HUD IX No. 12-33 HUD Contact: Gene Gibson (415) 489-6414 VA Contact: Josh Taylor (202) 461-7216 |
For
Release Tuesday March 27, 2012 |
HUD, VA PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING AND SUPPORT TO MORE THAN 2,185 HOMELESS VETS IN CALIFORNIA
Latest estimate shows national veterans homelessness fell by nearly 12 percent
WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced today that HUD will provide $20 million to public housing agencies in California to supply permanent housing and case management for more than 2,185 homeless veterans in the state.
The permanent supportive housing assistance announced today is provided through HUD's Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH), a program administered by HUD, VA, and local housing agencies across the country. See a complete local breakdown of the rental vouchers announced today online.
"It's a national disgrace that one out of every six men and women in our shelters once wore a uniform to serve our country," said HUD Secretary Donovan. "But we know that by providing housing assistance and case management services, we can significantly reduce the number of veterans living on our streets. Working together, HUD, VA and local housing agencies are making real progress toward ending veteran homelessness once and for all."
"Under the leadership of President Obama, we have made significant progress in the fight to end homelessness among veterans, but more work remains," said VA Secretary Shinseki. "The partnership between the federal government and community agencies across the country has strengthened all of our efforts to honor our veterans and keep us on track to prevent and eliminate veteran homelessness by 2015."
This funding to local housing agencies is part of the Obama Administration's commitment to end Veteran and long-term chronic homelessness by 2015. Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness (http://www.usich.gov/PDF/FactSheetVeterans.pdf) serves as a roadmap for how the federal government will work with state and local agreements to confront the root causes of homelessness, especially among former servicemen and women.
The grants announced today are part of $75 million appropriated for Fiscal Year 2012 to support the housing needs of approximately 10,500 homeless veterans. VA Medical Centers (VAMC) provide supportive services and case management to eligible homeless veterans. This is the first of two rounds of the 2012 HUD-VASH funding. HUD expects to announce the remaining funding by the end of this summer.
VAMCs work closely with homeless veterans then refer them to public housing agencies for these vouchers, based upon a variety of factors, most importantly the duration of the homelessness and the need for longer term more intensive support to obtain and maintain permanent housing. The HUD-VASH program includes both the rental assistance the voucher provides and the comprehensive case management that VAMC staff provides.
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 and Puerto Rico.###
HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.
VA is the federal government's second-largest cabinet office. Secretary Shinseki has outlined three key priorities for the department: increase Veteran access to VA services and benefits, eliminate the disability claims backlog, and end Veteran homelessness. VA provides health care to more than 6 million people each year, in 91 million outpatient visits and 960,000 hospitalizations. This year, VA will provide over $1 billion in specialized homeless program funding, more than $58 billion annually in disability pay and pensions to 4.5 million Americans, $10 billion in educational assistance, $1 billion for home loans and $2.6 billion for life insurance. More information about VA is available at www.va.gov.
California HUD-VASH Vouchers:
CITY | HOUSING AUTHORITY | VA MEDICAL CENTER | # OF VOUCHERS | 1 year budget authority for vouchers awarded |
San Francisco | Housing Authority of the City & County of San Francisco | San Francisco VAMC/Downtown CBOC | 200 | $2,728,301 |
LA County | Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles | VA Greater Los Angeles HCS | 200 | $1,750,826 |
Oakland | Oakland Housing Authority | VA Northern CA HCS/Oakland BHC | 50 | $500,366 |
City of LA | Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles | VA Greater Los Angeles HCS | 600 | $5,413,328 |
Fresno | Housing Authority City of Fresno | VA Central CA HCS | 50 | $275,518 |
Sacramento | County of Sacramento Housing Authority | Sacramento VAMC | 75 | $493,838 |
Bakersfield | Housing Authority of the County of Kern | Greater LA HCS/Bakersfield CBOC | 25 | $125,832 |
San Bernardino | Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino | Loma Linda HCS | 50 | $319,597 |
Santa Barbara | Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara | VA Greater LA HCS/Santa Barbara CBOC | 25 | $250,719 |
Merced | County of Merced Housing Authority | VA Central CA HCS/Merced CBOC | 25 | $169,485 |
Stockton | County of San Joaquin Housing Auth. | Palo Alto HCS/Stockton CBOC | 25 | $139,930 |
Modesto | County of Stanislaus Housing Auth | Palo Alto HCS/Modesto CBOC | 25 | $162,286 |
Riverside | Housing Authority of the County of Riverside | Loma Linda HCS | 125 | $990,051 |
Monterey | County of Monterey Hsg Auth | Palo Alto HCS/Seaside CBOC | 25 | $190,775 |
Oxnard | Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura | VA Greater Los Angeles HCS/Oxnard CBOC | 25 | $271,148 |
Chico | County of Butte Hsg Auth | VA Northern CA HCS/Chico CBOC | 25 | $137,162 |
San Jose/Menlo Park | Housing Authority of the County Santa Clara | Palo Alto HCS Menlo Park Division | 100 | $1,193,421 |
Richmond | City of Pittsburg Hsg Auth | VA Northern CA HCS/Martinez OPC | 50 | $501,317 |
City of San Diego | San Diego Housing Commission | San Diego VAMC | 75 | $635,558 |
San Luis Obispo | Housing Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo | VA Greater LA HCS/San Luis Obispo CBOC | 50 | $391,745 |
Long Beach | City of Long Beach Housing Authority | Long Beach HCS | 50 | $432,262 |
Watsonville | Santa Cruz County Hsg Auth | Palo Alto HCS/San Jose CBOC | 50 | $585,103 |
Pasadena | Housing Authority of the City of Pasadena | Greater LA HCS/Pasadena CBOC | 25 | $213,546 |
Ukiah | Mendocino County HA | San Francisco VAMC/Ukiah CBOC | 25 | $108,210 |
Santa Rosa | City of Santa Rosa | San Francisco VAMC/ Santa Rosa CBOC | 50 | $445,331 |
Santa Ana | Orange County Housing Authority | Long Beach HCS/Santa Ana-Bristol Medical Center | 75 | $884,560 |
County of San Diego | Housing Authority of the County of San Diego | San Diego VAMC | 75 | $600,635 |
Auburn | Placer County Housing Authority | Sierra Nevada HCS/Sierra Foothills CBOC | 10 | $89,144 |
California Total | 2,185 | $19,999,996 |