Montana VA helps over 200 Montana veterans secure shelter in 2022
Landlords encouraged to support veterans through use of available HUD-VASH vouchers
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News from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
HELENA — As part of VA’s nationwide goal to house 38,000 homeless Veterans in 2022, Montana VA has provided 211 permanent housing placements for Montana Veterans experiencing homelessness.
Permanent housing placements provided by VA staff and community partners included apartments or houses that Veterans could rent or own, often with a subsidy to help make the housing affordable. VA staff also helped some Veterans end their homelessness by reuniting with family and friends.
These placements, along with placements provided by other VA health care systems across America, led to VA housing 40,401 Veterans nationwide, meeting and exceeding its national goal by more than 6.3%.
“This goal was achieved through the hard work and dedication of our Montana VA homeless programs staff, our grantees and contractors and our valued community partners,” said Montana VA’s Executive Director, Dr. Judy Hayman. “Across Montana, we must continue this work to ensure that no Veteran is unsheltered and that secure housing is accessible for all.”
In Montana, there was a 56.4% increase in Veterans who were homeless from 2021 (110) to 2022 (172), based upon the 2022 Point-in-Time count. Unfortunately, it is anticipated that more Veterans and others in Montana’s communities will experience homelessness in 2023 due to housing shortages and rising housing costs.
“One-third of Montana’s available HUD-VASH vouchers, which provide financial housing assistance for Veterans without shelter, are unused by local landlords,” said Adrian Spencer, Montana VA’s Homeless Program Manager. “If filled, these unused vouchers could represent stable housing for 187 Montana Veterans at risk for homelessness. Landlords who are interested in helping Veterans find stable housing through HUD-VASH vouchers can call (406) 447-6000 and ask for the Homeless Program to learn more.”
The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program combines Section 8 rental assistance for homeless Veterans with case management and clinical services provided by Montana VA. These vouchers cover a percentage of a Veteran’s rental costs. Most HUD-VASH participants rent from private landlords and partnerships with public and private housing providers is essential to the success of this program.
Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless due to financial hardship, unemployment, addiction, depression, or transition from jail can contact the Montana VA Homeless Program at 406-447-6144 or 406- 373-3927. Available support includes immediate food and shelter, including both transitional and permanent housing, job training, life skills development, and education, support with justice system navigation and community re-entry from jail, financial support to prevent homelessness, treatment for addiction and depression, and health and dental care.
All of these efforts are built on the evidence-based “Housing First” approach, which prioritizes getting a Veteran into housing, then provides the Veteran with the wraparound support they need to stay housed — including health care, job training, legal and education assistance and more.
Montana VA serves over 47,000 enrolled Veterans across Montana—an area roughly 147,000 square miles in size. Veterans are cared for by a staff of 1,400 at 18 sites of care across the state. One third of Montana VA employees are Veterans. Veterans can connect to their VA healthcare records, information, and message their VA care teams 24 hours a day through the MyHealtheVet patient portal. Montana VA information, updates, and events are available on the Montana VA website and Facebook page.
