Tester Announces More Than $213,000 to Curb Veteran Homelessness in Missoula

$213,744 in grant funding awarded to Missoula Housing Authority

(U.S. Senate) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) today announced a grant of $213,744 through the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program to increase access to safe and affordable housing for veterans in Missoula.

“Missoula Housing Authority has been a critical component in addressing homelessness in the community,” said Tester, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “This grant will enable homeless veterans in Missoula access to affordable housing and supportive services from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Our men and women who defended this country in uniform deserve nothing less from their city and their government.”

“We’ve been committed to ending veteran homelessness in Missoula for a long time and the HUD-VASH program is integral to that effort,” said Missoula Mayor John Engen. “This additional funding, simply put, means that more men and women who served our country can live with the dignity and security they earned.”

HUD-VASH is a collaborative program between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) combining HUD housing vouchers with VA supportive services to help homeless veterans and their families find permanent housing.

Tester is a strong advocate for expanding affordable housing opportunities in Montana. Through his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee, he played a key role in negotiating a bipartisan budget deal that made substantial investments into affordable housing initiatives including the HOME and CDBG programs. Earlier this year he helped secure more than $4 million for Public Housing Authorities across Montana and more than $26 million for affordable housing in Indian Country.

Read more about Tester’s efforts to expand affordable housing in Montana HERE.