The U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) are working together to help homeless veterans find homes faster. They are doing this through workshops called HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) “Boot Camps.” These workshops help housing agencies and medical centers find better ways to move homeless veterans into permanent homes with support services. The HUD-VASH program gives vouchers to homeless veterans so they can afford housing, along with help from the VA for managing their situations.
HUD recently announced that around $94.4 million will be available for the HUD-VASH program. This money will help create up to 11,000 new vouchers to help homeless veterans and their families find affordable homes and services. This is a partnership between housing agencies and the VA.
HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said that no veteran should be without a stable home, and helping homeless veterans is a priority for HUD. VA Secretary Denis McDonough also expressed that every veteran should have a safe and stable home.
The first “Boot Camp” is taking place in Chicago, IL, and there will be more in different parts of the country over the next months. These workshops are for housing agencies and medical centers to come up with better ways to help veterans who are homeless. They will talk about quickly getting veterans into housing, providing support, and working with landlords.