HUD, VA TO PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING AND SUPPORT TO THOUSANDS OF HOMELESS VETS

      http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel





Funding part of Obama Administration plan to end Veteran homelessness



WASHINGTON (July 14, 2011) - U.S. Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced today that HUD will provide $46.2
million to public housing agencies in all 50 states and the District of
Columbia to supply permanent housing and case management for 6,790
homeless veterans in America.



This funding, from HUD's Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_
housing/programs/hcv/vash , is a coordinated effort by HUD, VA, and
local housing agencies to provide permanent housing for homeless
Veterans.  Read a complete local breakdown of the rental vouchers
announced today
<http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=HUD-VASH2011Chart.p
df> .

"Over the past three years, HUD helped thousands of homeless Veterans
find a permanent place to call home while VA provided medical treatment,
case management and other services to address their specific needs,"
said HUD Secretary Donovan. "We have no greater mission than to prevent
and end homelessness, especially for those brave men and women who
risked their lives to protect our nation"

"This initiative will strengthen our ongoing efforts to eliminate
Veteran homelessness by 2015 and improve quality of life for Veterans,"
said VA Secretary Shinseki. "Working with our partners at HUD and in
Congress, we continue to make good progress to reduce Veteran
homelessness though much work remains. VA is committed to providing
Veterans and their families with access to affordable housing and
medical services that will help them get back on their feet."

"This is a great step forward in our effort to get veterans off the
streets and into permanent housing," said Senator Murray, Chairman of
the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. "Growing up during the Vietnam
War, I saw a generation of soldiers left behind because they weren't
given the support they needed during their transition home, and I have
worked to ensure that veterans today don't face a similar fate. These
vouchers will provide critical support to thousands of veterans whose
needs went unmet for too long, so that they will finally get the
services they need and a permanent place to call home. HUD-VASH vouchers
are a key reason why we are making real progress toward goals to finally
end veterans homelessness."

This funding to local housing agencies is part of the Obama
Administration's commitment to end Veteran and long-term chronic
homelessness by 2015.  Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent
and End Homelessness <http://www.usich.gov/PDF/FactSheetVeterans.pdf>
serves as a roadmap for how the federal government will work with state
and local agreements to confront the root causes of homelessness,
especially among former servicemen and women.

The grants announced today are part of $50 million appropriated for
Fiscal Year 2011 to support the housing needs of 6,900 homeless
Veterans.  VA Medical Centers (VAMC) provide supportive services and
case management to eligible homeless Veterans. This is the first of two
rounds of the 2011 HUD-VASH funding.  HUD expects to announce the
remaining funding by the end of this summer.



Homeless veterans are referred to the public housing agencies for these
vouchers, based upon a variety of factors, most importantly the need for
and willingness to participate in case management.



The HUD-VASH program includes both the rental assistance the voucher
provides and the comprehensive case management that VAMC staff provides.



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
and Puerto Rico.



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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities
and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the
housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the
need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform
for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable
communities free from discrimination; and  transform the way HUD does
business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on
the Internet at www.hud.gov <http://www.hud.gov>  and espanol.hud.gov
You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews

<http://twitter.com/#!/HUDNews>  or on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD
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