NEARLY 50-PERCENT DECLINE IN VETERAN HOMELESSNESS

 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) today announced the number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the United States has been cut nearly in half since 2010.  The data revealed a 17-percent decrease in veteran homelessness between January 2015 and January 2016—quadruple the previous year’s annual decline—and a 47-percent decrease since 2010.

Through HUD’s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) estimate of America’s homeless population, communities across the country reported that fewer than 40,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness on a given night in January 2016. The January 2016 estimate found just over 13,000 unsheltered homeless veterans living on their streets, a 56-percent decrease since 2010. View local estimates of veteran homelessness.

This significant progress is a result of the partnership among HUD, VA, USICH, and other federal, state and local partners. These critical partnerships were sparked by the 2010 launch of Opening Doors, the first-ever strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. The initiative’s success among veterans can also be attributed to the effectiveness of the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program, which combines HUD rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the VA. Since 2008, more than 85,000 vouchers have been awarded and more than 114,000 homeless veterans have been served through the HUD-VASH program.

“We have an absolute duty to ensure those who’ve worn our nation’s uniform have a place to call home,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro.  “While we’ve made remarkable progress toward ending veteran homelessness, we still have work to do to make certain we answer the call of our veterans just as they answered the call of our nation.”

“The dramatic decline in Veteran homelessness is the result of the Obama administration’s investments in permanent supportive housing solutions such as HUD-VASH and Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) programs, extensive community partnerships, coordinated data and outreach, and other proven strategies that put Veterans first,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. “Although this achievement is noteworthy, we will not rest until every Veteran in need is permanently housed.”

“Together, we are proving that it is possible to solve one of the most complex challenges our country faces,” said Matthew Doherty, Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. “This progress should give us confidence that when we find new ways to work together and when we set bold goals and hold ourselves accountable, nothing is unsolvable.”

In 2014, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness with the goal of accelerating progress toward the ambitious national goal of ending veteran homelessness. More than 880 mayors, governors, and other local officials have joined the challenge and committed to ending veteran homelessness in their communities. To date, 27 communities and two states have effectively ended veteran homelessness, serving as models for others across the nation.

HUD and VA have a wide range of programs that prevent and end homelessness among veterans, including health care, housing solutions, job training and education. In FY 2015, these programs helped more than 157,000 people—including 99,000 veterans and 34,000 children—secure or remain in permanent housing. Since 2010, more than 360,000 veterans and their families have been permanently housed, rapidly rehoused or prevented from becoming homeless through programs administered by HUD and VA.

More information about VA’s homeless programs is available at www.va.gov/homeless. More information about HUD’s programs is available here or by calling the HUDVET National Hotline at (877) 424-3838. Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless should contact their local VA Medical Center and ask to speak to a homeless coordinator or call 1-877-4AID-VET.

Native American Direct Loan

The Native American Direct Loan (NADL) Program provides direct home loans from VA to eligible Native American Veterans to finance the purchase, construction, or improvement of homes on Federal Trust Land, or to refinance a prior NADL to reduce the interest rate.

Video Spotlight

Tour a new home built by a Native American Veteran on Cherokee land in North Carolina.

Interest Rate

The interest rate is 3.75%.

Interest rates are subject to change due to market fluctuations. VA evaluates these market trends and determines if interest rate reductions or increases are warranted.

NADL Benefits

• No down payment; no Private Mortgage Insurance; limited closing costs
• $417,000 limit in most areas; some high-cost counties have higher loan limits
• Low, fixed-rate 30-year mortgage with limited closing costs
• Re-usable benefit

Eligibility

To obtain a NADL, the law requires that:

1. The Native American Veteran is eligible for VA home loan benefits and have available entitlement (go to this link for information on how to get a Certificate of Eligibility)
2. The tribal government must have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The MOU spells out the conditions under which the program will operate on its trust lands (see a sample MOU here)
3. The loan must be to purchase, construct, or improve a home on Federally-recognized trust or allotted land.
4. The Veteran must occupy the property as his or her home.
5. The Veteran must be a satisfactory credit risk.
6. The income of the Veteran and spouse, if any, must be shown to be stable and sufficient to meet the mortgage payments, cover the other costs of owning a home, take care of other obligations and expenses, and have enough left over for family support.
7. All prospective applicants are encouraged to contact VA to determine if they are eligible for VA home loan benefits and to contact either their local housing authority or VA to find out if this program is right for them and to apply for a home loan.

Loan Fees

Native American Veterans must pay a funding fee of 1.25% to obtain VA’s direct loan to purchase a home. The funding fee to refinance a prior VA-loan is 0.50%. Borrowers have the option to finance the VA funding fee or pay it in cash, but the funding fee must be paid at the time of loan closing. You do not have to pay the funding fee if you are a:

• Veteran receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability, OR
• Veteran who would be entitled to receive compensation for a service-connected disability if you did not receive retirement or active duty pay, OR
• Surviving spouse of a Veteran who died in service or from a service-connected disability.