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HUD-VASH

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The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program combines Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless Veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA provides these services for participating Veterans at VA medical centers (VAMCs) and community-based outreach clinics.

Generally, the HUD-VASH program is administered in accordance with regular HCV program requirements (24 CFR Section 982). However, the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Public Law 110-161) allows HUD to waive or specify alternative requirements for any provision of any statute or regulation affecting the HCV program in order to effectively deliver and administer HUD-VASH voucher assistance.  The alternative requirements are established in the HUD-VASH Operating Requirements (including the waivers and alternative requirements from HCV program rules), which were published in the Federal Register on May 6, 2008.

For more information about HUD-VASH vouchers, please visit HUD's website.

Margaret Jones Headshot
Margaret Jones, 
Director Of Assisted Housing

Vash Team, From left: Corrina Bacon, Sue Peacoe, Maria Chamberlain, Jorge Vigoa and Ladawn GibsonVash Team
From left: Corrina Bacon, Sue Peacoe, Maria Chamberlain, Jorge Vigoa and Ladawn Gibson

HUD VASH vouchers are rental vouchers used specifically for homeless veterans. Currently the Tampa Housing Authority has received 724 VASH vouchers since 2008.  Families are determined eligible through the Department of Veterans Affairs and sent as a referral to the Tampa Housing Authority for rental assistance.  The VA is responsible to determine the eligibility of the veterans and the THA is responsible to determine income eligibility as well as ensure family is not a registered sexual offender. The family is required to receive case management from the VA until the VA determines it is no longer necessary. Families who do not comply with case management service will be terminated from the HUD-VASH program.

If you are a homeless veteran, please contact The James A. Haley Medical Center of The Department of Veterans Affairs located at 13000 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa FL by phone at 813.972.2000, or visit their website at Tampa.VA.gov.

If you have further questions regarding the HUD VASH Voucher, please contact Sue Peacoe, Special Programs Coordinator via email.

Needed: Qualifying Units for Veterans
The Housing Authority of the City of Tampa (THA) has been awarded 205 HUD-VASH vouchers which are targeted for veterans who are homeless and chronically homeless. This makes a total of 645 allotted HUD-VASH vouchers since 2008. The HUD-VASH program operates in the same manner as the Housing Choice Voucher program, except that families are referred from the Veterans Administration to the Tampa Housing Authority to receive a voucher for housing. The family will pay a portion of rent based on his or her income and THA, in essence, will pay the difference as long as the rent is considered reasonable.

THA is looking for owners who are willing to rent to the chronic and non-chronic homeless veteran population. Under the Department of Housing and Urban Development's definition, a chronically homeless individual is someone who has experienced homelessness for a year or longer or who has experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years and has a disability. A family with an adult member who meets this description would also be considered chronically homeless. Chronically homeless people are among the most vulnerable people in the homeless population. This particular population may have behavioral health problems, including severe mental illness and substance abuse disorders, conditions that may be exacerbated by physical illness, injury, or trauma. Consequently, they are frequent users of emergency services, crisis response, and public safety systems. These individuals, if not provided permanent supportive housing, may die on the streets.

Often time these individuals may not pass the normal or standard tenancy screening criteria and are often denied housing. Owners who are willing to bypass the normal screening process, such as waiving the security deposit, including all utilities in the rent, and allowing for leniency on the screening criteria, will allow more veterans to be housed. These veterans are matched with Veterans Administrative case managers who provide continuous services to ensure the veteran will remain housed. The case managers will serve as mediators in the instance the veteran may violate the lease.

In order to house the chronically homeless, it is our goal to make available 30-40 pre-inspected units for these veterans. If you are interested in having your unit pre-inspected and made available for veterans, please contact Margaret Jones via email. THA is only pre-inspecting one-bedroom units at this time.

If you are unable at this time to lease a unit to a veteran, there is still opportunity to assist. Veterans may not have funds to pay for security or utility allowance deposits, furnishings, or household goods. All donations made will go directly to a veteran in need. You may make your donation at the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative website.