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BY THOMAS GRILLO
WASHINGTON – The Lynn Housing Authority received nearly $58,000 in federal money to help end veteran homelessness.
The award will provide rental assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with case management and clinical services provided by the Veterans Administration (VA).
“This is real world, tangible help that can keep veterans off the street,” said Michael Sweeney, the director of Veterans Services in Lynn. “We have been working with the Housing Authority and the VA hand-in-hand and it’s been an incredible partnership.”
The local grant was part of about $630,000 to help 73 homeless veterans in Massachusetts find a permanent place to call home. The rental assistance distributed on Thursday is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program. The agencies work to reduce veteran homelessness by providing funding for the housing and supportive services that are essential for ending homelessness for tens of thousands of veterans nationwide.
In the HUD-VASH program, VA Medical Centers assess veterans experiencing homelessness before referring them to housing agencies for vouchers. Decisions are based on a variety of factors, most importantly the duration of homelessness and the need for longer term, more intensive support in obtaining and maintaining permanent housing. Participating veterans rent privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent.
Earlier this year, federal officials declared that Lynn had eliminated homelessness among local veterans.
Lynn Housing Authority and Neighborhood Development spearheaded the local battle to take veterans off the street by getting them one-on-one counseling; helping them to assess their financial situations and harnessing services provided by federal Veterans Affairs workers.
Despite the honor, Sweeney said advocates have to keep at it to make sure all vets have safe homes.
“We all recognize that it’s an ongoing effort” he said. “There will always be more vets who need housing help and that’s how to make sure we don’t lose the gains we’ve made.”