Funding to Volunteers of America Program Provides Transitional Housing Assistance in Los Angeles Area

LOS ANGELES, July 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that $500,000 in Recovery Act funds have been awarded to the Support for Harbor Area Women's Lives (SHAWL) House, a program of the Volunteers of America of Los Angeles (VOALA). The announcement was made during the Attorney General's visit to SHAWL House, known for its transitional housing and support services to victims of domestic violence in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.

"Transitional housing assistance programs help bridge a gap between emergency shelter and permanent housing for victims and their families. Providing viable temporary housing options and services that promote self-sufficiency are critical and proven steps toward violence-free lives," said Attorney General Holder. "We all know that the most vulnerable in our society bear the greatest burden in times of economic hardship. The grant we are delivering today to the SHAWL House, and the women these funds will help, is a concrete example of the Recovery Act at work."

The landmark American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama, provides the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) with $43 million for the Transitional Housing Assistance Program to provide holistic, victim-centered support services that move individuals into permanent housing. The grant to VOALA's SHAWL House is the first grant awarded under the Transitional Housing Assistance Program.

Transitional housing programs meet the goals of the Recovery Act through employing victim advocates and other personnel to assist victims, renovating housing for victims, offering additional housing units, and increasing job opportunities for victims through training, education and other support services. The award period for these grants is 24-36 months.

OVW, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, provides leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing 19 federal grant programs, OVW often undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges.

More information is available at www.ovw.usdoj.gov .

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

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