In a bold and compassionate move, the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, joined by the U. S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, has awarded 10.5 million dollar in housing grants for veterans from the HUD Veteran’s Affairs Supportive Housing, or HUD-VASH, program to the state of California for the public housing departments to provide housing for almost seven thousand homeless veterans across the country. Over twenty housing agencies will receive rental vouchers to give enrolled homeless veterans who sign up for additional benefits, such as legal, medical, psychological, educational and work programs.
Housing grants for veterans are now available in California
As time has progressed, returning veterans getting back into a regular life have had access to medical and psychiatric aid to mitigate the stress, in addition to dealing with the anguish soldiers feel in war. Civilian life has to be eased back into, and there has been plenty of understanding and help in the last years to aid the soldiers in their changing lives. “That wasn’t always the case, such as with returning Vietnam era soldiers“, recalls Senator Murray, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, who has worked hard ensure today’s veterans have an easier transition home. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki is working equally hard to end veterans’ homelessness by 2015.
As the first installment of 50 million in housing grants for veterans, the vouchers will be given to housing departments working with qualifying veterans. Veterans willing to work with case managers, in addition to working with VA Medical Centers with case management and other benefits, will be the first to get housing vouchers. The vouchers will be instrumental in getting help to the veterans who went for so long with no help at all. Giving them a place of their own to call home, off the streets and combined with other aid, is the goal of the HUD-VASH vouchers. Veterans in the HUD-VASH program will rent privately owned homes, contributing around 30 percent of their income toward rent. The second installment of housing grants for homeless veterans will be announced later in the summer.
Ask you state to give more housing grants for veterans
Every city has its own homeless veterans, staring emptily at gated communities or walking in public thoroughfares with measured tread. Every city has its own place to put its homeless, out of sight of the public, lest they upset someone. That’s how we treat the men and women, yes, women, who fought and bled so we could walk that public thoroughfare in peace? If that upsets someone, then call all your local housing agencies and ask them to do what California did. Get some of that 50 million in housing grants for veterans for your city and help a homeless veteran hold his head up again and stand proud.