Oklahoma tribes will benefit from federal aid to end homelessness among veterans.
The Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, or HUD-VASH, program boosted the number of housing vouchers in eastern Oklahoma from 35 in 2008 to 241 today. With five Oklahoma tribes getting a combined 20 percent of a $5.9 million expansion to help Native Americans, the VA’s Melanie Goldman said they can do even more.
"With the new Tribal HUD-VASH vouchers ... it will be well over 300 vouchers for homeless veterans and their families in our communities," Goldman said.
Richard Crockett with the Muskogee VA said they’re making good progress in ending homelessness among veterans, and the tribes will find more veterans to help.
"In 2014, we had 146 people that identified themselves as homeless, and in 2015, 125 did," Crockett said. "Right now, we have 233 veterans that are enrolled in our program ... 204 of them are housed."
The housing and support program has served around 90,000 homeless veterans nationwide since 2008, and funding for a tribal program was authorized last year.
HUD Secretary Julian Castro said the expansion will help 500 Native American veterans.
"I'm convinced that we'll create a more prosperous future for native families here in Oklahoma and across the United States, and in doing that, we will create a stronger 21st century for all Americans," Castro said.
The Cherokee, Choctaw, Osage and Creek nations and the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe are each receiving awards large enough to help 20 veterans find housing and get healthcare assistance.
