#Middlebury #Veterans
With prices soaring all around us, imagine how bad it must be in places that already had high costs when it came to rental housing. In an effort to help homeless veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs has updated its grant program to raise assistance caps in housing and subsidies.
Specifically, in certain areas, the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) rent grant will increase from 35% to 50% of reasonable rent, without a need for recertification for two years. That has to be a huge aid to eligible veterans with families who are seeking stability.
Additionally, the length of time a veteran and the family can stay in emergency housing has increased 15 days to a maximum of 60 days. This will be especially helpful in places with few rental vacancies.
The SSVF program is a series of grants to private nonprofit organizations that provide support services to very-low-income veterans and their families. The role of these nonprofits is to get them into permanent housing that includes a lease, either annual or month to month, or even home ownership. They determine eligibility for assistance in part by considering whether the veteran is at risk of becoming homeless without the grant, doesn’t have a fixed place to sleep at night and will likely continue in that condition without the grant, or is at risk of becoming homeless within 90 days.
If you’re a homeless vet with a family or are in danger of becoming homeless, hook up with Supportive Services for Veterans Families as soon as possible. There are several eligibility conditions, and you might qualify for Rapid Rehousing. Call them 24/7 at 1-877-424-3838. You also can call the nearest VA medical center and ask for the Homeless Coordinator.
The VA is behind this change so much that it finalized the rule without even waiting for the typical public comment period after publication in the Federal Register.
© 2021 King Features Synd. Inc.
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