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Austin housing authority to spend $52 million over 20 years helping the homeless

The housing authority said a portion of the 200 permanent supportive housing units will be dedicated to homeless veterans.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) announced Friday it will receive $52 million over the next 20 years to help end homelessness among veterans and other individuals. 

HACA will fund 200 permanent supportive housing units through project-based housing choice vouchers with 50 vouchers designated to help veterans through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (VASH). 

The HUD-VASH program works to reduce veteran homelessness by providing funding for housing and supportive services for veterans nationwide. The program combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by Austin Veterans Administration outpatient clinics.

“The need for permanent supportive housing units is great, especially for our Veterans to whom we owe so much,” City of Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a release. “We are seeing a transformative change in addressing homelessness in Austin as part of the community’s Summit initiative. The significant contributions of HACA toward that initiative will have a lasting impact on our City.”

The 50 vouchers will be used to establish new housing unties dedicated to homeless veterans. The vouchers are being made available through a request for proposal (RFP) process to develop new permanent supporting housing or the rehabilitation of existing housing to serve homeless vets. Developments awarded project-based VASH vouchers will be required to provide available units to homeless veteran for 20 years, according to the release. 

HACA, an entity separate from the city, will also provide 150 project-based vouchers to enable homeless individuals or families to access affordable housing with supportive services. The vouchers will establish permanent supportive housing for 150 units over 20 years. 

“This funding marks a real commitment from HACA to ending homelessness in our city,” Michael Gerber, HACA CEO said. “Working with the strong partnership of Mayor Adler, City Council, and the Veterans Administration, we will see an immediate impact on housing people today and for the next twenty years.”

The housing authority plans to award the 200 vouchers to selected developments in February and March of 2022. To learn more about the authority's housing programs, click here. Property developments interested in providing housing for veterans in the VASH program can learn more here.

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