Federal funding helps Madison expand access to affordable housing for veterans

More veterans facing homelessness will have expanded access to affordable housing in the City of Madison thanks to new funding and guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

HUD is awarding a total of $20 million to 243 public housing agencies across the country, including $68,320 for Madison’s Community Development Authority (CDA), to improve the HUD-Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, which helps veterans experiencing homelessness find housing and support through the pairing of vouchers to help them pay their rent with case management and other supportive services through the VA.

HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Richard Monocchio joined several local leaders, including City of Madison Deputy Mayor for Housing and Sustainability Christie Baumel, CDA Executive Director and Department of Planning, Community and Economic Development Director Matt Wachter, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) Director Elmer Moore, and Heather Campbell and Danielle Kuhn of Veterans Affairs, in making the announcement at the City-County Building on Thursday afternoon.

The need for this type of support for veterans in the Madison area is significant: the CDA launched its HUD-VASH program in 2009 and has seen a 250% increase in vouchers since then. Over the past 15 years, the CDA has provided nearly $11 million in housing assistance payments to those who bravely put their lives on the line for our country. So far this year, the CDA is helping an average of 190 veterans per month through the HUD-VASH program.

With the additional funds announced Thursday, the CDA will be able to help veterans in the program pay for things like rental application fees, security deposits, and moving costs.

"With this additional funding and flexibility, we'll be able to continue to grow the HUD-VASH program and get veterans into housing faster with less money out of pocket,” Wachter said.

Staff Sgt. Juan Ramirez is one of the veterans who has seen his life turn around thanks to the HUD-VASH program.

Staff Sgt. Ramirez was a truck driver after his retirement from service, but when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, his employer shut down operations and he lost his job. Eventually, he also lost his home. He found his way to Wisconsin, where he was living in a treeline near a Wal-Mart in Platteville. Suffering from suicidal thoughts, he called a veterans emergency hotline, which connected him with the VA in Madison, who was able to provide mental health care and refer him to the HUD-VASH program. Now, Staff Sgt. Ramirez has a steady place to stay and a new path in life: he began studying human services at Madison College and is working to earn and Associate Degree.

"If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't have made it," Staff Sgt. Ramirez said at Thursday's event, adding that he hopes he can be a role model for others.

More veterans in the Madison area will now be able to follow a similar path thanks to additional changes being made to the HUD-VASH program by the Biden-Harris Administration.

Those who make up to 80% of the Area Median Income will now be eligible for the program. Previously, eligibility was limited to those making up to 50% of the Area Median Income. HUD is also changing the definition of income for participants in the program to exclude the veterans’ service-connected disability benefits. Previously, those benefits had counted as income, causing some veterans to exceed those old income thresholds.

Both of these changes will significantly increase the number of veterans eligible for the program.

In Madison, 80% of the Area Median Income translates to up to $68,500 for a single person or $88,050 for a household of three, according to HUD’s 2024 calculations.