HUD and VA Say ‘Boot Camps’ Will Help Vets

by Kerry Smith

A series of workshops – called Boot Camps – will help public agencies and VA medical centers help homeless veterans more quickly move to permanent housing.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) launched a co-branded initiative to more quickly move homeless vets into permanent housing. It calls the series of workshops “Boot Camps.”

The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) “Boot Camps” will help Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and Veteran Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) work together more efficiently. HUD-VASH combines HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless veterans with the VA’s case management and clinical services.

On April 10, HUD announced the availability of approximately $94.4 million for HUD-VASH. It says the funding will support up to11,000 new HUD-VASH vouchers to help homeless veterans and their families access affordable housing, along with an array of supportive services. Public Housing Agencies that registered interest and were deemed eligible will receive invitation letters this week.

“These Boot Camps will help us get veterans out of homelessness and into good homes – where they belong – as quickly as possible,” says VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “Every veteran deserves a safe, stable home in this country they fought to defend, and we will stop at nothing to make that goal a reality.”