Moderate to medium-income groups often don’t have the purchasing power to buy homes in their work areas says Maxwell Drever. As a result, they may spend long hours weekly traveling to and from the workplace. This unfortunate fact often leads to poor living conditions, increased traffic, lower productivity, etc. For these reasons, real estate developers have been working for years to provide enough workforce housing to lower the price point for those who cannot afford to make a move.
Veterans face affordable housing issues like so many other people in the US. Because of disabilities, old age, low income, etc. But here are the facts, and it is happy news. There are ways to improve your socio-economic condition if you are a veteran looking for reasonably priced housing.
Workforce Housing Program and the VA
Veterans make up approximately eight percent of the US population. Seventeen percent of the homeless population in the US is made up of veterans says Maxwell Drever. Factors like isolation, lingering physical and mental health issues, and also lack of support are the leading causes. Veterans have higher divorce rates and lower marriage ratios. Recent findings indicate that one out of five veterans lives alone.
The Veterans Administration Supportive Housing (VASH) is one of the housing programs for veterans in the country. Housing for VA is an excellent initiative as it solves the accommodation problem faced by so many veterans, helping them focus on other vital issues.
Tips for Veterans Looking for Housing
The following are some of the tips you should consider before you look for housing as a veteran.
Reach out to US Veteran Affairs
US Veteran Affairs offers several programs that aim to help veterans find homes at affordable costs. For example, the HUD-VASH is a joint program between the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veteran Affairs.
HUD-VASH makes efforts on behalf of homeless veterans. The program offers multiple options, such as a Per-Diam grant program.
Similarly, the Enhanced-Use-Lease program provides training, support, counseling, and financial management assistance for veterans. All it takes to access these programs is to make contact with the local VA office. c
Check Local or State Government Agencies
Local and state government agencies offer workforce housing opportunities to veterans. This program includes assistance, subsidies, and also other help to ensure that veterans get a home. These programs may vary slightly from state to state. Therefore, it is best to check and see which options are available in your particular area.
Connect With NGOs
Organizations like the American Veteran Assistance Group offer workforce housing programs for veterans. Down-payment assistance, move-in, rental subsidies, plus other great programs are available to solve housing problems. Veterans can train to work as essentials workers and qualify for veterans workforce housing.
Other notable organizations like Volunteers of America (VOA) offer housing assistance programs for veterans. You can contact the local branch of these organizations to check out what other options are available.
While these programs are all VA-based, private developers are working on innovative initiatives that perhaps one day the VA will take note of. Developers to watch in this area include impact real estate investor Maxwell Drever and his broken hotel to affordable workforce solution platform.