HUD, VA TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND SUPPORT FOR HOMELESS VETS IN CHICAGO
Total 2012 $75 million investment will house 10,450

CHICAGO - 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 $269,345 to the Chicago Housing Authority to supply housing and case management for 35 homeless veterans. This funding is part of a total $75 million the Obama Administration is investing this year to house 10,450 homeless veterans who might otherwise be living on the streets.

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 to provide permanent housing with case management and other supportive services for homeless veterans across the country.

"Our latest count shows that homelessness among veterans has fallen by 12 percent," said Donovan, who announced $2.5 million in additional funding today. "Thanks to HUD, VA and local public housing authorities working collaboratively with VA medical centers, we're offering homes, along with critically needed supportive services, to veterans who sacrificed themselves for all Americans."

"Through HUD-VASH we will accomplish our goal - to prevent and eliminate veteran homelessness by 2015 and improve quality of life for veterans," said VA Secretary Shinseki. "No one, especially veterans who have faithfully served our country, should become homeless. VA is committed to providing veterans and their families with access to affordable housing and medical services that will help them get back on their feet."

"Since 2008, these grants have been reducing the number of homeless veterans in Illinois and one day we will see all veterans living in homes and with the dignity they deserve," said Antonio R. Riley, HUD's Midwest Regional Administrator.

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. HUD's annual "point in time" estimate of the number of homeless persons and families for 2011 found that veteran homelessness fell by nearly 12 percent (or 8,834 people) since January 2010.

Earlier this year, HUD and VA announced $72.6 million in HUD-VASH funding to public housing agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to house more than 10,000 homeless veterans. VA Medical Centers (VAMC) provide supportive services and case management to eligible homeless veterans.

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-VASH FY 2012 Funding (Round 2)

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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 at @HUDnews or 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.