The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs Supported Housing Program (HUD-VASH) provides long-term case management, supportive services and permanent housing support.
HUD provides 20,000 “Housing Choice” Section 8 vouchers designated for HUD-VASH to participating Public Housing Authorities to assist with rent payment. The program goals include promoting maximum Veteran recovery and independence to sustain permanent housing in the community for the Veteran and the Veteran’s family.
Eligibility Criteria
Veterans who are appropriate for this program must be eligible for VA health care. They must meet the McKinney Act definition of homelessness:
- An individual who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence
- An individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is:
- A supervised publicly or privately-operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations, including welfare hotels, congregate shelters and transitional housing for the mentally ill
- An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized
- A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
Veterans who are candidates for this program must need case management services in order to get and keep independent community housing. Veterans who need case management services should have serious mental illness, substance use disorder history or physical disability. Veterans with the most vulnerability are excellent candidates for this program.
Eligible candidates for the program are expected to participate in case management and utilize the supportive services, treatment recommendations and assistance needed to successfully maintain recovery and sustain housing in the community.
VA determines clinical eligibility for the program. The PHA determines if the Veteran participant meets HUD’s regulations for this program. The PHA will determine eligibility based on income limits. Also, the PHA will determine if any member of the household is required to maintain Lifetime Sexual Offender Registry status—those who do are not eligible to participate in this program.
Applying
To apply for HUD-VASH, please contact your local VA Homeless Program. Veterans can contact the HUD-VASH program directly, or obtain a referral from a case manager in another VA program, from a community program or other referral sources.
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