VA Homeless Programs

A: Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) is a collaborative program that pairs HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance with VA case management and supportive services. These services are designed to help homeless Veterans and their families obtain permanent housing and access the health care, mental health treatment, and other supports necessary to help them improve their quality of life and maintain housing over time. Eligible Veterans receive a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) from a public housing agency (PHA) to get assistance with their monthly rent, as well as case management and supportive services.

A: The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program awards grants to community-based nonprofit organizations, referred to as grantees, to offer rapid housing or re-housing to Veterans facing homelessness. These organizations provide short-term interventions such as security deposits, rental subsidies, housing case management, and financial assistance to support the Veteran in assuming full responsibility for the lease and rent.

A: With both HUD-VASH and SSVF, a portion of the monthly rent is paid by the Veteran based on his or her monthly income.

If the Veteran is enrolled in HUD-VASH, a portion of their rent is paid by the local PHA directly to the landlord. If a HUD-VASH Veteran has no income, their rent is generally paid in full by the PHA.

The PHA also conducts the initial and annual inspections of the property to ensure that it meets HUD National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate, or NSPIRE. (Note: Inspection timelines may vary by PHA.)

If the Veteran is enrolled in SSVF, a portion of their rent is paid by the SSVF grantee. If an SSVF Veteran has no income, their rent is paid in full by the SSVF grantee.

The grantee is also responsible for inspections to ensure the property meets its standards. Contact your local grantee for more information about their inspection guidelines.

Another difference is the length of time the Veteran can get financial assistance from the PHA or SSVF grantee. In HUD-VASH, Veterans remain eligible as long as their monthly income does not exceed the PHA limit and they meet the other program requirements. Veterans must recertify with their local PHA on an annual basis. In SSVF, financial assistance is time-limited based on income but may be up to 24 months when the Veteran is able to pay at least 50% of their rent.  

Last, although Veterans in both programs receive case management services, Veterans enrolled in HUD-VASH receive clinical case management services from a VA team, while SSVF Veterans receive housing case management services from grantee staff.

A: As a landlord participating in one of our programs to house Veterans, you’ll benefit from guaranteed payments, support from VA, and reliable, often long-term tenants.

• Reliable, market-rate income: With HUD-VASH vouchers and SSVF subsidies, a portion of the rent is automatically paid on time by a PHA or an SSVF grantee. Accepting vouchers or subsidies doesn’t mean receiving less money. The provision of one of these payments and the portion paid by the Veteran are based on or similar to fair market rental prices.
• Support from VA: Veterans in HUD-VASH and SSVF receive case management to provide stability and supportive services. This includes education about the requirements of their lease, including paying their portion of the rent on time. The case manager also provides support to you, the landlord, if any issues arise.
• Serving those who have served: It’s all too common that Veterans face housing challenges, particularly in the context of rapidly rising rents nationwide. You can play a crucial role in helping Veterans get safe, stable housing, supporting those who put it all on the line for our country.

A: You can become a HUD-VASH landlord by following these five steps:

1. Get in contact locally.

a. Contact your local PHA or your nearest VA medical center to learn more about the HUD-VASH program. The PHA can provide education on the paperwork required to be approved as a HUD-VASH landlord once a Veteran has selected and been approved for your unit.

b. Fill out our online form to let us know about your available units. We’ll then connect you with your local VA so you can start receiving referrals.

2. Review the HQS/NSPIRE standards to ensure that your property will pass inspection.

3. Screen and select a HUD-VASH family and complete the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) form for the PHA, who will schedule the NSPIRE inspection for the unit and building. (Note: The RFTA will be provided by the Veteran or their case manager.)

4. The PHA will conduct the inspection and, after the unit has passed, work with you to determine rent and complete a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract.

5. Meet with the Veteran to review and sign the lease, which is usually agreed upon for 12 months.

A: The payment standard amount of a HUD-VASH voucher depends on HUD’s determination of monthly Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a moderately-priced unit in your local area, updated annually, and the Veteran’s adjusted income. PHAs set their payment standard based on the local FMR. Generally, this ranges from 90-120% of the applicable FMR; contact your local PHA to determine the current applicable payment standard for your unit(s). The Veteran family contributes 30-40% of their monthly adjusted income toward rent and utilities and the voucher covers the remaining rent amount.

For example, consider a Veteran family/household with a $1,000 monthly adjusted income living in a HUD-VASH unit with a monthly rent of $1,200. The Veteran will be responsible for approximately $300 of the monthly rent, and the PHA will pay the remainder, or $900. If the Veteran’s income changes, these proportions will change as well.

A: Contact a grantee in your local area for their guidelines. Visit the SSVF main page and click “Explore the Directory” under “Locate an SSVF Provider.”

A: Accepting vouchers or subsidies doesn’t mean getting less money. The provision of one of these payments and the portion paid by the Veteran are based on or similar to local FMRs, which are published annually by HUD.

A: With both HUD-VASH and SSVF, a portion of the monthly rent is paid by the Veteran based on their monthly income. While the Veteran is enrolled in HUD-VASH, the remainder of the rent is paid by the local PHA. While the Veteran is enrolled in SSVF, the remainder of the rent is paid by the SSVF grantee.

A: For both HUD-VASH and SSVF, you can elect to include all or some utilities in the rent if you choose. This can simplify things for the Veteran, but it is not a requirement. For HUD-VASH, the total amount, including any covered utilities, must be less than the maximum rent allowed by the PHA. If the Veteran tenant is responsible for all or some utilities, their rent portion may be decreased proportionally through a utility allowance provided by the PHA.

A: We serve single homeless Veterans as well as Veterans with families or who need live-in caregivers due to illness or disability. The highest demand is for studios and one-bedroom units, but larger units are also needed for accompanied Veterans or those who wish to share housing with other Veterans (see below for more information about shared housing). Units that are accessible for older Veterans and those with physical disabilities are desirable.

A: Veterans may be referred to you from HUD-VASH or SSVF case managers. Veterans also work with other family or community members to seek available units and may contact you directly for consideration of your available unit(s). Screening and approval of Veteran tenants is at your discretion.

A: For HUD-VASH units, the PHA schedules an inspection when it receives the RFTA. The unit must pass inspection before the RFTA can be approved and a lease signed. After the Veteran family is under lease, HUD requires that PHAs inspect each unit at least biennially (or triennially for some small rural PHAs). However, PHAs may choose to inspect more frequently (annually). PHAs will outline their inspection policy and procedures in their PHA Administrative Plan.

Note: To expedite the leasing process for tenant-based HUD-VASH, PHAs may pre-inspect available units that veterans may be interested in leasing to maintain a pool of eligible units. If a HUD-VASH family selects a unit that passed an NSPIRE inspection (without intervening occupancy) within 45 days of the date of the Request for Tenancy Approval (form HUD-52517), the unit may be approved as long as it meets all other conditions.

If there is an issue with the unit, inspections can also be scheduled upon request. Here are some tips to ensure that your unit(s) will pass an HQS/NSPIRE inspection:

Make sure your unit has:

• Working smoke alarm(s)
• Ventilation in bathrooms (window or fan)
• Connected utilities
• Working stove and refrigerator
• Window in each bedroom
• Working water heater discharge line and pop/relief valves
• Handrails for indoor and outdoor steps
• Secure railings for porches or balconies

Make sure your unit does NOT have:

• Broken or missing locks
• Broken or missing windows
• Windows that won’t stay open unassisted
• Holes in doors, walls, floors, or ceilings
• Bathtubs, showers, or sinks that won’t drain
• Insects or other pests
• Tripping hazards on the floor
• Exposed electrical wiring
• Chipping or peeling paint (inside or outside)

Review the full NSPIRE checklist.

For SSVF units, the grantee will conduct an initial inspection. Follow-up inspections depend on needs, and local protocols may vary. Contact your local grantee for more information about inspections.

A: As with any landlord-tenant relationship, the first step is to attempt to resolve any issues with the Veteran tenant directly. If issues arise that cannot be resolved in this manner, however, Veterans enrolled in HUD-VASH or SSVF have an assigned case manager who can assist. Case managers help Veterans gain stability in their housing, which includes education about paying rent in a timely manner, abiding by their lease terms, and maintaining a positive relationship with their landlords. They are also a resource for you, the landlord, to help resolve issues with the tenancy.

A: Sharing a larger unit can be ideal for Veterans who desire a communal living experience, as it can reduce isolation, provide helpful peer support and ease financial burden. As it becomes more difficult to find affordable studio and one-bedroom units with the rapid increase in rents in many areas of the country, shared housing can provide a more diverse portfolio of housing options. Shared housing is allowable in both HUD-VASH and SSVF.

For HUD-VASH, each enrolled Veteran will have their own voucher. For both HUD-VASH and SSVF, each enrolled Veteran must have an individual lease, and their portion of the monthly rent and the subsidy provided is determined by their individual income, not pooled income. Therefore, rent needs to be set for each individual room in the unit.

Providing shared housing through HUD-VASH or SSVF also has benefits to you, the landlord. If you have a larger unit, you can begin filling rooms quickly rather than leaving the entire unit empty until you find suitable renters. Similarly, if one Veteran decides to leave the unit, you will continue to receive rent from the others. As with single-person units, you will receive timely referrals from your local VA or SSVF grantee, and each Veteran will have an assigned case manager to assist them and you with any issues that arise.

Contact your local PHA, SSVF grantee, or VA medical center for more information about shared housing.

A: To learn more about how VA partners with organizations to provide a variety of housing options for Veterans, read So, You Wanna House Homeless Veterans.