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Secretaries Shinseki and Donovan Host First Meeting of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness under the Obama Administration
Secretary Donovan Elected New Chair of the Council
HUD and VA announce $75 million for HUD-VASH program to provide rental housing and support for homeless veterans
WASHINGTON (June 18, 2009) - The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) met today for the first time under the Obama Administration. U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki chaired the meeting, at which U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan was elected rotating Chair for the upcoming yearand U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was elected Vice Chair. U.S.Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, attended themeeting.
The mission of the USICH is to coordinate the federal response tohomelessness and to create a national partnership with every level ofgovernment and the private sector to address homelessness in the nation."It is simply unacceptable for individuals, children, families, and our nation's Veterans to be faced with homelessness in this country," said President Obama. "I am confident that the Interagency Council on Homelessness, under Secretary Donovan's leadership, will have a renewedfocus on coordinating efforts across federal agencies and working closely with our state, local, community-based, and faith-based partnersto address these serious issues."
"Ending the continuing tragedy of homelessness demands thoughtful and focused leadership," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "President Obama and I are committed to working through the USICH, the agencies it represents and our state, local and non-profit partners to build athoughtful and compassionate response to this crisis. The bottom lineis that through our combined efforts every man, woman and child in thisnation should have access to a safe, affordable place to lay their headat night."
Secretaries Donovan and Shinseki also announced the allocation of $75million to local public housing authorities across the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam to provide permanent supportive housing and dedicated VA case managers for an estimated10,000 homeless Veterans. This innovative joint initiative is called Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH). This funding will provide local public housing agencies with approximately 10,000 rental assistance vouchers specifically targeted to assist homelessVeterans in their area. Public housing authorities, that administer HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Program, work closely with Department of Veteran Affairs medical centers to manage the program. In addition tothe rental assistance, VA medical centers provide supportive servicesand case management to eligible homeless Veterans. "It is shameful that after serving our nation so well, some of ourVeterans leave their military life only to fall into homelessness," said Donovan. "
Working closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs, we're able to offer a permanent home, along with critically needed supportive services, to the very people to whom we owe so much." "No one, especially Veterans who have faithfully served our country should become homeless," said VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. "This council's work is critical to providing for those at risk and on thestreets. This interagency partnership allows us to leverage ourresources, programs, talent and experience to create viable solutionsthat will eliminate homelessness.""With new service members returning home every day and the economy sputtering, we must step up our efforts to provide all Veterans with housing and the dignity that comes with it," said Senator Murray,Chairman of the Senate Housing Appropriations Subcommittee.
"For too long homeless Veterans have been forgotten heroes. HUD-VASH grants are making a real difference in ensuring that those who have sacrificed for our nation are not coming home to sleep on our streets."
Under HUD-VASH, HUD will provide housing assistance through its Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) which allows Veterans to rent privately owned housing. The VA will provide to eligible homelessVeterans clinical and supportive services through its health care systemacross the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.VA addresses the needs of the more than 100,000 homeless Veterans whoaccess VA health care annually. The USICH is an interagency council made up of members from federal agencies, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department ofEnergy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of HomelandSecurity, Department of Interior, Department of Justice, Department ofLabor, Department of Transportation, Corporation for National andCommunity Service, Social Security Administration, General ServicesAdministration, and United States Postal Service.
