2010-7219. Announcement of Funding Awards for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program for Fiscal Years (FY) 2008 and 2009

AGENCY:

Office of Public and Indian Housing, HUD.

ACTION:

Announcement of funding awards.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with Section 102(a)(4)(C) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, this announcement notifies the public of funding decisions made by the Department for funding under the FY 2008 and FY 2009 HUD-VASH program. This announcement contains the consolidated names and addresses of those award recipients selected for funding under both the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110-161) and the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Danielle Bastarache, Director, Housing Voucher Programs, Office of Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 4228, Washington, DC 20410, telephone number [phone]. For the hearing or speech impaired, this number may be accessed via TTY (text telephone) by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 1 [phone]. (Other than the “800” TTY number, these telephone numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110-161) (“2008 Appropriations Act”) made $75 million available for HUD-VASH, an initiative that combines HUD Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at its medical centers and in the community. The HCV program is authorized under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937. The Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8) (“2009 Appropriations Act”) made an additional $75 million available to HUD-VASH. Both the 2008 and 2009 Appropriations Acts require HUD to distribute assistance without competition, to public housing agencies (PHAs) that partner with eligible Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) or other entities as designated by the VA. As required by statute, selection was based on geographical need for such assistance as identified by the VA, public housing agency performance, and other factors as specified by the HUD in consultation with the VA. On May 6, 2008 (73 FR 25026), HUD published in the Federal Register a notice that set forth the policies and procedures for the administration of tenant-based Section 8 HCV rental assistance under the HUD-VASH program administered by local PHAs that have partnered with local VA medical centers. The Federal Register published a correction of the May 6, 2008 notice on May 19, 2008 (73 FR 28863).

As required by the FY 2008 and FY 2009 Appropriations Acts, the VA identified VAMCs to participate in the program taking into account the population of homeless veterans needing services in the area, the number of homeless veterans recently served by the homeless programs at each VAMC, geographic distribution, and the VA's case management resources. After considering location and administrative performance of PHAs in the jurisdiction of each VAMC, HUD invited PHAs to apply for HUD-VASH vouchers. In accordance with Section 102(a)(4)(C) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 (103 Stat. 1987, 42 U.S.C. 3545), today's Federal Register publication lists in Appendix A the names, addresses, number of vouchers and amounts of the 238 PHAs to which awards were made under the FY2008 and FY2009 HUD-VASH initiative to serve a total of 334 VA sites.

Dated: January 8, 2010.

Sandra B. Henriquez,

Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.