Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)
Are you a veteran looking for housing assistance? Contact a VA medical center near you and mention your interest in HUD-VASH, or find instructions for contacting the National Homeless Veteran Call Center here.
Are you a landlord interested in renting to veterans? Contact the local public housing authority to share information about upcoming unit vacancies. Find general resources for landlords participating in the HCV program here.
Overview
The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program combines HUD’s 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), community-based outreach clinics (CBOCs), through VA contractors, or through other VA designated entities.
(NEW) Total Number of HUD-VASH Vouchers by PHA 2008-2023
Congress has appropriated additional funding for new HUD-VASH vouchers every year since 2008:
Each year, HUD and VA have collaboratively awarded HUD-VASH vouchers based on current geographic need and public housing agency (PHA) performance. Since 2017, the allocation process for awarding HUD-VASH vouchers has changed to allow PHAs to self-identify their interest in the program. HUD publishes an annual HUD-VASH Registration of Interest Notice containing detailed instructions that PHAs must follow if they are interested in receiving a portion of the available HUD-VASH vouchers. PHAs must have the support of a partnering VA facility and meet any utilization threshold requirements to be eligible for an award. After the registration period has closed, HUD and VA use a formula to determine relative need, and ultimately invite eligible PHAs to apply for a specific number of HUD-VASH vouchers. The associated funding awarded for HUD-VASH vouchers is determined by the actual average per unit cost (PUC) at each PHA.
There is at least one PHA currently administering HUD-VASH in each of the 50 states, in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.
HUD-VASH vouchers are renewed based on actual PHA leasing along with all other housing choice vouchers (HCV). Details of annual renewal funding and potential set-side fund opportunities can be found in the annual HCV Funding Notice.
Generally, the HUD-VASH program is administered in accordance with regular HCV and PBV program requirements (24 CFR Section 982 an 983 respectively). 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, and updated March 23, 2012,and updated again September 27, 2021. PHAs may also seek individual HUD-VASH waivers through the regular Field Office waiver process as detailed in Notice PIH 2018-16 or any superseding notice.
Funding Opportunities
(CLOSED) PIH Notice 2024-18: FY2024 Registration of Interest for HUD-VASH Vouchers
(NEW) HUD-VASH Additional Administrative Fee Awards List: HUD awarded approximately $20 million to 245 HUD-VASH PHAs under Notice PIH 2024-10 on August 8, 2024
(CLOSED) Notice PIH 2024-10: Additional Administrative Fees for HUD-VASH
(CLOSED) PIH Notice 2023-22: FY2023 Summer Registration of Interest for HUD-VASH Vouchers
(CLOSED) FY2023 Summer Registration of Interest for HUD-VASH Vouchers Overview PowerPoint
Are you a veteran looking for housing assistance? Contact a VA medical center near you and mention your interest in HUD-VASH, or find instructions for contacting the National Homeless Veteran Call Center here.
Notices and Guidance
- (NEW) HUD-VASH Operating Requirements: This 2024 update to the HUD-VASH Operating Requirements Notice establishes the policies and procedures for the administration of tenant-based HCV and PBV rental assistance under the HUD-VASH program. This version was published August 13, 2024.
- Designated Service Providers - VA, in collaboration with HUD, has previously established a process for establishing designated service providers (DSPs) to act in the place of VA for the purpose of intake, referral, and case management in the HUD-VASH program. This is done through the VA’s HUD-VASH Collaborative Case Management Model (CCM). The DSP is typically a CoC-funded service provider in the community. Materials can be found on the VA website at HUD-VASH Collaborative Case Management with Designated Service Provider Application Process - VA Homeless Programs. PHAs may now also apply themselves to become a DSP for the specific purpose of intake, and temporary case management prior to referral to the VA. Application materials and more information may be found at the VA website at Public Housing Agencies as HUD-VASH Designated Service Providers - VA Homeless Programs
- HUD-VASH Voluntary Reallocation and Recapture: This notice details the processes by which PHAs, in collaboration with their partnering VA Medical Center (VAMC), may request a reallocation or recapture of their HUD-VASH vouchers due to changes in local need.
- HUD-VASH Voluntary Reallocation and Recapture PowerPoint
- HUD-VASH Operating Requirements (archive): This is the previous version of the HUD-VASH Operating Requirements published September 27, 2021. This version has been superseded on August 13, 2024.
- HUD-VASH Operating Requirements PowerPoint (archive): PowerPoint presentation for the 2021 version of the HUD-VASH Operating Requirements
Tools and Resources (including webinars)
- (NEW) HUD-VASH Revised Operating Requirements Webinar: Below are the slides and video recordings for the HUD-VASH webinar held on August 21, 2024.
- HUD-VASH Leasing Schedule Templates: The first document below provides leasing schedule templates that partnering PHAs and VAMCs have the option of using for their 12-month leasing schedules. The second document provides template instructions and a glossary of terms used in the templates.
Data
Find information on HUD-VASH awards using the HCV Data Dashboard. Navigate to the pages titled SPV Report and SPV as % of HCV Program.
- HUD-VASH Leasing Schedule Templates
- Leasing Schedule Template Instructions
- Letter to PHAs Highlighting Tool to Improve Utilization of HUD-VASH - This letter from the former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary gives an overview of tools available to HUD-VASH PHAs to improve HUD-VASH leasing.
- Project-Based Vouchers Overview
- Federal Register: Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers: Revised Implementation of the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program
- PHAs should direct policy questions about HUD-VASH to their local PIH Field Office or to vash@hud.gov.