VA Releases Guidance Allowing PHAs to Issue HUD-VASH Vouchers without Referrals

By: Tushar Gurjal, Senior Policy Manager

On March 11, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published guidance titled “Public Housing Agencies as HUD-VASH Designated Service Providers” on their website allowing PHAs to issue HUD-VASH Vouchers without a referral in certain instances. The guidance provides instructions for PHAs to apply to serve as Designated Service Providers (DSPs) for the purposes of veteran selection and intake for the HUD-VASH program. By applying to be a DSP for the purposes of veteran selection and intake, a PHA may “issue a HUD-VASH voucher to a veteran without a referral from the VA.”

The PHA must still determine if the veteran is eligible for case management and must refer the veteran for case management and provide temporary case management until the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) has completed its intake of the veteran. Housing agencies must ensure that they have sufficient vouchers to immediately issue a voucher for a veteran referred by the VA. Additionally, temporary case management is defined as lasting “not longer than 180 days (or any extension approved by VA) for each [v]eteran served.” There is no funding for the temporary case management required by the PHA, and the PHA must secure external funding for those services.

Additional information, including a DSP application form, a sample memorandum of agreement between the PHA and VAMC, and an “In Kind Services Agreement” can be found here.