The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report which examines how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) determine veteran eligibility for the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, what data VA and HUD collect and report on HUD-VASH, their data reliability efforts, and what is known about HUD-VASH performance. VA and HUD rely on VA medical centers (VAMC) and public housing agencies (PHA) that serve veterans directly to determine participant eligibility for the HUD-VASH program. VAMC staff interview veterans, determine program eligibility, obtain veteran’s agreements to participate in the program, and refer eligible participants to PHAs (subject to rental assistance voucher availability). PHAs then verify veteran’s income, confirm eligibility and place participants on interest lists when no vouchers are available.
The report indicates that as of March 2012, nearly 31,200 veterans lived in HUD-VASH supported housing (about 83 percent of the rental assistance vouchers authorized under the program). The program goal is to have veterans in housing represent 88 percent of authorized vouchers by September 2012 and several states had met or exceeded that goal as of March 2012. While both VA and HUD implement separate methods for collecting and analyzing data on HUD-VASH voucher utilization, the two agencies are working to finalize an information-sharing agreement intended to help the departments better identify the source of the discrepancies and validate reports.
Click here to read the report.
