#Middlebury #HomelessVeterans #HousingFirst
VETERANS POST
By Freddy Groves
The annual Point-in-Time Count takes place on a given night in January every year and attempts to estimate the number of homeless who are out on the streets. The most recent one, done in January 2023, revealed that yes, what many of us sensed, there had been an increase in the number of homeless veterans – 7.4% over the previous January. To try to get ahead of the problem, especially given the coming January 2024 count, the Department of Veterans Affairs has announced millions to be spent on grants to help homeless veterans.
The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) grants will give out hundreds of millions to organizations that help veterans and their families find housing, find more stable housing or avoid loss of their home. The exact amount of the grants is not yet known. However, the Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans At-Risk for Homelessness Grants program will give over $26 million to groups and organizations to help with the legal side of things: court proceedings, defense related to homelessness in criminal cases and legal representation.
VA efforts during 2023 saw progress in several areas despite the increase in the number of homeless veterans. During 2023, the VA awarded over $1 billion in grants to groups and organizations for homeless veterans. Nearly 39,000 homeless veterans found permanent housing, and over 145,000 veterans and their families were helped to avoid foreclosure on their homes. The HUD-VASH program helped 13,000 veterans find affordable housing as well as support services.
Those support services follow the Housing First model, which uses a plan with specific steps: Get the veteran into housing and then ensure they can stay there by offering several types of support. That can include job training, education help, health care and legal assistance. Studies have shown that veterans who are in the Housing First program find housing much more quickly (in 35 days as opposed to 223 days).
Veterans who are either homeless or in danger of becoming homeless can go online to www.va.gov/homeless or call 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838) to get help.
© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
