WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that 25 projects in 11 different states will share approximately $4.9 million in grants to provide enhanced services for homeless Veterans this year. This is in addition to the approximately $300 million in preventive grants awarded earlier this year through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.
“Our local partners have played a vital role in our effort to find, engage, and rescue every homeless Veteran,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Until no Veteran has to sleep on our Nation’s streets, we still have work to do.”
As a key component of VA’s plan to eliminate homelessness among Veterans, VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program funds community agencies that provide services to homeless Veterans. The program promotes the development and provision of supportive housing and services with the goal of helping homeless Veterans achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and income, and obtain greater self-determination.
On a single night in January 2012, a national count of homeless Veterans totaled 62,619, which was more than 17 percent below the figure for 2009. As part of President Obama’s and Secretary Shinseki’s plan to eliminate Veteran homelessness in 2015, VA has committed over $1 billion in fiscal year 2014 to strengthen programs that prevent and treat the many issues that can lead to Veteran homelessness.
For more information, visit VA’s website for the National Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Office at www.va.gov/homeless/GPD.ASP. Additionally, VA has a National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, 1-877-4AID VET (1-877-424-3838), http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/NationalCallCenter.asp.
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Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov
Veterans with questions about their health care and benefits (including GI Bill). Questions, updates and documents can be submitted online.
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