Washington, D.C. – Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated the City of Tucson’s Department of Housing and Community Development for receiving a $408,780 grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to extend housing assistance to homeless veterans. The grant will allow the city to provide 75 new vouchers to homeless veterans in Tucson and Pima County who can use them to reduce the out-of-pocket cost of housing rentals.

The money represents Tucson’s third HUD Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing grant in three years. The city will add 75 annual vouchers to its previous offering of 140, which can be used by homeless veterans referred to the city by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A voucher, which can be accepted voluntarily by any housing manager in the city or county, pays approximately 70 percent of monthly housing costs from the city’s fund. The veteran pays the remainder, adjusted for personal income.

“Finding homes for veterans is a crucial public service, and this grant is a much-needed push in that direction,” said Grijalva, who voted May 28 to end the Disabled Veterans Tax. “This program and others like it are an important part of our commitment to veterans who need assistance, and it deserves public and private sector support.”

The grant is among the $58.6 million being assigned nationwide during the current grant cycle by HUD officials as part of an ongoing VA initiative to end veteran homelessness. The VA conducts outreach efforts for the program and refers homeless veterans to cities or other public housing agencies, which partner with the federal government and receive grants to offer vouchers to landlords who choose to accept them.

For more information, call the Department of Housing and Community Development at (520) 791-4171.