{"id":3954,"date":"2026-04-01T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/?p=3954"},"modified":"2026-04-01T15:09:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T15:09:18","slug":"understanding-the-policy-change-that-increased-access-to-hud-vash-for-disabled-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/understanding-the-policy-change-that-increased-access-to-hud-vash-for-disabled-veterans\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Policy Change that Increased Access to HUD-VASH for Disabled Veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull va-page-title-1\" style=\"min-height:208px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-179 size-large\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/academic-affiliations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2025\/05\/Hero2.png?w=1024\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#085795\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide has-text-align-left\">Featured Article<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"va-body-wrapper wp-block-create-block-body-wrapper\"><div class=\"va-body-wrapper__inner\">\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<form role=\"search\" method=\"get\" action=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/\" class=\"wp-block-search__button-outside wp-block-search__text-button wp-block-search\" ><label class=\"wp-block-search__label\" for=\"wp-block-search__input-1\" >Search Articles<\/label><div class=\"wp-block-search__inside-wrapper\" ><input class=\"wp-block-search__input\" id=\"wp-block-search__input-1\" placeholder=\"\" value=\"\" type=\"search\" name=\"s\" required \/><button aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"wp-block-search__button wp-element-button\" type=\"submit\" >Search<\/button><\/div><\/form>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide va-intro-page va-intro-page-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding the Policy Change that Increased Access to HUD-VASH for Disabled Veterans<\/h2>\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #0073aa\" class=\"wp-block-create-block-colored-spacer has-0073-aa-background-color has-background\"><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By Tracy Emmanuel, Deputy National Director for HUD-VASH, VHA Homeless Programs Office<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>April 1, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/category\/featured-articles\/\" rel=\"tag\">Featured Articles<\/a><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"taxonomy-post_tag wp-block-post-terms\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/tag\/ami\/\" rel=\"tag\">ami<\/a><span class=\"wp-block-post-terms__separator\"> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/tag\/housing\/\" rel=\"tag\">Housing<\/a><span class=\"wp-block-post-terms__separator\"> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/tag\/hud-vash\/\" rel=\"tag\">hud-vash<\/a><span class=\"wp-block-post-terms__separator\"> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/tag\/policy\/\" rel=\"tag\">policy<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-c00f5982\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"787\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_829566735.jpeg\" alt=\"A model house and a calculator sitting on blueprints.\" class=\"wp-image-3955\" style=\"width:900px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_829566735.jpeg 1400w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_829566735.jpeg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_829566735.jpeg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_829566735.jpeg?resize=1024,576 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide va-intro-page va-intro-page-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In August 2024, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) <a href=\"https:\/\/archives.hud.gov\/news\/2024\/pr24-202.cfm\" rel=\"noopener\">announced a new set of policy changes<\/a> to help more Veterans receive assistance under the <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/hud-vash\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"483\">HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH)<\/a> program, improving their access to housing with wraparound supportive services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the changes were pretty technical, here\u2019s some background that might help explain why this change was good news for Veterans who are experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-c00f5982\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is HUD-VASH?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HUD-VASH is a program that pairs HUD\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hud.gov\/helping-americans\/housing-choice-vouchers-tenants\" rel=\"noopener\">Housing Choice Voucher<\/a> rental assistance, which helps make rent affordable, with VA case management and supportive services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These services are designed to help homeless Veterans and their families find permanent housing and get access to health care, mental health treatment, and other support necessary to help them improve their quality of life and maintain housing over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HUD-VASH vouchers are administered locally by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hud.gov\/contactus\/public-housing-contacts\" rel=\"noopener\">public housing agencies<\/a> nationwide. To ensure that these agencies can reach the most Veterans with the greatest needs, HUD established income limits on HUD-VASH program participation. Those limits are based on a concept called \u201carea median income.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is area median income?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you arranged all the households in your community from poorest to wealthiest, the household in the middle would be considered the \u201cmedian.\u201d That household\u2019s income would then be considered the area median income for your entire community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each year, HUD determines the area median income for different household sizes, from those with a single person to those with families of eight or more people, for every county in America. You can use their website to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huduser.gov\/Portal\/datasets\/il.html\" rel=\"noopener\">find your community\u2019s area median income on HUD\u2019s Income Limits page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HUD uses area median income to establish income limits in affordable housing. When setting income limits, HUD allows public housing agencies to choose one of three levels based on percentages of a community\u2019s area median income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Extremely Low<\/em> at 30% of a community\u2019s area median income<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Very Low<\/em> at 50% of a community\u2019s area median income<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Low <\/em>at 80% of a community\u2019s area median income<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When operating their HUD-VASH programs, many public housing agencies already chose the <em>Low<\/em> 80% level. However, some chose the <em>Very Low<\/em> 50% level, which often excluded Veterans with relatively higher household incomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So, what&#8217;s the problem?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans experiencing homelessness may receive VA benefits as a result of an injury or illness that was acquired or worsened during military service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2024, a homeless Veteran with no dependents (i.e., no spouse or children) and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/disability\/compensation-rates\/veteran-rates\/\" rel=\"noopener\">100% disability rating received $44,854.20<\/a> each year. In many communities, this was enough income for them to live independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, in some circumstances, these benefits could conflict with the income limits for particular communities, which led to frustrating situations for Veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, in 2024, if you were a homeless, single, 100%-rated Veteran living in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, you would exceed the <em>Very Low<\/em> 50% level of $34,050 for that community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the local public housing agency chose to operate at the <em>Very Low<\/em> 50% level, you would be ineligible for HUD-VASH. But, if they chose to operate at the <em>Low<\/em> 80% level of $54,450 for Cuyahoga County, you would be eligible for HUD-VASH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If, instead, you were homeless in Calloway County, Kentucky, you would exceed both the <em>Very Low<\/em> 50% level and the <em>Low<\/em> 80% level of $42,350 for that area. Even if the local public housing agency chose to operate at the <em>Low<\/em> 80% level, you would be ineligible for HUD-VASH there, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was extremely frustrating for Veterans trying to find housing and help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not only that, but some Veterans who were within the income limits for the HUD-VASH program still were not able to find supportive housing if specific housing units developed for homeless Veterans imposed more restrictive admission guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This brought us to the dilemma that some Veterans faced: their hard-earned benefits may have made them ineligible for the housing assistance they needed and deserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How did the fix work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new policy change by HUD did two things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, it required <em>all<\/em> public housing agencies that administered HUD-VASH to set the initial income eligibility for Veteran households at the <em>Low <\/em>80% level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember, public housing agencies were previously allowed to choose whichever level they wanted to use. So, while many housing agencies have already adopted the <em>Low <\/em>80% level on their own, HUD is now making this increase mandatory across the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was good news for Veterans whose income put them between the <em>Very Low<\/em> 50% and <em>Low<\/em> 80% levels for their community. Thanks to this change, we estimated that up to 10% of the homeless Veterans who came to VA for help each year would now be eligible for HUD-VASH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Second, this change required all public housing agencies to exclude, or not count, Veterans\u2019 service-connected disability benefits when determining income eligibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This helped Veterans whose income put them above the <em>Low<\/em> 80% level for their community. Thanks to this second change, we estimated that an additional 3% of the homeless Veterans who came to VA for help each year were now eligible for HUD-VASH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So that&#8217;s it? Is it fixed now?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HUD\u2019s action, while an important first step, did not directly resolve the obstacles many disabled Veterans faced, especially when seeking to rent from housing projects and apartment communities with restrictive income eligibility caps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, in September 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-drop\/rp-24-38.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\">issued new guidance<\/a> regarding its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huduser.gov\/portal\/datasets\/lihtc.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Low Income Housing Tax Credit<\/a> program, which many housing developers used to finance the construction of affordable housing. With the new guidance, the Treasury adopted HUD\u2019s new income eligibility criteria. Veterans seeking housing in projects financed through the LIHTC program would no longer have their disability benefits counted as income for program eligibility, which would dramatically increase the number of Veterans eligible for this housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The job of ending Veteran homelessness isn\u2019t over yet, and we won\u2019t rest until we get it done.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"va-body-wrapper wp-block-create-block-body-wrapper\"><div class=\"va-body-wrapper__inner\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group va-section-title va-section-title-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact VA for help<\/h2>\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #005EA2\" class=\"wp-block-create-block-colored-spacer has-ff-5500-background-color has-background\"><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, we strongly encourage you to contact the <strong>National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at <a href=\"tel:+18774243838\">877-424-3838<\/a><\/strong> for assistance.<br><br>The call is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trained professionals are standing by to connect you to your nearest VA for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-blue-icon-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/homeless\/nationalcallcenter.asp\" rel=\"noopener\">Chat with a live professional now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/homeless\/nationalcallcenter.asp\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1385\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png\" alt=\"National Call Center for Homeless Veterans logo. 877-424-3838\" class=\"wp-image-5628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png 1385w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=300,130 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=768,333 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=1024,444 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1385px) 100vw, 1385px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In August 2024, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new set of policy changes to help more Veterans receive assistance under the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, improving their access to housing with wraparound supportive services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":3955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"priority":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[63,4,37,62],"class_list":["post-3954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-articles","tag-ami","tag-housing","tag-hud-vash","tag-policy"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/understanding-the-policy-change-that-increased-access-to-hud-vash-for-disabled-veterans\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Understanding the Policy Change that Increased Access to HUD-VASH for Disabled 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