HUD TO PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING TO ADDITIONAL 30 HOMELESS VETERANS IN PORTLAND
Over last three years, HUD now has awarded total of 195 vouchers for homeless veterans in Portland

PORTLAND - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Mary E. McBride announced today that HUD will provide funds to the Housing Authority of Portland
to support rental vouchers for 30 additional homeless veterans in Portland. Over the last three years, HUD has
provided funds to support VASH vouchers for 1,011 homeless veterans in Washington state.

The funding that supports these additional rental vouchers is provided under the third year of The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH), a coordinated effort by HUD, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), and local housing authorities to provide permanent supportive housing for veterans experiencing homelessness.

As a result of today's announcement, the Housing Authority of Portland will receive an additional 30 VASH vouchers over and above the 165 VASH vouchers it has received under the program.

"Our veterans deserve something better than a life on the streets," said Donovan. "President Obama has given us
our marching orders that, as a nation, we must end the curse of homelessness especially for those who answered their country's call to serve."

"Serving those who have served - and protected - us is among our Department's most important initiatives," said
HUD Regional Administrator McBride. "Over the last three years, we have put together a team of great housing authorities, homeless providers and VA medical centers that have enabled us to steadily improve both the quantity and quality of services we provide to homeless veterans."

The Housing Authority of Portland will collaborate with the VA's Portland medical center to identify eligible homeless veterans who can benefit from the assistance.

This funding is part of the Obama Administration's strategy to end veteran and long-term chronic homelessness by 2015. Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness 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 a $75 million investment to support the needs of homeless veterans. With today's announcement, HUD will have allocated a combined $70 million to fund 9,800 housing vouchers nationwide
for 2010. The fourth and final competitive round will be announced later this year or early 2011. In addition to the rental assistance, the VA Medical Centers provide supportive services and case management to eligible homeless veterans.

HUD allocates the housing vouchers to local public housing agencies, which will target them to homeless veterans 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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HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to sustaining homeownership; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.