washington-based initiative announced for homeless veterans

A joint program between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will see more than $35 million in grants awarded to make unit upgrades for homeless veterans.

In New Mexico, the state’s Affordable Housing Charitable Trust, which is administered through the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, will receive $1 million in funding for veteran housing.

Altogether more than $35 million in grant funding will be given to just over two hundred public housing agencies across the country for homeless veteran housing programs.

In a statement, Ben Carson, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, said the grant program will ensure that “homeless veterans nationwide have access to affordable housing and the critical support services from the VA.”

Also in a statement, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said the joint effort will guarantee that the “federal government’s efforts are aligned in reducing homelessness and aiding veterans.”

Both the Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs departments have additionally announced that $7.4 million in funding for modifying or rehabilitating the homes of disabled veterans will be made available through the Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program.

That funding will come through what is called the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program, an effort that has seen the awarding of more than 93,000 grants in the last decade, helping some 150,000 veterans.

Although statistics are not easy to come by, the federal government estimates that there were around 40,000 homeless veterans of all ages nationally in 2017.

By Garry Boulard

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