How Does Veteran Housing Assistance Work with Apartments

After their hard work and sacrifice while serving the U.S., veterans return home in need of housing and assistance to re-enter into civilian life once again. There are different veteran housing assistance programs to help them find affordable permanent housing.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 40,056 veterans are homeless on any given night. And just in 2018, HUD has allocated more than 87,000 vouchers to help veterans find permanent housing across the U.S.

Another report showed that rental assistance programs, like public housing and section 8, has helped more than 340,000 low-income veterans, reducing homelessness within the group by 33 percent.

Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

While the programs help veterans find a roof over their head, there's so much information to get through along with requirements and endless paperwork.

If you're a veteran looking for housing assistance, read on as we break down the programs available and application requirements.

Plus, once you receive housing assistance, what to discuss with your landlord, your tenant rights as a veteran and questions to ask while looking for a unit.

What programs are available

First, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) provides veterans who are homeless with rental assistance vouchers for privately-owned housing. Case managers help veterans find the right housing and amenities for them.

For those veterans at-risk of losing their home, the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) helps find a better, more affordable housing situation for veterans through various non-profits and grantees. Through grants from the VA, the program offers help to cover rent, utilities, security deposits and moving costs for a limited time.

Enhanced-Use Lease program uses VA campuses to create spaces for homeless veterans to live and access much-needed services like job training, financial planning, computer access, support groups, barber services and more.

Private-sector entities on VA land lease apartments to veterans, often near hospitals and medical facilities. Currently, there are more than 3,000 housing units across the country.

Your home state's Veteran Affairs Office may also have resources available for affordable housing in your area or veteran-approved homes.

How to apply for HUD-VASH

Rental assistance vouchers are available for those veterans who are eligible for VA healthcare services and at-risk of homelessness.

• After review from a case manager, candidates must be able to complete daily activities independently while engaging in needed treatment. The program offers healthcare, mental health treatment and substance use counseling to aid them in the recovery process.
• The public housing authority (PHA) will then review if the veteran meets the HUD program's requirements and eligibility based on income. They'll look at family income, assets and family size. The household income cannot exceed 50 percent of the median income of the area where they live. You can use this income eligibility calculator to get an idea.
• The veteran is then able to choose housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments, where the landlord agrees to rent under the program. Once moved in, they can pay the agreed-upon rent every month under the voucher program.
• You can apply through your case manager or your local PHA office. Once your application is reviewed and you're deemed eligible, the PHA will add you to a waiting list and issue a housing voucher when it's ready.

How to apply for SSVF

To participate in the SSVF program, you must be a veteran or a member of a veteran family, a veteran that's very low income and must be at-risk or currently homeless.

• The first step for eligibility is to prove Veteran status and it can be done with a few documents like Veteran's Department of Defense (DD) Form 214 Certificate of Release Discharge from Active Duty or VHIC Veteran Health Identification card (other documents here). You can obtain the latter option by being part of the VA Healthcare system and applying in person at your local VA medical facility.
• You can submit your application and veteran status to a non-profit or grantee in your area or through a referral from your case manager. You can find the full list of providers here.

Finding a home

When looking for your next home, the important part is to be honest with your potential landlord. Ask them about their flexibility with housing assistance programs and vouchers. Aim to tour multiple apartments and focus on larger complexes as landlords tend to be less risk-averse.

If you're eligible for the Post-9/11 GI bill, make sure to have all of your housing allowance documentation ready. There might be landlords that are not familiar with this source of income.

In New York City, for example, it's against the law to discriminate against veterans due to this. However, it's a lawful source of income. In some states and cities, landlords receive a bonus for renting to veterans, anywhere from $500 to $3,500 or more.

Once you find a potential apartment within your budget, it's time to sign the lease. Aside from any must-have amenities on your list, keep in mind the following tips:

1. Select a good location to avoid having to drive long distances for work, grocery stores, physical therapy and other amenities
2. Handicapped-accessible to make it easier to get around if you're disabled — look for ramps, wide doorways and if needed, handlebars in the shower
3. Pet-friendly if you have a service dog or emotional support animal
4. Check with the landlord if they're OK with receiving the rent payment after the first of the month as the housing allowance often comes around the 5th
5. Do you know if the landlord accepts housing assistance or will be flexible on certain requirements, such as credit or previous evictions
6. Review the units safety features including smoke detectors, proper ventilation and no tripping hazards

If you need housing assistance, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID-VET (424-3838) or you can find the nearest VA Medical Center to you.

Header Photo by Benjamin Faust on Unsplash