Housing aid on the way for state's homeless vets

Seattle and other Washington cities will receive nearly $1.5 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help nearly 250 homeless veterans around the state rent housing, HUD regional director John Meyers said Monday in Seattle.

The money is part of a $2.6 million HUD grant announced Monday to be allocated to 10 housing authorities in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, aimed at providing permanent housing for 440 homeless veterans served by Department of Veterans Administration medical centers, a HUD news release said.

In Washington, the Seattle housing authority will receive $406,511 to house 53 veterans served by Seattle's VA medical center, with the King County housing authority receiving $431,621 to house 53 more veterans also served by the same center.

Pierce County's housing authority will receive $225,901 to house 35 veterans, while in Eastern Washington, $165,635 has been awarded to the Spokane authority to help 35 veterans, and $278,000 will allocated to Walla Walla to help 70 veterans.

Nationwide, HUD, through the veterans affairs supportive housing program, is providing nearly 10,000 rental-assistance vouchers to 129 local public housing agencies.

The VA last year provided health care to more than 100,000 homeless veterans and other services to more than 60,000 veterans in specialized homeless programs, HUD officials said. The Bush administration hopes in 2009 to provide an additional $75 million to help an additional 10,000 homeless veterans.