Offering housing to Veterans
Racine, WI · Member since 2013 · 24 posts · 6 votes
I am purchasing a home in Wisconsin and offering it for rent. I have had a veteran ask me if I would be interested in offering this home as a Veterans home? It sounds interesting to me and would like to entertain this idea. As of now I offer single and two family homes. Has anyone had any experience in this? Have any advice for me? Thanks!
It's been some time since this thread was active, but I figured I'd chime in on it anyway, as it seems no one had a totally clear understanding of the programs and partnerships the VA currently seeks and offers. I have first hand experience in all four of the available programs, so I speak from a good base of knowledge. Currently, as a property owner, you could be interested in any of the following programs: HUD-VASH, Supportive Services for Veterans and Families (SSVF), Grant and Per Diem (GPD), and Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV). If you own commercial rental space, the VA may be interested in leasing space for any planned expansions of services in their area, but I haven't had much experience in that realm. I just know that those deals happen.
So, other than being a mess of acronyms, what do those programs actually do?
HUD-VASH: This is the program most likely to be a good fit for people who manage or own rentals. From a financial side, this is Section 8, but exclusively for veterans. To qualify, they need to be eligible for medical services from the VA, be low income and homeless. Slightly more complex than that, but that's all that's important to us here. The beauty of the program is, unlike regular Section 8 tenants, the VA provides wrap around supportive services to the veteran. At minimum, each voucher holder is assigned a Social Worker, such as myself, to provide regular meetings and case management to the veteran to ensure they succeed in housing. This can take on a lot of different forms, from making sure they're budgeting well, maintaining their premise appropriately, assisting with transportation, facilitating in-home care for more medically fragile veterans, etc. In urban areas, HUD-VASH also has a specially assigned medical team that also works with veterans in the program, to make sure they are able to get timely access to any medical or mental health care needed. In more rural areas, the Social Worker ensures timely access to local medical and mental health services, as necessary. I've often wondered how landlords deal with problem tenants when they can't call someone like myself to assist. Reading here and talking with my parents, it seems that the options are few and messy.
Bottom line, this support translates to a fantastic success rate with veterans in the program, especially impressive considering most, if not all, of the veterans in the program have some aspect to their rental history, credit, or at least their current homelessness and limited income, that would cause most landlords to deny their application. Over 95% of the over 80 veterans I've helped find rentals and use the program were still in their rental and current on rent and utilities at the one year mark. Our local Public Housing Authority statistics indicate that roughly 50% of Section 8 vouchers go unused in the 2-4 month search window after they are issued, usually because of an inability to come up with a deposit or locate a rental willing to rent to them. Another sizable portion are returned to the PHA, or revoked from the tenant, for breaking program rules each year, all of which reinforces the negative stereotypes of Section 8 renters in our community. This program solves both of those issues for the vast majority of tenants, and if the fair market rent values in your area work out well with your financial picture, this could be a fantastic way to have VERY low vacancy rates at your rentals. If people are interested, I can definitely talk more in depth about how to successfully engage with this program.
SSVF: Most areas of the US have local non-profits who run this program on a contract basis for the VA. The program is designed to be a one-time rental assistance program, able to fund part or all of a security deposit, move-in costs, etc. for a veteran moving into housing, as well as a time limited period of case management. Also, the program is able to fund veterans to cover back rent or utilities, if its determined the veteran is in a temporary situation which could see him/her evicted. These housing stabilization services also come with a time limited period of case management, though on a broad basis compared to HUDVASH, SSVF case management is significantly less involved. This program could be a great way to help veteran tenants avoid eviction or afford the hump of costs to get into a rental, including a nice high security deposit.
GPD/HCHV: These programs are both contracted programs run by local non-profits. They are both group housing programs, GPD more transitional living, longer term and lower level of services while HCHV is usually shorter term, high level of services and more focused on mental health, physical health, or substance abuse treatment. Neither program is likely something anyone here would be interested in investing in, unless they also had a related non-profit they would like to run these programs, but the non-profits who run they programs often rent the site that they operate them at. I'd encourage anyone here to keep an open mind to any rental pitch for a program like this, as they have little to no impact on the local community, despite the NIMBYism that they usually have to fight through to get off the ground in a community.
I hope this helps clarify what is out there and available to our veterans in your local area!
Well from what i understand is that your home can be offered to veterans (a Gov't funded program), similar to a section 8 tenants. This veteran himself told me that the home could house maybe 4 veterans (4 bedrooms); retired, active, disabled.... He led me to believe that the Gov't would even furnish the home for them. This is all new to me.
Thanks that's kind of what i'm thinking too. Imagine 4 veterans in your home -vs- a bunch of kids tearing it apart. I will repost when I get some more information. This gentleman said that he is going to get a information packet for me and a contact. One person supplied me one thought though, and that is to see if the Veterans can be screened like any other tenant or are they placed in the home. If someone comes home with traumatic distress, could that individual be dangerous and what could be my possible liabilities.... So sad to think that way but we have to protect our assets.
I do exactly what you are thinking about.
IT IS A HEADACHE!! BUT.. it pays well. If you think you can just set up shop and get paid, forget it. Most of these guys are WAYYYY out there. You need to find the guys that have a Federal fuduciary that handles their funds. That is the ONLY way your getting paid. Most of these guys cant handle their own money and most of then receive SS disability on top of their other federal funds. I am a Payee for a few of them. It is not easy, but the catch is you can request alot more rent than normal, and THEY PAY FOR ALL DAMAGES and YOUR labor to fix what they break. Hell, I make 2K a month sometimes fixing my own houses on the side.
That's crazy :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I make 2K a month sometimes fixing my own houses on the side"
Are you referring to the HUD-VASH program? I was just do research on this the other day.
@Andy Robison not a correct statement.
Form the article. "strongly associated with a history of violent offending before joining the military" and I may be off but again by the article "there is only an increased risk of 2% when compared to the general population." But not by much my brothers and sisters are not the psychopaths that we have been made out to be in the media. I could go on for pages about this. Your odds when renting to a bunch of 20 yr olds are the same, drunk and cocky it goes with the game. Retired guys usually have their **** together there are not many left from Vietnam that will run around screaming about Charlie's most of those are in government "facilities" anyways.
@Chris Da Are you serious?
Carrie...the HUD-VASH program is different from what you are thinking of which is a residential (also known as a personal care home) for veterans.
HUD-VASH are vouchers given to homeless veterans similar to the Section 8 programs many may be familiar with. Often these vouchers limit the veteran to a 1 bedroom rental property.
The residential/personal care facility requires more than simply housing 3 or 4 veterans in a home; it often requires some type of 24 hour maintenance for these vets (depending on their level of care needed), which can include meal preparation and monitoring of medications these veterans are on. While they would have to be able to bath, dress, feed themselves, there is often a level of monitoring required by a certain level of health care professional (often at the nursing assistant level stage) to be present much of the time.
It can be financially rewarding for the person running such a program; the veterans themselves in my neck of the woods will often pay upwards of $800 to $1200 each for their room and board (still less expensive than their next step which would be a nursing home facility) but the VA does require regular monitoring of these type of facilities.
Gail (who works in a VA Medical facility)
The program I know of that houses homeless VETw is called Per Diem. They pay well but only solicit bids twice a year. Also, you have to have a non-profit set up as a program that can provide that 24 hour care/supervision. The program I saw in action had maybe 2 to 3 VETw in one room and paid weekly. It's not like section 8 where you accept a voucher and sign a few papers.
The OP hasn't posted anything on the forums at all since the OP here on this thread. Been about 6 weeks. Is this common on BP that people come in for a little while and then are never seen or heard from again?
Well this is what i have learned from a local Vet: In his situation he tells me that his rent is paid by the Gov't because he was wounded in the line of duty. I believe he said that most of these Vets do have PTSD or other disabilities, may have families or single. He took my business card and was to forward on to a gentleman within the organization in which he is involved. I have not heard from this gentleman as of yet. I am definitely not interested in the HUD-VASH program at this time because I am not qualified, nor setup/trained for anything like that. I wouldn't mind, but right now am managing my own 7 properties and working full time. The information is great though. Wish I could do something like that and quit my job!!! Getting so tired. Thank you all for taking the time to post!
Carrie
Attached is the latest policy on residential group homes in the VA system:
http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=2984
If you hear from this gentleman within this organization, make certain he is a federal employee who understands these regulations and not simply someone who wishes to rent your house for the purpose of housing these vets. As with most things having to do with the "feds" there are a number of regulations that must be met and monitored with these programs.
Gail
Thank You for the Info, Gail. I will take a look at it. Yes the Vet that I refer to actually rents from my brother and he gave my business card to his contact within the Federal Gov't. I'll be careful.
Check zoning before you get to involved. Is the home considered a multi-family house? If it can be done it might be a very good move. Food for thought.
When looking into some stuff on transitional housing, I came across this article. I think in this post there are two different things being talked about. There's the "assisted living" where there is a requirement of providing a certain level of care for the vets in a group home setting, and a "shared housing" situation where they are independent, but share housing.
Here's the article I ran across. I guess you can do this with a variety of types of people, and circumstances. As a builder, I'm wondering what the appeal to investors would be to purchase such homes if someone provided the tenants.
It's been some time since this thread was active, but I figured I'd chime in on it anyway, as it seems no one had a totally clear understanding of the programs and partnerships the VA currently seeks and offers. I have first hand experience in all four of the available programs, so I speak from a good base of knowledge. Currently, as a property owner, you could be interested in any of the following programs: HUD-VASH, Supportive Services for Veterans and Families (SSVF), Grant and Per Diem (GPD), and Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV). If you own commercial rental space, the VA may be interested in leasing space for any planned expansions of services in their area, but I haven't had much experience in that realm. I just know that those deals happen.
So, other than being a mess of acronyms, what do those programs actually do?
HUD-VASH: This is the program most likely to be a good fit for people who manage or own rentals. From a financial side, this is Section 8, but exclusively for veterans. To qualify, they need to be eligible for medical services from the VA, be low income and homeless. Slightly more complex than that, but that's all that's important to us here. The beauty of the program is, unlike regular Section 8 tenants, the VA provides wrap around supportive services to the veteran. At minimum, each voucher holder is assigned a Social Worker, such as myself, to provide regular meetings and case management to the veteran to ensure they succeed in housing. This can take on a lot of different forms, from making sure they're budgeting well, maintaining their premise appropriately, assisting with transportation, facilitating in-home care for more medically fragile veterans, etc. In urban areas, HUD-VASH also has a specially assigned medical team that also works with veterans in the program, to make sure they are able to get timely access to any medical or mental health care needed. In more rural areas, the Social Worker ensures timely access to local medical and mental health services, as necessary. I've often wondered how landlords deal with problem tenants when they can't call someone like myself to assist. Reading here and talking with my parents, it seems that the options are few and messy.
Bottom line, this support translates to a fantastic success rate with veterans in the program, especially impressive considering most, if not all, of the veterans in the program have some aspect to their rental history, credit, or at least their current homelessness and limited income, that would cause most landlords to deny their application. Over 95% of the over 80 veterans I've helped find rentals and use the program were still in their rental and current on rent and utilities at the one year mark. Our local Public Housing Authority statistics indicate that roughly 50% of Section 8 vouchers go unused in the 2-4 month search window after they are issued, usually because of an inability to come up with a deposit or locate a rental willing to rent to them. Another sizable portion are returned to the PHA, or revoked from the tenant, for breaking program rules each year, all of which reinforces the negative stereotypes of Section 8 renters in our community. This program solves both of those issues for the vast majority of tenants, and if the fair market rent values in your area work out well with your financial picture, this could be a fantastic way to have VERY low vacancy rates at your rentals. If people are interested, I can definitely talk more in depth about how to successfully engage with this program.
SSVF: Most areas of the US have local non-profits who run this program on a contract basis for the VA. The program is designed to be a one-time rental assistance program, able to fund part or all of a security deposit, move-in costs, etc. for a veteran moving into housing, as well as a time limited period of case management. Also, the program is able to fund veterans to cover back rent or utilities, if its determined the veteran is in a temporary situation which could see him/her evicted. These housing stabilization services also come with a time limited period of case management, though on a broad basis compared to HUDVASH, SSVF case management is significantly less involved. This program could be a great way to help veteran tenants avoid eviction or afford the hump of costs to get into a rental, including a nice high security deposit.
GPD/HCHV: These programs are both contracted programs run by local non-profits. They are both group housing programs, GPD more transitional living, longer term and lower level of services while HCHV is usually shorter term, high level of services and more focused on mental health, physical health, or substance abuse treatment. Neither program is likely something anyone here would be interested in investing in, unless they also had a related non-profit they would like to run these programs, but the non-profits who run they programs often rent the site that they operate them at. I'd encourage anyone here to keep an open mind to any rental pitch for a program like this, as they have little to no impact on the local community, despite the NIMBYism that they usually have to fight through to get off the ground in a community.
I hope this helps clarify what is out there and available to our veterans in your local area!
@Bradley Bogdan Thanks for the detail on the VASH program. It sounds like a worthy challenge. I'd love to learn more. Let's start another thread since this one is dead.
Thank You Bradley. That was a great explanation.all I would be able to offer to anybody you would be the HUD Vash I am not able to provide any health care. Sorry i didn't respond sooner i don't believe i got an update until now with the last post. I ended up renting the house I thought might be a fit for one of these programs. I was also disappointed that nobody ever returned my calls from our local area so I guess it's not meant to be. Maybe I'll try to look into it again for the next home that comes available. Thanks again for the info.
Bradley, thank you for the detailed explanation of the programs! I just met someone tonight who does one of these programs (he owns the homes and works with a non-profit for the funds/veterans side), it's the first time I heard of this and that's how I came across this thread via a search. Your explanation cleared up some things for me :)