The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB) supports the November 10 resolution adopted by the County of Ventura Board of Supervisors calling for an end to veteran homelessness. The HACSB is an active participant in the local affordable housing continuum as both a provider of affordable housing as well as an administrator of housing assistance subsidies. The HACSB is committed to doing its part to reach “functional zero” veteran homelessness as soon as possible by committing resources to the effort. Through U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) funding in the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program, the HACSB provides direct rental assistance subsidy to ninety-five homeless veterans that are supported by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs professionals with case management services.
The HACSB’s VASH program, however, is only effective in supporting our homeless heroes where we have an adequate supply of rental housing units available to VASH participants. Currently, more than thirty percent of our VASH clients are searching for units to lease, many for longer than six months. Without a unit to lease, these veterans will continue to live in shelters, on the streets, and in unstable situations unbecoming the service they provided our country. The HACSB estimates that more than $20,000 in VASH funding could be enriching Ventura’s private rental market, if units were to be made available soon.
“These veterans served our country and it is time for our community to serve them,” said Denise Wise, Chief Executive Officer of the HACSB. “We applaud the support of the County Board of Supervisors and encourage all owners and managers of rental property to consider leasing to a veteran before the end of 2015.”
The HUD-VASH program is administered in the same manner as Housing Choice Vouchers, also known as Section 8. This means landlords and property managers can rely on a monthly housing assistance payment and professional annual inspections, but unique to VASH, residents come supported by the VA. Interested landlords are encouraged to market your rental housing units as “VASH Welcome” today. Visit hacityventura.org/landlords for more information about being a Housing Choice Voucher landlord and serving veterans through VASH. Questions about VASH can also be directed to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
