HUD-VASH is a collaborative program between HUD and VA that combines HUD housing vouchers with VA supportive services to help Veterans who are homeless and their families find and sustain permanent housing.
Through public housing authorities, HUD provides rental assistance vouchers for privately owned housing to Veterans who are eligible for VA health care services and are experiencing homelessness. VA case managers may connect these Veterans with support services such as health care, mental health treatment and substance use counseling to help them in their recovery process and with their ability to maintain housing in the community. Among VA homeless continuum of care programs, HUD-VASH enrolls the largest number and largest percentage of Veterans who have experienced long-term or repeated homelessness. At the end of FYI 2019, there were 90,749 Veterans with active HUD-VASH vouchers and 83,684 voucheres in use.
HUD-VASH Eligibility Criteria
Veterans who are appropriate candidates for this program demonstrate the most need or vulnerability and must need case management services in order to obtain and sustain independent community housing. HUD-VASH targets the chronically homeless Veteran who is the most vulnerable and often has severe mental or physical health problems and/or substance use disorders, with frequent emergency room visits, multiple treatment attempts, and limited access to other social supports. However, other Veterans who are homeless with diminished functional capacity and resultant need for case management are also eligible for the program.
A key component of the program is VA’s case management services. These services are designed to assist Veterans in obtaining and sustaining permanent housing and engage in needed treatment and other supportive services that improve Veterans’ quality of life and end their homelessness. Case Management is the heart of this program and is a requirement for participation in the HUD-VASH voucher program.
VA determines clinical eligibility for the program. The public housing authority (PHA) determines if the Veteran participant meets HUD’s regulations for this program. The PHA will determine eligibility based on income limits. Also, the PHA will determine if any member of the household is required to maintain Lifetime Sexual Offender Registry status — those who do are not eligible to participate in this program.
HUD-VASH provides permanent supportive housing for eligible homeless Veterans who are single or eligible homeless Veterans with families. The program is developed for the homeless Veteran, so eligible Veteran families must include the Veteran.
Because HUD-VASH provides for Veterans who may have medical, mental health and/or substance use disorders, eligible Veterans must be able to complete activities of daily living and live independently in the community with case management and supportive services.
To apply for HUD-VASH, please contact your local VA Homeless Program. Veterans can contact the HUD-VASH program directly, or obtain a referral from a case manager in another VA program, from a community program, or other referral sources.
Make the Call.
You Fought for Our Home. We’ll Fight for Yours.
If you need housing assistance, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID-VET.
When you call:
- You will be connected to a trained VA responder.
- The responder will ask a few questions to assess your needs.
- If you’re a Veteran, you may be connected with the Homeless Program point of contact at the nearest VA facility.
- Contact information will be requested so staff may follow up.