HUD No. 05-20-2011 Joseph J. Phillips (678) 732-2943 |
For Release Friday May 20, 2011 |
U.S. HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR ED JENNINGS, JR. ADDRESSED THE WHITE HOUSE "OPENING DOORS" STRATEGY TO DEFEAT VETERAN HOMELESSNESS AT THE FIRST EVER JOINT HUD AND VA LANDLORD HOUSING FAIR FOR HOMELESS VETERANS
ATLANTA - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. addressed the White House "Opening Doors" strategy to defeat veteran homelessness along with Congressman Hank Johnson, CEO DeKalb County Burrell Ellis and VA Southeast Regional Homeless Coordinator Patricia Bradford at the HUD Housing Fair for homeless veterans on May 20, 2011 at the DeKalb County Maloof Building, Decatur, Georgia.
Opening Doors, is an unprecedented federal strategy to end veteran homelessness by 2015, and to end homelessness among children, families, and youth by 2020. HUD and VA are members of the U.S. Interagency Council for Homelessness which consists of nineteen federal agencies.
Approximately 180 homeless veterans with housing vouchers and more than 60 representatives of private real estate properties in Fulton and DeKalb Counties worked together to identify available properties available for housing homeless veterans.
"One homeless veteran, one homeless patriot is one too many and the Obama Administration's "Opening Doors" strategy is the first of its kind that involves the entire Federal government in partnership with state and local community providers to end homelessness." said Ed Jennings, Jr. HUD Southeast Regional Administrator. "It is the most far-reaching and ambitious plan in our history to put our nation on the path toward ending all types of homelessness."
"VA is so excited that so many landlords turned out to help reach our dream of providing long term housing to homeless veterans in the shortest amount of time," said Patricia A. Bradford, VA Southeast Network Homeless Coordinator VISN 7.
Over $1.8 million dollars in HUD's Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) were approved to fund 375 housing vouchers for homeless veterans in Georgia.
HUD's Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) is an integral component in the Opening Doors strategy to end veteran homelessness and combines a HUD Housing Choice Voucher with VA case management and supportive services. The program is designed to assist homeless veterans find permanent housing through the Department's rental assistance program that connects homeless veterans from local Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) with rental assistance vouchers provided by local public housing agencies. VA Medical Centers identify eligible candidates for public housing authorities, which administer the vouchers.
Veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program rent privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent. The VA offers eligible homeless veterans clinical and supportive services through its medical centers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
The grants are part of a $75 million investment to support the needs of homeless veterans. HUD has allocated a combined $70 million to fund 9,800 housing vouchers nationwide for 2010. The fourth and final competitive round will be announced later in 2011.
HUD allocates the housing vouchers to local public housing agencies, which work closely with local Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) to target rental assistance vouchers to homeless veterans in their area. Homeless veterans are selected based on a variety of factors, including the number of reported homeless veterans and the proximity of a local VAMC with the capacity to provide case management. Veteran Affairs case managers will also work directly with local housing agencies that are administering the HUD-VASH program to determine income eligibility and help participants find suitable housing.
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.
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