Landlords don’t always follow the rules. In February 2021, Danny, a participant in a federal rental assistance program for veterans, blew the whistle on his landlord who was overcharging him on the rent and fraudulently obtaining federal funds.
Danny was part of the HUD-VA Support Housing (HUD-VASH) program, serving some 80,000 veterans. It provides rental assistance and assists homeless veterans in identifying, obtaining, and maintaining housing. The program pays a portion of a veteran’s rent and caps the amount of rent that a landlord can charge its tenants.
The Northwest Justice Project represented Danny in the case, in which the United States Department of Justice prosecuted the action, which resulted in a settlement between the federal government and the landlord to pay a penalty to the U.S. government and to Danny for overcharging him.
Landlords who demand side payments from renters and misuse rental assistance violate the False Claims Act. Once made aware of such fraudulent actions, the Department of Justice will go after predatory landlords. Partnering with the federal government, legal aid organizations are able identify these illegal actions, recover money for low-income veterans, and prevent fraud in federal assistance programs.
Meanwhile, more than 40,000 veterans are homeless in the U.S. on any given night. Over a year’s time, twice that many experience homelessness. Only 7% of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly 13% of the homeless adults are veterans.
NJP and its Veterans Project team provide advice and legal representation to veterans dealing with issues from housing and eviction to VA benefits and discharge upgrades, ensuring that they are treated with dignity and respect.
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