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Rural Development Up to the CHALENG for Homeless Vets

Name
Dan Shields
Email
daniel.shields@pa.usda.gov
Phone
(717) 237-2286
City
Harrisburg
Release Date

August 28- USDA Rural Development is helping to end homelessness in the veteran community all throughout Pennsylvania.

On August 28th, the Lebanon VA Medical Center held Project CHALENG, the annual Veterans’ Housing Summit that brings together housing service providers, community advocates, veterans who share testimonies, and anyone else who is concerned for the well-being of those who serve. Since its inception in 1994, CHALENG (which stands for Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups) has served as a continuing analysis of the dilemma facing homeless veterans, and the obstacles they meet in the pursuit of successful community reentry. Through cooperative summits such as CHALENG, the Department of Veteran Affairs’ vision of having all veterans living in permanent housing becomes closer to reality.

With keystone programs such as Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans and Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loans, Rural Development is part of the solution. The goal is to provide loans for veterans to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in eligible rural areas, with payment assistance to increase repayment ability. As the numerous veteran testimonials at CHALENG confirmed, homeless veterans come from many different backgrounds, but Rural Development aims to provide assistance to anyone who is looking for a better life and an affordable home.

Homeownership provides a strong foundation to help build household wealth, start a business, or fund education through home equity. Since the creation of USDA’s single-family housing programs in 1949, USDA has helped more than 3 million rural residents attain the American dream of homeownership. Since 2009, USDA has invested more than $117 billion to support rural homeownership. To learn more about Project CHALENG, visit the website at http://www.va.gov/homeless/chaleng.asp.

If you or someone you know would like to receive more information on Rural Development’s Affordable Housing Programs or any of Rural Development’s other programs, please call us at 717-237-2286, or visit us at our website at http://www.rd.usda.gov/pa. Together we can end the problem of homelessness in Pennsylvania’s veteran community.