The 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act created the Veterans Administration Supportive Housing Program known as the HUD-VASH Program. The HUD-VASH program combines the HUD Housing Choice Voucher Rental Assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Veterans Affairs at its medical centers and in the community.
The 2008 Appropriations required HUD to make funding available to public housing agencies that partner with eligible Veteran’s Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) or other entities as designated by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Funding is based on geographical need for such assistance by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, public housing agency administrative performance, and other factors as specified by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs.
The HUD-VASH Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program
is administered in accordance with regular HCV program requirements 24 CFR Section 982. However, the ACT allows HUD to waive or specify alternative requirements for any provision of any statue or regulation that HUD administers in connection with this program in order to effectively deliver and administer HUD-VASH voucher assistance.
The Athens Metropolitan Housing Authority has partnered with the Chillicothe VA Medical Center to administer 35 HUD-VASH rental assistance vouchers in Athens County. The Chillicothe VA Medical Center provides acute and chronic psychiatric services, primary and secondary medical services, and a wide range of nursing home care services to the veterans residing primarily in southeastern and south central Ohio. The Medical Center also serves as a chronic psychiatric referral center for the southern medical centers in Network 10. The facility, is authorized for a total of 297 beds, has 35 acute medical beds, 25 psychiatric beds, 25 PRRTP beds, 50 domiciliary beds, and 162 nursing home beds. An active ambulatory care setting, including several mental health services, specialty medical services and several specialized women veterans’ clinics is also available. VAMC Chillicothe also operates five community-based Outpatient Clinics in Athens, Cambridge, Lancaster, Marietta and Portsmouth Ohio.
Eligibility Criteria/Applying for Assistance: The case managers at the Chillicothe Veterans Affairs Medical Center (CVAMC) are responsible for referring eligible homeless veterans to the AMHA. Therefore, any interested homeless veteran should contact the CVAMC. After the VA refers an eligible homeless veteran to the AMHA, the AMHA will determine income eligibility and screen for lifetime sex offender registrants. AMHA will not be able to deny admission to an otherwise eligible HUD-VASH family that previously participated in the AMHA’s HCV or Public Housing program and left owing money or was not in good standing. The AMHA will only be able to screen for, and deny admission to, a family member that is subject to a lifetime registration requirement under a state sex offender registration program.
We work closely with you to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing opportunities.