Communities across the country are helping to raise awareness of Veteran homelessness so that millions of Americans can live better lives. Our Veterans can face a variety of stresses when they return home from service, including finding themselves homeless or at risk of homelessness. VA is doing its part to give Veterans and their families the help and services they need to get back on their feet.
VA has partnered with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to move homeless Veterans and their families into permanent supportive housing with case management and health care services. Called HUD-VASH—for HUD-VA Supportive Housing—the program combines rental assistance from HUD with VA’s proven case management and clinical services. These services are available to eligible homeless Veterans at local medical centers and community-based outpatient clinics across the country.
It’s a two-part program: While HUD provides Housing Choice Vouchers through local public housing authorities, VA hires dedicated case managers who, through intensive support, help homeless Veterans secure and maintain long-term housing. In allowing very low-income families to choose safe, decent, and affordable privately owned rental housing, the program provides a long-term solution for Veterans in need.
Veterans are offered the case management services they need for recovery from homelessness, including referrals to VA primary care as well as mental health or substance use treatment services, income assistance, employment supports, disability benefits, credit repair, and skills for money management.
VA feels that those who served this nation as Veterans should never find themselves on the streets. This month, do your part to help promote better lives for the Veterans who have served our country. If you know a Veteran who is homeless or at risk of being homeless, provide him or her with the number to the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838). The hotline connects homeless Veterans and Veterans at risk of becoming homeless and their families with the VA services and benefits they have earned.
Lisa M. Pape, LISW, currently serves as the National Director Homeless Programs for the Veterans Health Administration.
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The Va assist who the feel like assisting.I am a vet i did 5years in the USMC and was denied treatment at the VA Hospital in the Bronx because i was given an OTH discharge.
I am a female disabled veteran with children involved in this program. I just recently secured my housing through VASH. Now I need income assistance, employment, employment support, money management skills, and credit repair so that I can MAINTAIN our semi permanent housing, & move forward to permanent housing – which is home ownership. A lot of the people involved in my case management process are too new, too young & too inexperienced to meet my all of my needs! Therefore, they are unable to help me at every level in which me & my family needs assistance. Pls contact me via email with relevant resources @ helpthevets@yahoo.com. Thx!
I was part of this program when it was first established. Because I was more self-reliant than most, my case worker rarely saw me. I had continual problems with my slumlord and couldnt get the VA nor the Housing Authority to help me. I had BLACK MOLD in my aparment and because of faulty HVAC systems it cost me $200+ to heat/cool 756 sp ft of living space. The only places that accept a HUD/VASH voucher are slumlords in bad areas. I’m glad I found a way to get off of that program!
I have been living out of my car since January 2012. I am a disabled vet. I cant use my CPAP machine everynight, and i am still waiting onthe VA to finish my case. I here all this talk about the VA helping, with the housing but i have not seen it happen yet. I came back from IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN in 2010, and the state Phasition told me that i have been deployed too long, and that i cannot go back to the middle east. they got me taking sleeping pills, zoloft,and on astma inhalers everyday and they still cant finish my case. i was 18 years old when i went in the army, now i am 40 and in the NG and they wonder where i get all these symptoms from. I still do not fault my ex for leaving me, because we were married 14 yrs, and i was home maybe 5 years if you total up the two week leave you get every six months on deployment.
Hello Brian,
I am so sorry to hear that you are homeless. There is a VA program for you.
My family will be homeless at the end of the month. we tried to buy a home, but the home we were trying to buy ha a septic system that has failed. The landlord that we were renting the home from will not fix the issue. They told us to move out and informed us that we were only renting not purchasing. They are not going to re new the lease. As of May 31 we will be homeless. We tried to purchase a home for rent to own, but due to us in a Chapter 13 at 100% pay back. We have no credit, no down payment and our last month’s rent we paid in advance is now being held by the landlord who obtained a lawyer. We were informed that the money will not be returned, and on top of that we will be charged for any damage. My husband and I have the money to make a substatial mortgage payment. We just cannot seem to get our foot in the door. I was told we need to inprove our credit scores and get credit. But you cannot get credit while in Chapter 13.
On top of all that my IU claim for Full Fecal Incontinence was denied yesterday. Even with a confirmed diagnosis from the Cleveland Clinic Specialist I was told that I was basically lying and even though my Quality of Life scores were proven to be the worse.
The VA appeal basically told me I was lying and that I could hold a job, and just needed to go to the bath room more often. I guess they missed the part of FULL FECAL INCONTINENCE and Uncontrollable bowel movements.
Will this program beable to help us?
I am a homeless spouse of a vetern with a 21year old full-time college student. Can you help us?
What about vets that are now losing everything including their homes as a direct result of service connected claim dated 2004 and negligence , documented failures to consider evidence ( VA Doctors and medical / mental health ) including a BVA remand and violations of Due Process of Law that was never addressed by Philadelphia Regional Offices since the judges remand and an order to expedite claim since 2009. I also have my mom who is the widow of a WWII veteran who suffered with major health issues ( Heart and cancer 3 times and hearing loss) and never received one cent from the VA and now she has major health issues as well and needs help. Too many vets are suffering due to this same thing and many have given up.
I was told your credit score has to be really good to qualify for any assitance at all. Is that true.? We are currently one payment behind in our mortgage and havent been able to get it caught up for going on 4mths. We are continueing to make our payments except for that one payment behind. I would have thought since we were one payment behind, we would have time to try and get it caught up soon as we can. But the mortgage company says even though its one payment behind every month it goes unpaid, it will continue to be a month late every single month we dont get it paid. example: mortage payment is 720.00 we missed 1 payment but until we make that 1 payment it will continue so show late for every single month, so now it shows 4mths behind, which is still 720.00 plus late fees. Is it possible to get a refinance, so this 1 payment wont be hanging over our head and can they foreclose on us due this 1payment. Can this program help us out.
is there any program to sell your house to the va for programs like this
I was skeptical about the homeless department and reaching out for help but I’m extremely grateful that I did…in just a cple weeks I’ve got my voucher and now Im getting my housing on Wednesday!! I’ve got an awesome caseworker who goes above and beyond with helping me and isn’t only there to get a roof for me but for all aspects of my life. I think this is an awesome benefit that the VA offers and has proven to me that the VA truly cares for each Vet and isn’t just some organization that treat only treats me like a number!! Thank you Colorado Springs VA hospital staff and especially the case managers in the Homeless Dept, and my case manger Ms. Kerri!!! God Bless
Great program, for a most worthy cause, as a Korean Vet, i hope i never need these services, but it is so re assuring that the services are availble……