Veterans applying for housing vouchers will no longer have to list their disability benefits as income.
Housing advocates say their veteran clients are often rejected from HUD-VASH (Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) vouchers because their income is too high.
Until recently, disability benefits had to be included as income, driving up the total. But HUD recently changed that policy.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a Committee on Veterans’ Affairs member, has been advocating for the change.
“We're righting a wrong, a miscarriage of fairness and justice for our veterans,” Blumenthal said. “And we're saying to veterans, you don't have to choose between the veterans benefits that you have deserved and earned and the housing assistance that you need.”
Locally, Anastacia Woolcock, the director of housing at the nonprofit Journey Home in Hartford, said more than 100 veterans are seeking homes.
Woolcock said the recent policy change will allow her agency to help veterans.
“We have VASH units left unfilled while having folks in the shelter, and cannot access those housing opportunities because of their VA benefit,” Woolcock said.
According to the federal Housing Department’s 2023 Point-in-Time count, more than 35,000 veterans experienced homelessness on a single night in January. That’s up 7% since 2022.
Veteran homelessness dropped more than 50% between 2010 and 2022, according to HUD.
