Invite to the Mayors Challenge National Call

Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Invite to the Mayors Challenge National Call You are cordially invited to join HUD Secretary Julián Castro and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman on the Mayors Challenge National Call to discuss your community’s commitment to end veteran homelessness. We welcome all Mayors, City Staff, Community Partners and Stakeholders to join us. Call Details: Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM EST Call-in: (800) 288-8967 If you have any questions, please email MayorsChallenge@hud.gov. Notes from November’s National Call with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald: How can we recruit landlords in high priced real estate markets to accept HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers and close the housing gap for our veterans?   Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) may apply for Exception Payment Standards that allow them to offer up to 110 percent fair market rate (FMR) for affordable housing. Check with your local PHA to find out if a request has been submitted.   It may also be helpful to appeal directly to landlords to “house our veterans.” Several cities have been successful with this targeted outreach.   Will more HUD-VASH vouchers be made available?   Increased funds for HUD-VASH vouchers have been requested in the FY 2016 proposed budget; however the final appropriation is pending congressional approval.   How do you mitigate the federal program eligibility gap for housing chronically homeless veterans who have been dishonorably discharged?   PHA programs do not restrict eligibility based on a veteran’s discharge status. Some PHAs have created special “Veteran Preferences” to prioritize housing homeless veterans, as stated in the PHA Guidebook to Ending Homelessness. It may be helpful to work with your local housing authority to establish a similar classification.   Continuums of Care (CoCs) should prioritize permanent supportive housing in cases of chronic homelessness where veterans are not eligible for HUD-VASH. Resources: First Lady Michelle Obama’s Video Encouraging Landlords to Help End Veteran Homelessness   Achieving an End to Veteran Homelessness: Criteria and Benchmarks   SNAPS In Focus: What it Means to End Veteran Homelessness   Data Sharing: VA Guidance on HMIS Access   Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness: Vets@Home Toolkits   Status Query and Response Exchange System (SQUARES)   Assisting Veterans Experiencing Homelessness Through VA or Non-VA Programs: Quick Referral Guide   Identifying and Referring Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: Veterans Referral Tool   10 Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness If you have specific questions that have not been answered please feel free to contact your local HUD office or email us at mayorschallenge@hud.gov. Sincerely, The Mayors Challenge View HUD and U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Regional Contact Information.