VA Awards SSVF Surge Funding to 56 Communities

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) is encouraged by today's announcement by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that it has awarded $207 million in grants to nonprofit organizations across the country to assist them in their local push to end veteran homelessness. Today's awards have been directed to 82 programs in 56 communities across the country that the VA has determined have the most acute need for more rapid re-housing and homelessness prevention funding. This funding is part of a "surge" to communities with the highest need to help meet the national goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015.

In conjunction with the hard work of NCHV members and partners in the field, this funding surge will help tens of thousands of vulnerable veterans achieve housing stability. We commend our partners in the field for executing the surge and our partners at VA for demonstrating a continued commitment to reaching the Department's goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015. Veteran homelessness is down a full 33% since 2010. NCHV has full faith in the commitment of VA Secretary Robert McDonald to continue to lead the campaign to end to veteran homelessness by 2015. Today's awarding of SSVF grants demonstrates that continued commitment and dedication of the VA's Homeless Programs office as well as that of the Secretary.

These grants go directly into communities, supporting new or existing Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) programs in 56 priority Continuums of Care with the greatest level of need. This VA funded program is administered by community-based nonprofits, and is the only national and veteran-specific program available to prevent at-risk men and women from ever falling into homelessness. It not only helps stop the slide into homelessness, but it also rapidly re-houses those who do become homeless. With a success rate of 84% retention of permanent housing, and an average cost per veteran family of only $2,480, the SSVF program is a low-cost, high-impact way to make successful interventions. For these reasons among many more, the VA has decided to make strategic investments in this program, which NCHV fully supports. You can read more about the successes of SSVF, visit http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/SSVFUniversity/SSVF_Annual_Report_FY_2013.pdf.

The Obama administration requested a total of $500 million to surge into these high-need communities this year. Currently, Congress has only authorized $300 million to be spent on the SSVF program. NCHV continues to urge Congress to increase the program's funding authorization to the requested level. Increasing the authorization would aid the nation in reaching its goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015.

To find out more about the SSVF grantees and to read the announcement, visit http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2637.

About the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans:

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) is the resource and technical assistance center for a national network of community-based service providers and local, state and federal agencies that provide emergency and supportive housing, food, health services, job training and placement assistance, legal aid and case management support for hundreds of thousands of homeless and at-risk veterans each year.

NCHV also serves as the primary liaison between the nation's care providers, Congress and the Executive Branch agencies charged with helping them succeed in their work. NCHV's advocacy has strengthened and increased funding for virtually every federal homeless veteran assistance program in existence today. Visit NCHV on the web at www.nchv.org.

SOURCE National Coalition for Homeless Veterans