Biden Administration Launches HUD-VASH “Boot Camps” and Announces More HUD-VASH Funding

This month, the departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) announced several actions to address veteran homelessness.

HUD and VA launched HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) “Boot Camps” —a series of workshops (one in each of HUD's 10 regions) to help public housing agencies (PHAs) and Veteran Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) improve their processes and more quickly transition veterans out of homelessness and into permanent housing with wraparound supportive services. The HUD-VASH Program combines HUD rental assistance with VA case management and clinical services.

HUD also announced $73 million for roughly 7,500 new HUD-VASH vouchers for PHAs. The application deadline is September 15 . Read the full funding announcement.

The boot camps are a two-day, action-oriented in-person workshop (with virtual options) facilitated by HUD and VA technical assistance providers and delivered in partnership with HUD, VA, and USICH. During these workshops, each team of PHAs and VAMCs will strategize on ways to improve and speed-up referrals of veterans experiencing homelessness to HUD-VASH, issuing vouchers to eligible veterans, and leasing up veterans into rental housing. The sessions also will cover how to implement Housing First effectively, understanding trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, the effective delivery of supportive services , and landlord engagement.

Read the full boot camp announcement.

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