On Dec. 18, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced some key steps the department is taking to help solve veteran homelessness.
The VA has introduced two grants and a mayor’s pledge to help get vets off the street.
Through the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) Grant, the VA will help support organizations that rehouse veterans and their families, prevent home loss and identify new, more suitable homes.
Through the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem (GDP) Case Management Grants, the VA will award $15 million for the next three years to awardees that are already a part of this program. Each group can get between $75,000 and $300,000 depending on how many case managers they have. The VA said that 90% of existing grants may be renewed which supports around 120 full-time case managers per year.
“These new grants are also a critical part of our work to end Veteran homelessness, empowering VA and our partners to provide more housing and wraparound services to more homeless and at-risk Veterans than ever before,” added VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “We will not rest until Veteran homelessness is a thing of the past.”
The VA has also launched a national initiative called the “Mayor’s Pledge to House Homeless Veterans” where mayors work with local landlords to commit to opening rental units to homeless veterans involved in the VA’s homeless programs.
“Today, we call on mayors across the nation to take action to help us combat Veteran homelessness,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “For many Veterans experiencing homelessness, the first step in ensuring they can take full advantage of VA services is to get them stable housing. Mayors provide key leadership and maintain strong relationships within their local communities, making them strategically positioned to rally their local landlords to support Veterans.”
The mayor’s pledge will run through Sept. 30, 2025.
Funding for the SVVF and GDP programs will begin on October 1, 2025.
The VA said that this is only part of the commitment they are making to end homelessness.
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