Today, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it will award $17 million in grants to homeless and at-risk Ohio veterans, as well as an additional $3.6 million to veterans from Ohio and surrounding states, through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families and Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem programs. The two initiatives will distribute a total of $806.4 million across the nation.
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- Supportive Services for Veteran Families: Through the SSVF program, VA is awarding 239 grants nationally totaling approximately $797.5 million to community organizations that help rapidly rehouse Veterans and their families, prevent the imminent loss of Veterans’ homes, or identify more suitable housing situations.
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- Grant and Per Diem Program: Through the GPD program, VA will award 14 grants nationally totaling approximately $8.9 million to community organizations that provide Veterans with transitional housing and case management — including connecting eligible Veterans to VA benefits, community-based services, and permanent housing. These special need grants will fund approximately 105 transitional housing beds to support special populations of homeless Veterans including women, elderly, terminally ill, chronically mentally ill, or those who care for minor dependents.
Ending Veteran homelessness remains a top priority for the VA and the Biden-Harris Administration. The number of Veterans experiencing homelessness has decreased by 4.5% from 2020 to 2023, and there has been an overall 52% reduction since 2010. These grants serve to further advance the efforts in ending Veteran homelessness, including progress towards the VA’s target of providing housing for an additional 41,000 homeless Veterans by fiscal year 2024. Notably, in 2023 alone, the VA successfully placed over 46,500 homeless Veterans into permanent housing, surpassing the set goal for the year by nearly 23%.
“We’re making significant strides in our efforts to reduce Veteran homelessness, but there is still much work ahead,” stated VA Secretary Denis McDonough. He emphasized that the grants received will enable VA, in collaboration with community partners, to expand the provision of housing and comprehensive support services to a greater number of homeless and at-risk Veterans than ever before.
The initiative is based on the evidence-based approach known as “Housing First.” This approach prioritizes providing housing to Veterans and then offering them comprehensive support to maintain their housing. This support includes access to healthcare, job training, legal assistance, education assistance, and more.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and VA have recently made policy changes to improve housing assistance for Veterans under the HUD-VASH program. These changes require public housing agencies to set initial income eligibility at 80% of the area median income. Additionally, Veterans’ disability benefits will no longer be considered when determining income eligibility. These modifications are expected to expand the number of Veterans who qualify for housing assistance.
If you are a Veteran who is experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, reach out to the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838). For more information on housing initiatives and other programs available to Veterans leaving homelessness, please visit the VA Homeless Programs website.
