Housing Pilot Program Secured for Homeless and At-Risk Pinal County Veterans
The Apache Junction & Gold Canyon News
After months of working with veteran service organizations, community health programs, the Pinal County Housing Authority and the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson, Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) announced that a pilot program to house homeless and at-risk veterans in Pinal County would be launched.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program is a collaborative program between HUD and the VA that assists homeless veterans and their families in finding and sustaining permanent housing. An existing audit failure and lack of accurate data prevented HUD-VASH vouchers from being allocated to Pinal County. Existing data did not properly capture how many veterans would be eligible for the program. O’Halleran and his staff secured a pilot program that would allow HUD-VASH vouchers to be ported to Pinal County.
“Our veterans served with honor, and when they return from defending our country, they deserve our support and respect. I will not sit by while homeless veterans in Pinal County and across Arizona go without food and shelter,” O’Halleran said. “Access to reliable housing is critical for the long-term success of our veterans as they seek employment and educational opportunities. HUD-VASH has given that stability to tens of thousands of veterans across the country, and it will be an important resource for Pinal County.”
