#Middlebury #SpecialNeedsVeterans #HomelessVeterans
VETERANS POST
By Freddy Groves
The Department of Veterans Affairs has done the final math for 2023, and the number of homeless veterans who found permanent housing has passed the initial goal. The total now stands at 46,000 veterans who were helped. At the same time, the VA hooked up with 40,000 veterans to get them the resources they need to find housing and worked to ensure that 95% of housed veterans can stay that way.
All this is part of the Housing First program. The theory is that getting a veteran into a home first is crucial, then to be followed up with the services needed to ensure the continued housing. Part of that includes education, legal help, health care and jobs training. Veterans who are part of the Housing First program generally find housing more quickly, in 35 days as opposed to 223 days on average.
Now, having the final 2023 number of 46,000 veterans put into housing, the VA has announced funding in the amount of $5 million in grants (renewable for a second year) to help the special needs group of homeless veterans (mentally ill, the elderly, women, the terminally ill and those with children). The Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program gives the cash to community groups that handle both temporary transitional housing and case management, hooking them up with services, permanent housing and access to VA benefits.
Only 16 of the special needs grant recipient groups can apply for a share of that $5 million. The list of grantees indicates that each group concentrates on only one category of the special needs list, with the Chronically Mentally Ill group having a slight edge over the other categories. The actual awarding of the funds will run from October 2024 to September 2026, with applications needing to be received by April 15, 2024.
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.
