#MiddleburyCT #Veterans #HomelessVets
VETERANS POST
By Freddy Groves
The Department of Veterans Affairs is gearing up to award $30 million to organizations to hire case managers across the country to support homeless veterans for two years beginning this October. Those 150 case managers will assist with searching for and obtaining permanent housing and troubleshooting any barriers to keeping that housing. Barriers to finding and keeping housing can range from having a poor credit history, to being behind in rent, to having legal problems and more.
The VA goes by the Housing First philosophy: The veteran needs the stability of housing before taking additional steps to improve quality of life. Once the veteran is in permanent housing, the rest of the work starts – job training, mental health care, education assistance, medical care … whatever it takes to keep them in their home. The Housing First model was tested early on, and the results were promising. In a test of the first 177 homeless veterans, the program reduced the waiting time for housing placement from 235 days to 35.
If you’re a homeless veteran or know someone who is, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838) or see www.va.gov/homeless. If you know that you’re likely to be homeless soon, don’t wait until the last minute. Reach out for help now. There are resources to help you with health care, employment, housing and much more. You can also go to your closest VA medical center. While you’re there, ask about Community Resource and Referral Centers (CRRCs) and their list of contacts who have the resources to help.
If your community group works to assist homeless veterans, take a look at the Housing First information at www.va.gov/HOMELESS/nchav/resources/housing-programs/housing-first.asp.
Applications for the Case Management Grants must be received by May 4, 2023. See the notice in the Federal Register at tinyurl.com/27x3djay. If you have questions, contact the Grant and Per Diem Program at GPDGrants@va.gov.
© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.
