HUD, VA Announce Support to Help Massachusetts Veterans

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced it is awarding $804,181 in rental assistance in Massachusetts to house 63 veterans at risk of experiencing homelessness. This funding is part of $46 million being awarded nationally.

The local agencies providing supportive housing include:

•Boston Housing Authority $263,028 – 20 vouchers

•New Bedford Housing Authority $43,473 – seven vouchers

•Quincy Housing Authority $249,796 – 16 vouchers

•Barnstable Housing Authority $51,900 – five vouchers

•Milton Housing Authority $139,733 – 10 vouchers

•Mass DHCD $56,251 – 5 vouchers

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.

A component of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, the HUD-VASH vouchers being awarded today 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.

“We’ve made significant progress reducing homelessness among veterans here in Massachusetts,” said David Tille, HUD New England Regional Administrator. “These vouchers will continue to help communities build on these gains, providing targeted assistance to those in need to ensure that every veteran has a home.”

“Ending veteran homelessness has been a top priority for the Trump Administration since day one,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “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