Learn About Rent Assistance for Veterans
If you are a veteran on a low income and are struggling to pay your rent, or if you are facing eviction, you may qualify for rent assistance.
Veterans experiencing homelessness can obtain financial help for immediate housing solutions for themselves and their families through various programs designed with veterans in mind.
Additionally, homeless veterans receive help in finding permanent accommodation as well. Many rent assistance programs for veterans offer other resources and tools such as financial management education, training for jobs and healthcare.
If you are a veteran, on a low income or you are homeless, receive help from the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.
Homeless veterans and their families can obtain assistance from the HUD-VASH program in most areas.
In addition, the Enhanced-Use Lease Program and the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program help to house veterans throughout the United States.
Find out more about these programs and how they help in the following overview.
Learn About the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program
If you are a veteran who is struggling to pay the rent due to being on a low income, the SSVF program may help you.
SSVF offers numerous supportive services to either prevent you from losing your home or to find other suitable housing.
Both individual veterans and veterans with families can apply for assistance. In addition, the SSVF program helps to rehouse homeless veterans and their families as quickly as possible.
SSVF funding is used by community operatives and nonprofit agencies to help you in your hour of need.
If you qualify, you receive financial help with your rent and utilities costs. In addition to providing resources to create housing stability, case management services are used to assist you with things like securing VA benefits and educating you about financial planning. Under SSVF, you may receive financial assistance for:
- Security deposit.
- Moving costs.
- Transportation.
- Legal services.
- Childcare.
- Emergency supplies.
To qualify for the program, you and your family must meet certain criteria. An individual candidate must be a veteran.
Families who apply for the program must have a veteran as the head of the household and they must be on a low income.
This is determined in relation to the average income for the area in which you live. Your income cannot be more than 50 percent of the median income for the area.
Applicants must be in permanent housing and trying to avoid eviction or be homeless but are scheduled to be living in permanent housing within the next 90 days.
What is HUD-VASH?
HUD-VASH is a collaborative program operated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The program combines VA supportive services with HUD housing vouchers. Rent assistance is given to veterans and their families who are homeless.
The program is run through local housing authorities. Eligible veterans and their families receive rental assistance vouchers to live in privately-owned properties.
In addition to the vouchers, you receive support services, such as mental health care, substance abuse counseling and other healthcare services.
To qualify, you must be homeless as defined by The McKinney Homeless Assistance Act and you must be eligible for VA health care. Support is given to applicants who demonstrate the most vulnerability or need.
The Department of Veterans Affairs determines whether you are eligible for VA health care and your local public housing authority decides if you meet the HUD requirements.
The PHA determines your eligibility based upon your income limit. To apply for the HUD-VASH program, contact the program directly or get in touch with your local VA Homeless Program.
You may be referred by a VA case manager or another referee.
Learn About the Enhanced-Use Lease Program
Known as EUL for short, the Enhanced-Use Lease Program allows specific buildings and land to be leased to qualifying private entities for the use of providing at-risk and homeless veterans with supportive housing.
As well as providing safe and affordable housing for veterans, the EUL program often provides veterans with financial planning education and job training.
Other services like laundry facilities, fitness centers and hairdressing are obtained through the EUL program.
The housing is always near healthcare providers, so you can easily maintain good health while enrolled in this program.
The Enhanced-Use Lease Program is operated by the Office of Asset Enterprise Management.
Learn About the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program
Capital grants and per diem payments are received by nonprofit agencies and local, state and tribal governments to develop and provide transitional housing for homeless veterans.
The housing includes both short-stay housing and service centers. The VA funds approximately 600 agencies throughout the United States.
Agencies that are awarded grants work closely with a local VAMC liaison. The agencies collaborate with local organizations to provide needy veterans with housing and additional services such as assistance in finding employment.
Veterans stay in the provided housing for up to two years. During this time, the agency works with the homeless veterans to assist them in their goal of finding permanent housing.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care for Homeless Veterans Programs funds the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program.
It is offered annually. The amount of funds available changes each year. The program consists of two components.
These are the Grant Component and the Per Diem Component:
- Grants are limited to 65 percent of the costs required for constructing, acquiring or renovating a property to be used as a service center or transitional housing unit for veterans who are homeless. The remaining 35 percent must be obtained from other sources.
- Per Diem is awarded to recipients of grants first. When an announcement of “Per Diem Only” is published in the Federal Register, programs not eligible for the grant can apply for the per diem. Under the Per Diem Component, the funds may be used for housing and for operational costs such as salaries. The maximum amount for supportive housing that can be given under the per diem is $47.36 per each veteran housed per day. Veterans in supportive housing may be required to pay rent if the amount is no more than a veteran’s monthly-adjusted income. Furthermore, fees may be charged for services that are not covered by per diem funds.