(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that 420 housing vouchers that will help get Washington state homeless veterans into housing will be allocated to 10 different state Housing Authorities. The vouchers are part of HUD’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH program). Senator Murray provided $75 million nationwide to fund the HUD-VASH program in a Senate spending bill last year.
“This is a huge boost for efforts to get homeless veterans in our state into stable housing,” said Senator Murray. “Each one of these vouchers means a year’s rent for someone who has sacrificed for our nation but is now sleeping on our streets. With new service members returning home every day and the economy sputtering, we must step up our efforts to provide all veterans with housing and the dignity that comes with it. For too long homeless veterans have been forgotten heroes.”
Under the HUD-VASH program, Housing Authorities across the state will receive vouchers that can be used for rental assistance in the local community. The local Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility then works on outreach efforts to identify homeless veterans who can be provided with vouchers. Each rental assistance voucher is valued at roughly $7500 and provides rental assistance for a housing unit for a homeless veteran and any family members. In addition to the rental assistance, local VA Medical Centers provide supportive services and case management to eligible homeless veterans.
Today’s announcement is part of an allocation of $75 million that will be distributed to local public housing agencies across 50 states and provide help to an estimated 10,000 veterans. Senator Murray included the $75 million for this program in the 2009 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill which she oversees and which funds the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Because of Senator Murray’s work and because Washington state is home to many deployment areas that veterans often return to, Washington state received the 5th largest allotment of HUD-VASH vouchers of any state. Senator Murray is also a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the Veterans Appropriation Subcommittee.
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The following is a list of Washington state housing authorities and corresponding VA facilities that will receive HUD-VASH vouchers and the number of vouchers they are set to receive:
(Local Housing Authorities and VA facilities work together to administer these grants. Most Housing Authorities will receive the vouchers for distribution by the end of July)
Public Housing Authority | VA Medical Facility | Voucher Allocation:
- King County Housing Authority – Seattle, Washington – 52
- Seattle Housing Authority – Seattle, Washington – 53
Snohomish County Housing Authority – Seattle, Washington – 35 - Bremerton Housing Authority – American Lake, Washington – 35
- Thurston County Housing Authority – American Lake, Washington – 35
- Spokane Housing Authority – Spokane, Washington – 35
- Tacoma Housing Authority – American Lake, Washington – 35
- Pierce County Housing Authority – American Lake, Washington – 35
- Yakima Housing Authority – Walla Walla, Washington through the Yakima Outpatient Clinic – 35
- Vancouver Housing Authority Vancouver, Washington through the Vancouver Community Based Outpatient Clinic – 70
Total Vouchers: 420
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