Veterans

The 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (the Act) (Public Law 110-161) enacted December 26, 2007, provided $75 million dollars of funding for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) voucher program as authorized under section 8(o)(19) of the United Stated Housing Act of 1937. The HUD–VASH program combines HUD HCV rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Veterans Affairs at its medical centers and in the community.

The 2008 Appropriation required HUD to “make such funding available…to public housing agencies (PHAs) that partner with eligible VA Medical Centers (VAMC) or other entities as designated by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, based on geographical need for such assistance as identified by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, public housing agency administrative performance, and other factors as specified by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

Based on this language, the VA identified 132 VAMCs that will participate with the program. In doing so, the VA took into account the population of homeless veterans needing services in the area, the number of homeless veterans served by the homeless programs at each VAMC during FY 2006 and FY 2007, geographic distribution and VA case management resources. There will be at least one site in each of the 50 states and in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Generally, the HUD-VASH HCV program will be administered in accordance with regular HCV program requirements (24 CFR Section 982). However, the Act allows HUD to waive or specify alternative requirements for any provision of any statute or regulation that HUD administers in connection with this program in order to effectively deliver and administer HUD-VASH voucher assistance. The HUD-VASH Operating Requirements (including the waivers and alternative requirements from HCV program rules) were published in the Federal Register on May 6, 2008.

HUD awarded funding for approximately 10,000 HUD-VASH vouchers in May 2008.