VA Awards 53 Homeless Assistance Grants

WASHINGTON – A new round of grants to public and nonprofit groups from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will provide $13 million to develop housing and service centers for homeless veterans.

“The VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program is a key component of VA’s partnership with state, local and tribal organizations to shatter the cycle of chronic homelessness among military veterans who need a helping hand,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi.  “This has been one of VA’s most successful programs in addressing the needs of homeless veterans.”

Today’s announcement of awards to 53 groups will add 1,378 beds to the 3,600 transitional beds for homeless veterans throughout the nation that have been previously funded through VA grants for the homeless.  More than 40 percent of groups funded with this award are operated by faith-based organizations.

Earlier this year, 270 groups applied for VA’s “per diem” funding, or financial support for daily bed use by veterans.  This demonstrated significant unmet need for homeless veteran transitional housing across the country, as well as an increasing interest in this segment of America’s homeless from community partners.

Through grants since the program began in 1994, VA has supported both beds for homeless veterans and such services as van purchases to transport the homeless or outreach programs to find and inform veterans about available services.

In addition to its work with community and faith-based organizations, VA is collaborating with other federal agencies and state and local governments to ensure that homeless veterans have access to a full range of health care, benefits and support services.  The federal Interagency Council on the Homeless in which VA is an active participant is working to realize an administration goal to end chronic homelessness in a decade. 

Although estimates of homelessness in America vary, studies have suggested as many as a fourth of the adult homeless population are veterans, including more than 200,000 veterans without homes on any given night — and perhaps twice as many experiencing homelessness at some point during a year.

VA’s major homeless programs constitute the largest integrated network of homeless assistance programs in the country, offering a wide array of services and initiatives to help veterans recover from homelessness and live as self-sufficiently and independently as possible.

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VA Grant and Per Diem Program Grants