The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program combines Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless Veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA provides these services for participating Veterans at VA medical centers (VAMCs) and community-based outreach clinics. The goal of the Program is to enable homeless veterans to re-integrate in the community to lead healthy, productive lives.
Overview of HUD-VASH Program
Every year since 2008, HUD and VA have awarded HUD-VASH vouchers based on geographic need and public housing agency (PHA) administrative performance. The allocation process for HUD-VASH vouchers is a collaborative approach that relies on three sets of data: HUD’s point-in-time data submitted by Continuums of Care (CoCs), VAMC data on the number of contacts with homeless Veterans, and performance data from PHAs and VAMCs. After determining which areas of the country have the highest number of homeless Veterans, the VA Central Office identifies VA facilities in the corresponding communities. HUD then selects PHAs near to the identified VA facilities, taking into consideration the PHAs’ administrative performance, and sends the PHAs invitations to apply for the vouchers. There is at least one site in each of the 50 states, in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.
The Garfield County Housing Authority administers VASH vouchers for Garfield, Pitkin and Eagle (Basalt and El Jebel only) Counties . The local Department of Veterans Affairs will screen homeless veterans for eligibility for the HUD-VASH Program, in accordance with its screening criteria. Eligible homeless veterans that agree to participate in case management will be referred to the Garfield County Housing Authority for voucher issuance. GCHA will determine if income eligible and may deny if not income eligible. The GCHA will screen for sex offender status and will deny admission if the homeless veteran is a sex-offender with a lifetime registration requirement.
J. Rene Pugh-Rivette, LCSW
HUD-VASH case manager (Garfield County)
Glenwood Springs VA Clinic
2425 S. Grand Ave
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
(970) 945-1007/3866
julie.pugh-rivette@va.gov
Shantalle Quiroz, Housing Specialist
VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing)
Garfield County Housing Authority
1430 Railroad Ave, Unit F
Rifle, CO 81650
(970) 625-3589 ext. 108
shantalle@garfieldhousing.com
Additional Resources
The following links to other Federal and community websites may provide additional information on assisting Veterans that are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless:
- Garfield County Veteran Services
- Western Slope Veterans Coalition
- Western Mountain Health Alliance
- HUD's Veteran Information Page
- Local Homeless Assistance by State
- U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Veterans Page
- Veterans' National Resource Directory
- National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
- HUD's Homeless Resources Exchange
- Department of Health and Human Service's Homeless Resource Center
- Veterans Rights and Discrimination