Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) announced that some 200 local homeless veterans will be helped to find permanent housing, along with thousands of others nationwide, as part of a U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program.  The VA and HUD provide $72.6 million for public housing nationwide to help over 10,000 homeless veterans find permanent housing.  Locally, the program will be administered through the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx and its satellite clinic at 124 New Main Street in Yonkers.  The program is allocating $2,286,996 for the Center and the clinic.

“The plight of our homeless veterans is a tragedy – they have sacrificed so much for our country, and we must return the favor in their time of need.  One out of every six people in shelters once wore a uniform in service to our country.  Through programs such as this grant we can take important steps towards correcting this unconscionable situation,” said Rep. Engel.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said, “Under the leadership of President Obama, we have made significant progress in the fight to end homelessness among veterans, but more work remains.  The partnership between the federal government and community agencies across the country has strengthened all of our efforts to honor our veteransand keep us on track to prevent and eliminate veteran homelessness by 2015.”

The permanent supportive housing assistance announced today is provided through HUD’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH), a program administered by HUD, VA, and local housing agencies to provide permanent housing with case management and other supportive services for homeless veterans across the country.

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