How Landlords Can Help End Veteran Homelessness

The VA needs landlords who are interested in housing Veterans.

Landlords have a unique opportunity to give back to those who have served. Veterans have selflessly defended our nation in times of need — and landlords can make a positive impact by protecting these individuals from the risk of homelessness. Housing Veterans doesn’t just provide shelter, but can lead to life-changing health, social, and socioeconomic outcomes for them and their families. Furthermore, housing Veterans provides a mutually beneficial relationship; landlords will benefit from responsible, often long-term, renters, support from VA, and guaranteed payments that come through Housing Choice Vouchers or grantees offering short-term subsidies.

Please note: VA does not make direct payments to landlords. Rental subsidy payments described here are disbursed from either homeless Veteran-specific Housing Choice Vouchers administered by local public housing authorities or through nonprofit organizations that administer VA-funded grants.

We urge all landlord to consider the information and strategies listed here and to contact us to connect with the local VA homeless coordinator in their area.

Benefits of Renting to Veterans
Reliable income: With HUD-VASH vouchers and SSVF subsidies, a portion of the rent is automatically paid on time to landlords by a public housing authority or an SSVF provider. A team supports the Veteran to provide stability, educates the Veteran on his or her tenancy requirements, and helps the Veteran meet the requirements of the lease, such as paying their portion of the rent on time. In addition, accepting housing vouchers or rental subsidies does not mean accepting less money. The combination of these payments along with the Veteran’s portion matches fair market rental prices, so landlords won’t see less money coming in.
Support from VA: Case management from VA support programs can connect landlords and Veterans with help they may need. Such a network of support creates a solid foundation for Veterans and is more likely to lead to successful and stable tenancy.
Serve those who have served: Landlords renting to Veterans can feel proud of their decision to house those who have answered our nation's call. Such a decision can be consequential in changing a Veteran's life.
Support community health outcomes: The pandemic reminds us that nearly all health is public, and our wellbeing is highly influenced by the health of our community. Veterans experiencing homelessness are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 as well as developing other health conditions. By providing safe housing to Veterans and their families, landlords can help mitigate these risks, improve community health, and help our nation make progress in recovering from this national tragedy.

Find Tenants

• Reach out to a local VA medical center (VAMC): Each VAMC has staff who are dedicated to connecting Veterans with housing. Contact us let us know about your rental units.
• Contact a local housing authority: Many local housing authorities work closely with HUD-VASH programs and can assist in connecting landlords to both HUD-VASH and Veterans who are eager to rent. Most will have websites and contact information obtainable through a quick internet search. Find housing authorities nationwide by visiting this site.
• Advertise HUD-VASH and voucher acceptance in property listings: If a landlord is advertising a property, they should consider highlighting that they accept HUD-VASH and housing choice vouchers. While federal law does not require a landlord to accept these, some states prohibit refusing a tenant based on voucher payments.
• Consider shared living arrangements: The majority of Veterans experiencing homelessness are single males. Many single Veterans may be interested in shared living arrangements that can help cut down costs, especially in competitive markets. Consider leasing multiple bedrooms in a single-family home to multiple Veterans.

To obtain more information on this program, click here.

• For Landlords