TESTER, DAINES LEAD EFFORT TO COMBAT NATIVE AMERICAN VETERAN HOMELESSNESS

Montana – November 13, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — To honor the contributions Native American veterans have made to this nation, Vice Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee Jon Tester and Senator Steve Daines have introduced bipartisan legislation to combat veteran homelessness in Indian Country.

The Senators’ bipartisan bill will make HUD-VASH funds, which provide rental assistance to homeless or at-risk homeless veterans, permanently available to Native American tribes and tribal housing authorities.

Since 2008 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has administered the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) initiative to support homeless veterans. But prior to 2015 tribes and tribal housing authorities had been unable to receive HUD-VASH funds.

The HUD-VASH initiative provides housing vouchers to tribes and tribal housing authorities to construct affordable housing, provide rental assistance, and assist homeless veterans with services that aid recovery from physical and mental health conditions resulting from homelessness.

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