Herald Mail - Federal Grant to Help Veterans Find Homes

News Article

By Dan Derth

Thirty veterans living in halfway houses at undisclosed locations in Hagerstown will be able to find more stable homes thanks to a $219,521 federal grant.

Ted Shankle, executive director of the Hagerstown Housing Authority, said the grant was awarded earlier this week by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development -- Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program.

"They'll be able to move out of halfway houses into permanent housing," he said.

The local money was part of a $491,367 grant that was issued statewide, according to the offices of Rep. John Delaney, and U.S. Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, all Maryland Democrats.

The Calvert County Housing Authority received $198,901 of the grant, while the Baltimore County Housing Authority got $72,945.

"We have a sacred obligation to support our nation's veterans, and there's little more fundamental to a person's well-being and dignity than having a place to live" Delaney said in a news release.

"I'm hopeful that federal grants to the Hagerstown Housing Authority will help Western Maryland veterans secure the permanent housing they deserve," he said.

"Veterans Affairs will screen those vets to make sure they'll be good tenants," Shankle said.

He said veterans who participate in the program will move into privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income to pay rent.

In cases where the veteran is unemployed, the vouchers would subsidize other types of income, such as disability and Social Security, according to Shankle.

He said the housing authority will provide rental assistance to the veterans, while the VA in Martinsburg will offer supportive services and case management.

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