Veterans Affairs Supporting Housing (VASH) Project Based Vouchers

HACSB is requesting proposals from housing providers who desire to receive reservations for project-based Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers (PB VASH) in San Bernardino County. These PB VASH are intended to ease the growing issue of voucher holders who are unable to secure rental units in the current rental market. The PB VASH should expand the housing choices of our communities’ most vulnerable veterans. VASH vouchers come with voucher rental assistance and ongoing case management and support for the veteran provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Referrals for PB VASH units come exclusively from the VA, and proposers must commit to operating projects consistent with a Housing First approach and the regulations governing the VASH program.In accordance with the federal regulations governing the maximum amount of PBV assistance, the Housing Authority will select proposals to provide project based VASH assistance for up to 20 percent of the amount of budget authority allocated to the Housing Authority by HUD. Based on the current amount of funding expended for current PB VASH contracts totaling 50 units, including existing reservations, and on the expected per unit cost of new reservations, it is expected that 42 units will be available. The current per unit funding HACSB receives from HUD for the VASH program is $529. Any units with a per unit cost exceeding the current per unit funding amount received from HUD decreases the total number of families that can be served in the VASH program (tenant based and project based). Currently our funding is supporting 73.5% of the total authorized number of VASH units authorized by HUD, which currently equates to 529 authorized units. In other words, HACSB is expending every dollar that is being received for this program. As such, it is important to note that absent any additional funding from HUD for the HUD VASH program, any new PB VASH reservations will have to be issued as VASH program participants in the tenant-based program leave the program.**Note that in December of 2020, HACSB received notification that an allocation of additional VASH voucher funding from HUD had been approved. We anticipate that the new VASH Vouchers will be available for lease effective May 1, 2021, with the requirement that all such vouchers be under lease within one (1) year.Qualifying properties must be located in San Bernardino County and may be either existing properties or newly constructed or rehabilitated properties. In the case of newly constructed or rehabilitated properties, the proposer must demonstrate the overall project feasibility including financial, zoning, and ownership or site control of the proposed project. HACSB will consider requests for vouchers from 5 to 15 units for existing projects without current Project Based Voucher contracts with HACSB, and between 8 and 30 units for new construction projects. HACSB will consider proposals for more than 30 VASH PBV if the Proposer provides a compelling rationale that benefits VASH participants. Following the reservation, the project-based vouchers would be attached to units with a 20-year Housing Assistance Payment contract.• Information on the VASH program can be found at https://www.hud.gov/program offices/public indian housing/programs/hcv/vash • Information on Housing First is available at hudexchange.info.• Additional information regarding HACSB’s Project Based Voucher program can be found in Chapter 20 of our Housing Services Administrative Plan.1Contract rents for projects selected through the RFP will be limited to the lower of the following:• Reasonable rents consistent with 24 CFR 982.507• Payment standard (Current payments standards in Exhibit H) minus the utility allowance (Exhibit I) for the unit.