help Homeless Veterans Find Permanent Housing

June 3, 2024 / Source: HUD

WASHINGTON – Today, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is making $78 million available in HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) across the country, for over 7,000 vouchers. Through this program, HUD and VA’s mission is to end homelessness by assisting veterans and their families in obtaining permanent and sustainable housing with access to high-quality health care and supportive services, and to ensure that homelessness is otherwise prevented.

“We want to put an end to Veteran’s homelessness and the HUD-VASH program is one of our most valuable resources to help us reach that goal,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “HUD is committed to working with housing agencies and Veteran Affairs Medical Centers across the country to get veterans off the street and into apartments they can afford. We owe them that.”

“One Veteran experiencing homelessness will always be one too many — and we will do everything in our power to ensure that Veterans get the safe, stable housing they deserve,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “These vouchers are a critical part of that effort, empowering VA, HUD, and our partners to provide more housing and wraparound services to more homeless and at-risk Veterans. Together, we will not rest until Veteran homelessness is a thing of the past.”

The HUD-VASH program for veterans experiencing homelessness combines HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA provides these services for participating Veterans at VA medical centers, community-based outreach clinics (CBOCs), through VA contractors, or through other VA designated entities.

Thanks to the joint efforts of HUD, VA, and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness has fallen by 5% since early 2020, and by 52% since 2010. Additionally, VA and HUD partnered to permanently house more than 46,000 homeless Veterans in 2023, surpassing the calendar year goal by 22.5%.

Currently, there are over 113,000 HUD-VASH vouchers being administered by over 750 PHAs. Since 2008 HUD has issued new HUD-VASH vouchers every year. Additionally, over 85,000 of those total vouchers are actively under lease by HUD-VASH veterans, with many additional veterans having been issued vouchers and currently searching for housing to lease.

To learn more, click here.

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