HUD and VA Launch $15 Million Demonstration Program to Prevent Veteran Homelessness
July 22, 2010
New effort to benefit homeless prevention programs near five military bases
Under the new Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program (VHPD), existing HUD grantees or 'Continuums of Care' located near the following military installations will each receive $2 million: MacDill Air Force Base in
"The men and women who serve our nation deserve better than a life on the streets when they return home," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "These grants represent a first step toward designing the best interventions possible so that we can prevent homelessness for those heroes who sacrificed so much for us. It is also another step forward toward reaching President Obama's goal of preventing and ending homelessness in all its forms."
VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki added, "While usually the strongest and most resilient of Americans, Veterans still represent a disproportionate share of
"This effort is about reaching veterans and their families who are transitioning home and struggling to readjust," said Senator Patty Murray, who established VHPD in the Fiscal Year 2009 Housing Appropriations bill. "By providing access to stable housing, health care, and job training and outreach services this program provides targeted support to our heroes who are returning home to a difficult economic climate. All veterans deserve housing and the dignity that comes with it and this is another step to reach those who have sacrificed so much."
Through this combination of housing, health care and employment services provided through the U.S. Department of Labor, VHPD is designed to explore innovative early interventions to help prevent veteran homelessness, targeted to service members returning from the wars in
The three-year grants announced today will help the five identified communities or Continuums of Care to use and track client-level data provided by the VA and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to target veterans who meet the eligibility criteria. VA will act as the primary liaison to the grantee and will provide eligible Veterans with access to VA health care and benefits. HUD funds will provide short- or medium-term rental assistance, including security deposits, utility payments and case management. In addition, the program will offer community-based supportive services appropriate for veterans and their families, including child care and family services.
VHPD is also intended to improve the understanding of the unique needs of veterans returning from
VHPD also supports the Obama Administration's far-reaching and ambitious strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. Last month, HUD and 18 other federal agencies unveiled Opening Doors, an unprecedented federal strategy to end veteran and chronic homelessness by 2015, and to end homelessness among children, families, and youth by 2020.
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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.
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