Second Round of $75 Million in Prop 41 Funds Now Available for Veteran Housing

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Second Round of $75 Million in Prop 41 Funds Now Available for Veteran Housing

SACRAMENTO – Today, $75 million is being made available by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as the second round of funding through the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention program (VHHP). VHHP’s goal is to develop housing opportunities for our Veterans, especially those at risk for homelessness or experiencing temporary or chronic homelessness. Awards will be made to qualifying developers and nonprofit entities to construct, acquire, rehabilitate, or preserve affordable multifamily housing for our Veterans and their families.

“On any given night, as many as 12,000 of our Veterans remain at risk of housing instability and homelessness,” said HCD Acting Director, Susan Lea Riggs. “VHHP plans to change that by creating stable, safe, service-enriched housing for our Veterans who served our nation.”

VHHP was developed by three collaborating state agencies: HCD, the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), and the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

“Our Veterans, who risked their lives to ensure our freedoms, deserve the very best housing solution we can provide,” said CalVet Secretary, Dr. Vito Imbasciani. “I’m proud that our collaboration with HCD and CalHFA has developed such a wonderful program that ensures our Veterans in need have housing along with strong Veteran‑centric services from providers with specific experience serving Veterans.”

In February 2015, VHHP made awards to 17 projects in the first round of funding. The existing awards cover projects in the Bay Area, Los Angeles County, Orange County, the Inland Empire, San Diego, and other areas of the state.

VHHP expects $75 million will be released annually until all Proposition 41 funds are exhausted, with a goal of providing quality housing for approximately 7,000 people. Geographic distributions intend to focus on areas with the largest concentrations of Veterans in need.