{"id":315900,"date":"2024-11-01T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=315900"},"modified":"2024-11-01T15:18:31","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T15:18:31","slug":"homeless-to-homeowner-hud-vash-helps-veteran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=315900","title":{"rendered":"Homeless to homeowner: HUD-VASH helps Veteran"},"content":{"rendered":"

Army Veteran Michael Magyar once faced homelessness. Today, he is a homeowner who says he wouldn\u2019t be where he is without the HUD-VA Supportive Housing<\/a> (HUD-VASH) program.<\/p>\n

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\u201cVA, particularly the HUD-VASH program, gave me the stability, resources and hope I needed to reclaim my life. While the road has been far from easy, I now have the tools, support and mindset to live a life of stability and purpose. For that, I am forever thankful,\u201d Magyar shared.<\/p>\n

On a mission<\/h2>\n

Magyar initially joined the Army to help pay for college, serving from 1992 to 1996 as a chaplain\u2019s bodyguard in Louisiana and Germany. He found the years in the military to be both rewarding and unforgettable. The discipline of the Army was a natural fit for the mission-oriented Magyar.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Army changed the way I live. I never really got out of the Army,\u201d he said, reminiscing that the valuable skills he learned there would later play a large part in helping him overcome homelessness.<\/p>\n

Finding a lifeline<\/h2>\n

Magyar struggled in the years after being discharged. By 2011, he found himself without a home. But in connecting with VA\u2019s homeless programs, he turned the tide.<\/p>\n

He first stayed in transitional housing, but later found an apartment through what he calls his lifeline, the HUD-VASH program. HUD-VASH pairs HUD\u2019s Housing Choice Vouchers with wraparound services from VA to give Veterans the support they need to remain stably housed.<\/p>\n

Case manager Autumn Hail also came into his life at this critical juncture. While Magyar admits they didn\u2019t always see eye to eye, he called on his Army training to help him commit to following her advice and suggestions.<\/p>\n

Hail calls Magyar one of the most resilient people she\u2019s ever met.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve gotten to see you just create this beautiful life for yourself,\u201d said Hail to Magyar. \u201cI think that\u2019s a real testament to the work you did, taking those supports and using that to help you get to the place you wanted to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becoming a homeowner<\/h2>\n

Magyar stayed in his apartment until earlier this year when he received service-connected disability approval and was able to use that income along with some returns on investments to help buy a home.<\/p>\n

Magyar hopes to be able to purchase more real estate with a goal to buy a home for his pastor as well as a rental property.<\/p>\n

In addition to HUD-VASH, he credits his faith with helping him turn his life around, saying that he sees God working through all the people who have helped him along his way.<\/p>\n

Learn about VA programs\u00a0<\/h2>\n